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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Foreign-Trade Zones Board
[Docket 31-97]
Proposed Foreign-Trade Zone--Dothan, Alabama Area Application and
Public Hearing
An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones (FTZ)
Board (the Board) by the Dothan-Houston County Foreign Trade Zone, Inc.
(an Alabama non-profit corporation), to establish a general-purpose
foreign-trade zone in the Dothan (Houston/Dale Counties), Alabama area,
adjacent to the Panama City, Florida, Customs port of entry. The
application was submitted pursuant to the provisions of the Foreign-
Trade Zones Act, as amended (19 U.S.C. 81a-81u), and the regulations of
the Board (15 CFR Part 400). It was formally filed on April 14, 1997.
The applicant is authorized to make the proposal under Act 77-498,
Section 33-1-30 of the Code of Alabama, 1975, as amended.
The proposed zone is located in southeastern Alabama, approximately
25 miles north of the Alabama-Florida border. The closest Customs port
of entry is Panama City, Florida. (This would be the second foreign-
trade zone associated with the Panama City Customs port of entry. FTZ
65 in Panama City was established in 1981.) The proposed zone will
consist of 6 sites (1,460 acres) within the Cities of Dothan and
Columbia: Site 1 (304 acres)--Dothan-Houston County Airport Industrial
Park, Alabama Highway 134, Dothan; Site 2 (157 acres)--Dothan
Industrial Park, U.S. Highway 231 and Napier Field Road, Dothan; Site 3
(349 acres)--Westgate Industrial Park, Westgate Parkway and Headland
Avenue, Dothan; Site 4 (162 acres)--Dothan Chamber of Commerce
Industrial Park, Murray Road, Dothan; Site 5 (181 acres)--Sam Houston
Industrial Park, Alabama Highway 52 (Columbia Highway), Dothan; and,
Site 6 (307 acres) Columbia-Houston County Port Authority Industrial
Park, Alabama Highway 95, Columbia, some 18 miles east of Dothan. Site
1 is located in Dale County and Sites 2-6 are located in Houston
County.
The application contains evidence of the need for foreign-trade
zone services in the Dothan, Alabama area. Several firms have indicated
an interest in using zone procedures for warehousing/distribution
activity. Specific manufacturing approvals are not being sought at this
time. Requests would be made to the Board on a case-by-case basis.
In accordance with the Board's regulations, a member of the FTZ
Staff has been designated examiner to investigate the application and
report to the Board.
As part of the investigation, the Commerce examiner will hold a
public hearing on May 21, 1997, 1:00 p.m., City Commission Chambers,
Second Floor, Roy Driggers Municipal Building (Dothan Civic Center),
126 North Saint Andrews Street, Dothan, Alabama 36303.
Public comment on the application is invited from interested
parties. Submissions (original and 3 copies) shall be addressed to the
Board's Executive Secretary at the address below. The closing period
for their receipt is June 23, 1997. Rebuttal comments in response to
material submitted during the foregoing period may be submitted during
the subsequent 15-day period to July 7, 1997.
A copy of the application and accompanying exhibits will be
available during this time for public inspection at the following
locations:
Roy Driggers Municipal Building, (Dothan Civic Center), 126 North Saint
Andrews Street, Room 303, Dothan, Alabama. 36303
Office of the Executive Secretary, Foreign-Trade Zones Board, Room
3716, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC 20230.
Dated: April 16, 1997.
John J. Da Ponte, Jr.,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 97-10392 Filed 4-21-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P