MILFORD—County officials have given the green light for a sawmill to re-open near Bowling Green and create 14 new jobs that pay $8 to $20 an hour.
The Caroline County Board of Supervisors on Nov. 26 unanimously approved a special exception permit to allow the old sawmill to begin operation again at 21529 Bagby Road.
The board had previously approved an expedited hearing following a public hearing held by the Caroline County Planning Commission.
The current owner and applicant James E. Hill is selling the property, which has not been used as a functioning sawmill in over two years, to John Rock Inc., a wooden pallet manufacturing company based out of Philadelphia.
Mike Finchum, Caroline director of planning and community development, said the mill is subject to current zoning regulations, which require a special exception permit to be allowed to operate as a sawmill again.
The Planning Commission sent the request to the Board of Supervisors with a recommendation for approval. Finchum also mentioned the applicant’s request for modifications of operation hours.
The hours of operation were set as 6 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. until 12 p.m. on Saturday. The sawmill will be closed Sundays.
Supervisor Reginald Underwood wanted to know if there had been any issues when the mill was operational. Finchum responded that he “did not see any issues in the file.”
Finchum also noted that in 2006 or 2007 a request for an expansion of the mill was made, and was approved by the county. No expansion was made, however.
Owner of John Rock Inc., Bill MacCauley, said the re-opening of the sawmill in Bowling Green would only bring good things to the county. “We’re here to bring you jobs,” MacCauley told the board. Since there has been activity at the mill, “already 15 people have come by looking for jobs,” according to MacCauley.
MacCauley told the board that the sawmill would have 12 to 14 open positions for county residents. He further stated that the positions would pay $8 to $20 an hour, depending on the department.
MacCauley told the board that the company plans to “update and modernize” the structure in order to meet current safety requirements.
During the hearing one Bowling Green resident, who lives on the same road where the mill is located, expressed opposition to the reopening of the business. The resident’s main concern seemed to be the width of the road, stating that it was “not wide enough for cars and trucks to pass safely.”
The citizen also told the board that she had heard rumors of the company putting “trailers with illegal immigrants” on the property for labor. She spoke of a dangerous curve on the road, and told the board “you’re taking people’s lives.”
Floyd Thomas, chairman of the Board of Supervisors, added some levity to the discussion by commenting that “this was a sawmill back when I had hair.” He asked if there were any accident reports associated with traffic on that road since the mill had originally opened in the 1960s.
Finchum reported that there were no accident reports on file. He suggested that road improvement questions go to the Virginia Department of Transportation. “It is a VDOT issue,” Finchum said.
The board will review the progress of the mill one year from the date of occupancy and decide whether to renew the agreement.
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