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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Foreign-Trade Zones Board
(Docket 55-97)
Proposed Foreign-Trade Zone: Merced, Madera, and Fresno Counties,
California; Application and Public Hearing
An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board
(the Board) by the Board of Supervisors of the County of Merced,
California, to establish a general-purpose foreign-trade zone at sites
in Merced, Madera and Fresno Counties, California, adjacent to the
Fresno 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 June 25, 1997. The applicant is authorized to make
the proposal under Section 6302 of the California Code.
The proposed foreign-trade zone would consist of 13 sites (2,560
acres) in 3 counties (Merced, Madera and Fresno) in California's
Central Valley: Site 1 (820 acres)--Castle Airport (former Castle Air
Force Base)/Morimoto Industrial Park, 3450 C Street, Atwater (Merced
County); Site 2 (18 acres)--City of Dos Palos Industrial Park, 1818
Lexington Avenue, Dos Palos (Merced County); Site 3 (196 acres)--Mid
Cal Business Park, Highway 33, Gustine (Merced County); Site 4 (253
acres)--Applegate Business Park, Air Park Road, Atwater (Merced
County); Site 5 (118 acres)--South Merced Airport Industrial Park,
Albatross Avenue, Merced (Merced County); Site 6 (101 acres)--City of
Madera Airport Industrial Park/State Center Commerce Park (within State
enterprise zone), Falcon Drive, Madera (Madera County); Site 7 (10
acres)--City of Madera Industrial Park (within State enterprise zone),
2500 West Industrial Avenue, Madera (Madera County); Site 8 (102
acres)--Airways East Business Park, East Shields Avenue, Fresno (Fresno
County); Site 9 (225 acres)--Central Valley Business Park, East North
Avenue, Fresno (Fresno County); Site 10 (511 acres)--Fresno Airport
Industrial Park/City of Clovis Industrial Park, Aircorp Way, Fresno,
and West Dakota Avenue & West Pontiac Way, Clovis (Fresno County); Site
11 (37 acres)--Reedley Industrial Park II, 1301 South Buttonwillow
Avenue, Reedley (Fresno County); Site 12 (157 acres)--City of Selma
Industrial Park, East Nebraska, Selma (Fresno County); and, Site 13 (12
acres)--Tollhouse Industrial Park, 1651 Tollhouse Road, Clovis (Fresno
County).
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The project is designed to serve a seven-county Central Valley region,
also including Kings, Mariposa, Stanislaus and Tulare Counties.
The application contains evidence of the need for foreign-trade
zone services in Merced, Madera and Fresno Counties. Several firms have
indicated an interest in using zone procedures for warehousing/
distribution of such items as modular housing components, water pumps
and agricultural products. 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 July 30, 1997, 9:00 a.m., Merced County Board of
Supervisors Chambers, Merced County Administration Building, Third
Floor, 2222 M Street, Merced, CA 95340.
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 September 5, 1997. Rebuttal comments in response
to material submitted during the foregoing period may be submitted
during the subsequent 15-day period (to September 22, 1997.)
A copy of the application and accompanying exhibits will be
available during this time for public inspection at the following
locations:
Merced County Administrator's Office, Merced County Administration
Building, 2222 M Street, Third Floor, Merced, CA 95340
Office of the Executive Secretary, Foreign-Trade Zones Board, Room
3716, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th & Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC 20230.
Dated: June 27, 1997.
John J. Da Ponte, Jr.,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 97-17529 Filed 7-3-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P