County Executive Tom Santulli plans to meet Friday with the Johnson family.  The 90-acre Johnson farm in Chemung adjoins a 40-acre property owned by the Chemung County Industrial Development Agency.  County leaders say the farm land is needed to seal the deal so a Fortune-100 company can open a new distribution center, but the family is asking for eight times the appraised price for the land.  The company says that's just too expensive.

“When you choose to have your land zoned industrial, then you go out and mark it your land nothing should come as a surprise.  This is all about money.  That's what this is all about.  It's all about money.  Its got nothing to do with farmland.  Its got nothing to do with potatoes, corn, Its got everything to do with money,” says Chemung County Executive Tom Santulli. 

Santulli hopes the Johnson family will agree to sell their land at a lower price.  If that happens, the county won't need to consider forcing them to sell it through eminent domain.

Santulli says the county is still waiting for an official letter of intent from the Fortune One Hundred company.

Read the complete article from Wetmtv.com »