By Anne Spencer

Published: May 6, 2008

CAMPBELLTON – Of interest to townsfolk here on Tuesday was the long discussed Southeast Alabama connector to Interstate 10 in Northwest Florida, a proposal that resurfaced Monday in Dothan.

At a press conference at the chamber of commerce there, Alabama interests announced that a toll-road might be built with a public/private partnership.

A road with interstate standards is said to be needed as the economic corridor crucial for business development. The Alabama Department of Transportation has chosen a route west of Dothan, but no route in Florida has been set.

Neither is funding in place, but it’s certain, according to a report by Media General/Dothan Eagle writer Debbie Ingram, that if the connector is built, it will take private funds.

The State of Florida does not plan to contribute.

The route possibly could involve Campbellton, so “it’s a hot topic,” said Wanda Moore Tuesday at city hall. She’s the president of the Campbellton City Commission and acts as city manager.

The route in Florida could start somewhere on U.S. 231 near the Alabama line, continue south into Campbellton, veer southwest on State Road 273, and connect to State Road 77 south of Graceville, which leads to the interstate.

Moore described the possible route from south to north.

“They’re thinking about routing it from 77 to 273, which comes from Chipley into Campbellton, and then to 231,” Moore said. “I’ve been following it on the Internet, and there’s a meeting about it in Chipley on May 15, and I’m going to be attending that.”

If the toll road comes about and the route through Campbellton is chosen, “We’ll have major traffic jams,” Moore said. “I don’t object to the development, but we need to be on top of it. So my questions now are how are they going to implement that.”

Development of the resort near Dothan to be known as Country Crossing is also of interest to Campbellton.

“I think it’s pretty exciting,” Moore said.  Several residents at city hall agreed with her. Back to the more mundane, Moore talked about current and future water and wastewater projects. The water part is under way, the wastewater in the future.  “Our biggest problem in the town is lack of a wastewater processing plant. You can’t develop businesses on septic tanks,” she said.

She told of a local businessman who wanted to open a Dairy Queen but wouldn’t because of no city sewer system. Serving the public at a business with a septic tank means frequent pumping.

“When I ran a restaurant here, I couldn’t have more than 20 customers,” Moore grumbled.

The state is doing a wastewater study “to present options,” Moore said. The Campbellton City Commission and the council of nearby Jacob have agreed to share such a system.

If Florida’s Rural Development approves a shared wastewater system, the application for grants is at least two years away, according to Moore.
Campbellton has a population of about 250, Jacob about 290.

The next grants for Campbellton will be made in September for water, Moore said. Recently, lines were extended to serve an annexed area; next will be an application to pay for fire hydrants.

They will go in front of the largest business in town, Campbellton Farm Service, according to Moore.

Garbage is a current subject as well. According to Moore, the city has been told it needs an ordinance for mandatory collection.
Recycling started about one month ago. In exchange for this, the city gets a quarterly payment from the county.

A bin for paper is at the post office, a bin for cardboard at a local gas station, and three bins are outside city hall – for paper, plastics and aluminum. The money goes to the city’s senior citizens fund.