FERRIDAY, La. &045; The owner of a woodworking business wants a 10-year contract to locate in a Town of Ferriday building, in exchange for him making $120,000 in improvements to the facility.

The problem is that another business, Waterproof Oil and Seed, wants the same building &045; a facility on Concordia Drive, one that Distinctive Woodworks has already occupied without a contract for one year.

Although Ferriday Town Council members took no action on the matter in a Monday morning special meeting, possible terms of a contract with Distinctive Woodworks were hashed out.

Distinctive Woodworks’ owner, Jim Robbins, had discussed the terms with Town Attorney Anna Brakenridge just before the Town Council meeting.

Robbins is looking for a 10-year lease on the building in exchange for making $120,000 worth of improvements to the facility, including labor and materials.

Robbins is also proposing to gravel a small,triangle-shaped parcel of land outside the facility’s gate for use as a parking lot. He also wants to create a turnaround area for trucks.

In exchange, he and his wife would maintain the lot and mow and landscape the surrounding area. The lease would be renegotiable after 10 years. Councilwoman Dorothy Johnson said she was uneasy with a 10-year lease, since Ferriday has been stuck in soured long-term deals before.

Robbins, on the other hand, told council members that making that many improvements to the building with only a short-term lease would not be feasible.

Councilman Jerome Harris Sr. said he was not comfortable with tying the smaller parcel into the deal. &uot;We might get somebody (else) to rent that,&uot; Harris said.

Brakenridge suggested the company be allowed to use the smaller parcel until another party approaches the town about leasing it. However, Waterproof Oil and Seed owner Ron Goodman said that company wants the same facility. The company would settle for the town-owned former railcar building on Louisiana 15.

&uot;But we really want the grain elevator&uot; that is located near the Concordia Drive building for storage, Goodman said.

The two companies could not coexist at the Concordia Drive facility because &uot;we would kick up too must dust&uot; for Distinctive Woodworks to do its refinishing work, Goodman said.