A compromise solution may have been found to deliver needed water and sewer service to an industrial tract off Old Augusta Road.

Effingham County commissioners approved a $68,000 contract for Port City Design Group to come up with engineering plans for a well and a septic system on the Grandview tract. Grandview’s owners have told commissioners they are actively courting at least two industrial prospects but need water and sewer work done to help close the deals.

“I feel this is a good faith compromise,” said commission Chairman Dusty Zeigler, who was involved in the negotiations with the Grandview group. “This is the best ‘meet in the middle’ recourse.”

The county has a longstanding letter of credit with Grandview to provide water and sewer service. With some cost estimates for extending water and sewer lines up Chimney Road around $10 million — and time also not on their side — county and Grandview representatives came up with the stopgap plan last week.

“We have a contract that says we will provide water and sewer service,” County Administrator David Crawley said.

The prospect Grandview’s owners are courting currently is a light manufacturing outfit with a projected startup employment of 150. That number could go to 250.

“This is an alternative,” Crawley said. “It’s an opportunity to move that development forward. This is a good interim step.”

The county would own the utilities built in the tract and would collect the impact fees. If the county eventually extended water and sewer lines up Chimney Road, the system planned for Grandview could be tied in to that.

Crawley said this alternative also leaves open possible talks with Rincon for service in that area. The Grandview tract is not far from Rincon’s wastewater treatment plant. Crawley added the well for Grandview eventually could serve as a backup for the county’s system or for Rincon’s.