By Gregg Hoffmann
WisBusiness.com
SPARTA – Century Foods International has offered to buy the site of a proposed Sparta ethanol plant.
In a letter to the Mayor John Sund and the Sparta Common Council, Century said it would buy the site for the same price Coulee Area Renewable Energy LLC paid, reported to be about $1.75 million.
Century Foods said it also would give the city of Sparta $250,000 to create an economic development plan to recruit industry to the CARE ethanol site, which is near Century Foods’ main facility.
Century officials argue emissions from the proposed ethanol plant will contaminate its milk-based products and endanger employees’ jobs. CARE officials dispute those claims and had no comment Friday on Century Foods’ offer.
The council and planning commission need to reject a zoning ordinance next week in ordeer for Century‘s offer to stand. The Plan Commission delayed action on rezoning the site for 30 days on July 16.
Century Foods and CARE officials met last week with a mediator, retired Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Gordon Myse, for the first time. Both sides also met separately last week with Gov. Jim Doyle.
