ASOTIN - The Asotin County commissioners support the notion of an industrial park, but they don't intend to give away county property for a building site.

"I guarantee the county will not donate the land," Commissioner R.E. (Buck) Lane said Monday at the weekly commission meeting.

The Port of Clarkston is going after grant money to pay for a feasibility study on what it would take to build an industrial park and where it might be located. The commissioners said they will send a letter in support of the study to Olympia, and they are in favor of pursuing ideas that will bring living-wage jobs to the area. But they don't want to give away the farm.

Asotin County owns 640 acres west of Clarkston. Some of the property is being used for the regional landfill and baseball fields, and other portions are being farmed. There's room for an industrial park, and if that's where the port wants to build, the land will be sold at appraised value, the commissioners said.

"It's not going to be free," said Commissioner Don Brown.

The chairman of the port commission, Marion Renfro, said the port is applying for $50,000 from the Washington Community Economic Revitalization Board and plans to kick in $25,000 in matching funds to pay for the study. He said planning an industrial park requires cooperation between entities and organizations, and several are sending letters of support.

"I think it's a great idea," said Commissioner Doug Mattoon. "Expanding the job base is beneficial for everyone. We support the feasibility study to identify potential sites and the necessary infrastructure, such as utilities and roads."

Stuart Raspone of Clarkston voiced his objections about the park, saying the Port of Clarkston was supposed to be self-sufficient years ago, but it is still taking taxpayer money. And if the industrial park is built on county property, it won't be on tax rolls, he said.

The commissioners said the property is not on the tax rolls now because it is government owned.

Steve Claasen of Clarkston asked how an industrial park would affect the environment and whether it would be a low-impact operation.

Mattoon said a boat manufacturing business is more likely than an oil refinery.

"We're not looking for smoke stacks and that type of thing," Lane said.

In other county business, the commissioners established two new county roads, Sparrow Hawk Drive and Kestrel Drive, at the top of the Peola Grade west of the landfill. The roads meet all county specifications and will serve the new Sparrow Hawk subdivision, said Joel Ristau, county engineer.

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Sandaine may be contacted at kerris@lmtribune.com or (208) 743-9600, ext. 264.