P-J file photo by Gregory Bacon The environmental studies have been completed to expand the Mason Industrial Park. Once the expansion is complete, the county can market the property for a business to relocate or expand there.

A proposal to further develop an industrial park in the town of Ellicott is moving ahead.

During the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency meeting, board members approved a negative declaration for the State Environmental Quality Review at the Mason Industrial Park.

By issuing a negative declaration, board members are saying that they believe the proposed project will not have any significant adverse environmental impacts.

At the Mason Industrial Park, there’s about 66 acres of vacant land there total with about half able to house development. County officials would like to make the property “shovel ready” which would allow a developer to come in and place a business, industry or warehouse there without any additional environmental studies.

Before issuing the negative declaration, the county had hired an engineering firm to study the property. The studies included looking at wetlands, threats to endangered species, traffic and more. Agencies informed of the project included affected municipalities, the Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

IDA Chief Executive Officer Mark Geise said the environmental studies is part one of getting the site prepared for development. The second phase will be getting the infrastructure in place. He hopes to have phase two completed by May, 2026.

The county bought the property from Bush Industries back in 2016, but hasn’t done a lot with it. Last summer, both the county legislature and the county IDA agreed to try to get the property ready for a future developer and said they would split the cost of the environmental studies which was about $180,000 in total.

The county legislature also agreed to spend about $500,000 from its American Rescue Plan Act funds it received from the federal government following the COVID-19 pandemic. That money will be used to extend sewer, water, natural gas to the property, as well as address erosion control and storm water management.

Industries currently at the Mason Industrial Park include Bush, Arthur R. Gren Bottle and Can Redemption Center, Serta Simmons Bedding, Plyler Entry Systems, Larson Metal Manufacturing, and The Stannard Group.