FAYETTEVILLE -- E85 Inc. has told the Cumberland County Business Council that it will not build the proposed $200 million ethanol plant near Ramsey Street. News of the company’s pullout brought a mixed reaction from the community.

Michael Mathis was happy to hear that he's not getting an ethanol plant for a neighbor. He was worried about how it would have affected his family's health.

"I'm very pleased,” Mathis said. “I feel that now we can continue to live here without having to consider moving somewhere else."

Mathis’ neighborhood is about a mile from where the plant would have been. Many of his neighbors banded together to sign a petition against E85 to present to the county commissioners. More than 500 people signed the petition.

Bill Martin, the president of the business council, says the proposed site near the Goodyear plant was the only place in Cumberland County that met E85’s needs. He says the council has offered to help the company find another suitable location but has not heard back from them. The group was disappointed with the company’s decision.

"But this kind of thing happens quite frequently, so we just need to move onto the next project," Martin said.

Martin also said the business council is working on 20 other projects and that some companies expressed interest in the site that E85 was considering. He added that the council was surprised with the opposition to the plant, so the group has learned some lessons for next time.

"I think one thing we learned is to get as much information about a project out as possible ahead of time," he added.

The company's decision to pull out of the deal does not spell the end of ethanol production in the Sandhills. Plans for plants in both Hoke County and Robeson County are still moving forward.