By LARRY HILLIARD
Ledger Staff Writer

The 5-member commission is set to vote on whether to designate the site as a conservation easement, a restriction placed on the property. The property owner agrees to the condition of the easement and gets a federal tax credit in return.

The utility would then sell the tax credit to a private investor for as much as $1.9 million.

"If we did this it would commit the land for public use," Gaffney Board of Public Works General Manager Donnie Hardin said. "Personally, I think it's a good idea to ensure it's committed to the public use."

The tax credit is determined from a formula based on the value of the property if it remained public compared to its commercial value.

Hardin said the utility could use the tax credit proceeds in any manner it chooses, including helping fund a long stalled golf course project.