Commissioners approve LERTA zone for Hickory Township to support Richardson Woodworking expansion

The Lawrence County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 3 approved Resolution 10 to consider (and implement for county property taxes) a Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (LERTA) zone in designated light-industrial and mixed-use highway areas of Hickory Township.

Forward Lawrence representatives and John Richardson of Richardson Woodworking described the project that prompted the request: the company purchased a shuttered facility formerly owned by Wendy Paving, plans to build about 10,000 square feet of new structures, relocate its sawmill and wood-manufacturing operations into the site and expects to grow from about 10–12 full-time employees to add roughly 6–8 more over the next year.

Under the schedule presented, the real-estate tax exemption for county property taxes would run five years after construction or improvement: 100% in year one, 80% in year two, 60% in year three, 40% in year four and 20% in year five, after which the exemption terminates. The board clarified that the LERTA designation applies to the zoned areas in Hickory Township, not to a single company.

Commissioners asked planning staff to confirm zoning boundaries and ownership details and noted that the Laurel Area School District had already approved an identical or similar LERTA schedule for its school tax component. The board voted to carry the resolution after presentations and discussion.

What happens next: Planning staff will provide maps and any required ownership verifications; the county solicitor may review final documents before any LERTA implementation affecting county property tax exemptions.