Orlando Sentinel

Osceola Co. OKs land sale for clean energy plan

In first phase, French company will pay $850,000 for 10 acres near SunRail station

Following months of protests and multiple changes to a proposed clean energy park, Osceola County Commission­ers on Monday voted to approve a deal to sell land for the project to CMG Clean Tech.

Initially the France-based company was in negotiatio­ns with Osceola County to purchase over 300 acres of Mac Overstreet park close to the large Bellalago community but facing vigorous opposition from neighbors, CMG Clean Tech moved its chosen site to a 63-acre property next to the SunRail station in Poinciana in September.

County commission­ers unanimousl­y approved a deal to allow Panacea, a CMG Clean Tech affiliate, to purchase the SunRail site for $85,000 per acre in phases, with stipulatio­ns for proof of financial capability. The initial phase of 10 acres will cost Panacea $850,000. The deal includes tax refunds, equipment purchase reimbursem­ent and job creation incentives for the company.

“It’s taken longer than we originally expected but… we’ve always been community based, “said John Darling, CEO of CMG Clean Tech. “The way Osceola staff has dealt with this, we’ve just built a very good relationsh­ip with them and we want to see it through to the end with them. The incentives are very good and very encouragin­g for us to come here.”

The financial proof clause comes after residents opposed to the developmen­t expressed concerns over the company’s ability to pursue the project as CMG Clean Tech reported a net loss of over $3.4 million U.S. dollars in 2022. The firm focuses on developing solar and hydrogen energy technologi­es.

Opponents of the original project said they are happy the site is no longer in their backyard but worry for the residents who will be near the developmen­t.

“I’m very disappoint­ed in the commission moving this factory

complex next to low income housing, new housing, subdivisio­ns and a brand new school,” said Debbie Rambis, the leader of the movement opposed to the clean energy project. “They are moving this in without these people even living there or going to school there yet.”

Jan Cornish, a resident of Bellalago, said the best part of the deal is the proof of financial capability clause.

“When I saw that I said “right on” because that has been another one of our concerns,” Cornish said. “We’ve been pointing that out from the very beginning.”

The deal includes refunds of 100% of the ad valorem taxes on the property for five years and reimbursem­ent for up to 50% of the purchase price of equipment, up to $100,000. The county also agreed to pay Panacea up to $3,000 for each job created that has an annual wage of at least 150% of the county’s median wage.

In 2022 that median wage in the county was just above $64,000 according to the latest Census Bureau statistics, making the wage necessary to receive the incentive above $90,000.

But the opponents are worried that these jobs won’t go toward Osceola County residents.

“We have majority retired people in this area,” Lisa Cleveland said.

Cleveland said she surveyed 300 District 3, which encompasse­s the area where the project will be built, residents and found that most are not looking for employment.

“I personally feel that it’s just satisfying a political agenda,” Cleveland said. “But we will continue going to public comment meetings.”

But District 3 commission­er Brandon Arrington said the project will help county residents by creating an employment center closer to home.

“We all know the only way we are going to fix the issue with our traffic in our community is by creating more opportunit­ies for jobs within short trips on a daily basis,” Arrington said at the meeting.

The project, dubbed the Green Garden Village, is ramping up even before the deal is officially closed.

Darling said Panacea is looking at three to four months of getting permits approved, but plans to start building in the second quarter of 2024.

“We want to get going,” Darling said. “We already imported a lot of product into the United States and the plan has always been to have a made in U.S.A. product base which finally now we can do that.”