By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

Marion city council members Monday accepted a letter of intent to purchase a building from a company working to develop a wind farm that would span from Florence to Aulne to north of Peabody.

The letter from National Renewable Resources offers $190,000 for a building at 828 N. Roosevelt so the company can use it as an operation and maintenance headquarters for the proposed wind farm not yet approved by county commissioners. Six to eight employees will work at the operational headquarters, NRS vice president of development Jesse Hopkins-Hoel told council members.

The offer is contingent upon county commissioners approving its conditional use permit application, which was submitted to the county planning and zoning department a week ago.

City economic development director Randy Collett told council members his recommendation is that council members accept NRS’s offer. NRS will give the city $5,000 earnest money with a promise to enter a purchase agreement by July 15. Possession of the building is to transfer to NRS by Aug. 15, the letter said.

“The purpose of this offer is, this would be the headquarters of the project throughout the life of the project,” Hopkins-Hoel said.

Council members’ vote to accept the offer was unanimous, with council member Chris Costello absent.

Council members also passed a resolution to install four-way stop signs at the intersection of 3rd and Santa Fe Sts.