Danner: County Is Out Off Rickman Property Purchase

Overton County Executive Ben Danner said the county is officially out of contention for the Rickman Road property.

Danner said the county has a Friday deadline to purchase the 210-acres.

“We had a certain amount of time that the county had to purchase the land,” Danner said. “That time is about to run out, and we don’t have enough time to have another county court meeting anyway, so as far as our part, we are out of it.”

The county had two companies submit letters of intent to move onto the site off of Highway 111. However, the land intended for development was not purchased since the item died in committee.

Danner said one of the interested companies specialized in lumber while the other manufactured energy drinks. Danner said another party not affiliated with the companies has placed an offer on the land after the county could not secure it.

“I feel like the land owner will sell it to them since we are not in the picture now,” Danner said. “That’s not those companies that made the offer, so I would still like to try to find a place to put those companies, but I really don’t know.”

Danner said there are some tracts of land available in the county, but they are not large enough. Danner said finding a large tract along Highway 111 is not easy.