BAY MINETTE, Ala. — Owners of mineral rights at a proposed veterans cemetery site on State Road 225 will have seven days to accept a $2,000 per acre offer or face condemnation procedures, according to action taken Tuesday at a special Baldwin County Commission meeting.

The county currently owns the 100-plus acre site across from the Historic Blakeley State Park north of Spanish Fort. But acquisition of mineral rights from nine entities, representing more than 60-plus people, has delayed the project.

According to chief counsel Scott Barnett, owners of a small portion of the property have donated mineral rights, leaving 103 acres in contention.

Barnett said the U.S. Department of Federal Affairs requires mineral ownership in order for the county to apply for federal grants to develop the property for internment of veterans.

“Those 103 acres are made up of individual owners, trusts and others,” Barnett told Commissioners. “The parties own proportional shares of minerals. Ownership is done by percentage.”

The nine entities are Regions Bank,SHJ Inc., in Daphne, John Sipple of Mobile, MAFLA Land and Minerals in Brewton, Butch’s Oil Field Service, MJR Investments in Edinburg, Texas, Joe Pritchett of Corpus Christi, Texas, Victoria Trading Co. in Edinburg, Texas, Thomas Morris in San Juan, Texas, and Blackstone Natural Resources in Houston.