Votes that will lead to state certification of two unoccupied sites in a city industrial park, thereby increasing the chances they’ll become homes to new companies, are scheduled Thursday by Mount Airy officials.

During a meeting beginning at 7 p.m., the board of commissioners will consider a “memorandum of agreement” to allow the Surry County Economic Development Partnership to contract for engineering services necessary for the certification procedure affecting Piedmont Triad West Corporate Park.

This process targeting two prime sites on Mountain View Lane carries a price tag of up to $80,000, to be split between Mount Airy and Surry County government. County officials previously voted to allocate their share of the cost for the site-preparation and certification project.

The certification effort is resulting from new, more stringent guidelines established for industrial sites marketed by the N.C. Department of Commerce. While the local park had met previous guidelines, the changes require costly engineering studies, updated maps, soil borings and other data in order for sites there to be recertified through the state department.

However, the payoff will be long-term inclusion in the North Carolina Certified Sites program, which showcases premium business locations throughout the state which have undergone a rigorous pre-qualification process. This ensures that they are “shovel-ready” for immediate development for tenants.

The certification is viewed as an important marketing tool for the local parcels, since some company officials desiring to open new plants will consider only sites that are part of the program.

Piedmont Triad West Corporate Park, off U.S. 601 near the Interstate 74 interchange, now competes among 91 certified parks across North Carolina for new plant prospects. The updated certification of the two local sites will allow them to continue being listed among the elite group.

Both parcels are in the 30-acre range and are the last prime locations remaining in that particular industrial park. They are considered prime due to their size, topography and other factors.

Mount Airy’s share of the potential $80,000 cost of the certification project will come from a special economic-stabilization fund that is used to provide incentives for new companies as well as related infrastructure improvements. After the $40,000 expense to the city, that fund will contain about $650,000.

Earlier, Mount Airy and Surry County launched a joint project to provide water and sewer lines to the two sites at a $352,365 cost. The water lines are to be completed in May and the sewer portion in September.

Also Thursday night, the Mount Airy commissioners are expected to:

n Create a sports development committee that will explore constructing a softball/baseball/soccer complex at a former landfill on City View Drive. The complex is seen as an economic-development and tourism tool to attract major tournaments to Mount Airy.

n Approve a contract with a local company to clear trees from sewer rights of ways of the municipality which are in forested areas.

Contact Tom Joyce at tjoyce@mtairynews.com or at 719-1924.