VIRGINIA BEACH
The pot of money that helped save nearly 1,800 acres from development - including woods and marshes around Stumpy Lake and Lake Lawson - is drying up, and Virginia Beach officials are turning their attention to maintaining those properties rather than buying more land.
A draft of the city's new Outdoors Plan calls for Virginia Beach to spend $500,000 a year for the next 18 years to acquire open space. By 2026, that adds up to $9 million, far less than the $50 million earmarked in 2001. The fund has a $7.6 million balance.
The plan also recommends that about $1.9 million a year go toward maintaining existing properties and developing trails, fields and public facilities on them. The City Council didn't set aside any money for upkeep in 2001.
The 2000 Outdoors Plan suggested that the city try to protect 26 priority sites. Nine properties made the list this time.
"These recommendations are much more conservative, they're not as aggressive as 2000," said Brian Solis, a planner for the city's parks and recreation department.
"We're focusing a lot more on what we have than acquiring more.... I believe that the recommendations that we've made are the appropriate next step."
Councilwoman Barbara Henley said the open space program has helped the city save properties that were environmentally sensitive and protect land related to the city's heritage, such as the land around the historic Adam Thoroughgood House.
But Virginia Beach just doesn't have the money right now to buy many pricey parcels, Henley said.
Some civic leagues unsuccessfully urged the city in 2005 to earmark one or two pennies from the city's real-estate tax rate for open space purchases. The open space program is financed primarily by bonds and 0.44 of a cent of each dollar raised by the city's restaurant meals tax.
Under the new Outdoors Plan, the 5.5 percent restaurant meals tax would be the sole funding source for acquisition and maintenance of open space.
"I would have liked to see it be more aggressive and have a dedicated funding," Henley said. "Now that the economy is what it is, we don't have the flexibility."
Timing has always been a problem. The program got started just when the local real-estate boom took off, and the competition from developers for raw land was fierce.
The city was unable to acquire coveted properties, such as the 120-acre Brock Farm in Bayside, 105 acres in Green Run, a 77-acre portion of the Sajo Farm estate, and the Pleasure House Point property near the Chesapeake Bay, which is the site of the proposed Indigo Dunes housing development.
"We've had properties that we've looked at, and we've approached the sellers, but it's not eminent domain," said Kale Warren, a member of the open space advisory committee, which recommends properties the City Council should purchase.
"How many would opt to sell it to the city, when they could develop it and make millions of dollars?"
Now that the housing market has turned, the city may be viewed as an attractive alternative to developers, said Steven Lurus, the advisory committee chair.
Lurus has suggested that city staff draw up a list of properties that deserve a second look because they're sitting undeveloped or are stalled.
Daphne Atkins, a civic leader in the Shore Drive community, hopes the city aggressively markets the open space acquisition program to developers such as L.M. Sandler & Sons Inc., the owners of the Pleasure House Point property.
"I think it's a good time for them to start talking to the Sandlers, and they should be proactive instead of reactive," Atkins said.
Acquiring at least a portion of the Pleasure House Point site is part of the city's 2008 Outdoors Plan, as are 800 acres owned by the Rock Church near Pungo, and 82 acres owned by the U.S. Navy near the Oceanfront.
But with only $7.6 million left, "it's either one big piece of land, or a lot of small pieces," Lurus said.
Deirdre Fernandes, (757) 222-5121, deirdre.fernandes@pilotonline.com
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Balancing truths . . .
1) "I am not a consultant on the use of any land other than the land that I personally own" (we should all repeat that several times a day, esp when trying to instruct city council to buy up land near our homes for a park).
2) There are a *lot* of developers out there who had plans in place before the slowdown and are *still* building houses they probably will not sell for as much as they wish. Nice homes, too, but on all four sides of us in Bayside, *major* subdivisions are going up. Hardly any trees left standing, in case a hurricane should come along in the new neighborhoods. I personally hate looking up and not seeing any green anymore, but it is not my land and I missed the chance to buy it and leave it as farmland or forest!!! Cheers, MGM
Dear Mr. Truth
There are more trees in the United States now than there were when the Pilgrims landed, so don't worry about your air.
If you want something to worry about, worry about government distorting the economy by creating artificial shortages, and thus high prices, and high real estate tax assessments, with the same tax money they get through this process.
Why can't they
Offer some of the land to people who would want to help preserve it? What I'm saying is that in Charlottesville, there were 500+ acres up for potential development because the county couldn't (or wouldn't) buy it. So Dave Matthews actually stepped in and bought a portion of it, which was then designated as a preserve, and UVA bought the rest of it. (I'm a former C-Villian)
If the city were thinking smartly, they would realize that there are some people in the area who are wealthy enough to partake in similar actions. If they really want to preserve it, they will. Wasn't James Taylor just here donating millions to help with natural preservation? Involve the same kind of folks who can help!
Land
You might think this sounds stupid, But check this out:
A 3rd grade science teacher explained to me that without trees and grass, our earth cannot produce oxygen. And the CRAZY part is ...... "She is RIGHT!". You would think the simple fact of not having air to breath would stop greedy land developers? I guess not. People need to stop following the crowd. It is a lazy way to go through life. Don't forget, the VB government almost lost Oceana (which would have destroyed our econmy here) because of the CONSTANT excessive building. Looks to me like they never stopped.
Big surprise
Is it any wonder, with the biggest windfall in the city's history after years of sky-rocketing real estate assessments, that there is no more money? Not in my opinion.
This council and mayor will waste every last dollar of taxpayer money on pet projects, projects that go against the majority of citizens' wishes, and developer perks. Things like the Town Center bridge come to mind.
If you don't vote them out (and vote responsible leadership in), we'll just have more of the same moving forward. Please wake up Va Beach.
Open space options
When the Navy is ready to retire the 82 acres, perhaps the City can purchase the lot for a dollar, San Francisco\Oakland Bay area comes to mind following the BRAC of the late 80's early 90's. Another means to generate revenue would be to simply the citizens of Virginia Beach! On the water statements or other city mailings, have a statement similar to: If you would like to make a donation to the Virginia Beach Open Space program, please send your donation to: Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation Department Open Space program and create a Treasure on the Open Space Advisory Committee to account for the funds.
First Street Recreation and Surf Park, Land Already City's
The properties at the First Street-Rudee Loop are already in the City's domain for development as the largest, grandest public access park at the Oceanfront. Nothing less will do, nothing less will be acceptable to locals first and visitors as they arrive, nothing more will attract the attention of coastal communities as a whole. As coastal areas are developed with concrete, asphalt, and hard-faced upscaling, daily beach users are faced with no spots to drop off bucket loads of kids, coolers, chairs, toys and all manner of necessary items. The First Street RecSurf Park is the ideal location in CoVB for the best park the community can form. Maybe a restaraunt near the dead zone by the bridge, a parking garage with a garden on the top deck, a small cop shop for the bikes and ATVs, a mass transit stop off, amemities for changing, showers and minor consessions - but the whole darn thing as a park. T
Stop the Insanity!!!
Stop spending my tax dollars to take property off the tax roles! The city shouldn't be the largest land owner in the community. That is private land and the economics should drive its future. When the city has a historic land purchase it should buy it to add to the city but 800 acres from Rock Church or land in Green Run? What is historical or valuable to the taxpayers? Nothing but special interest purchases taking place here...
Stop the insanity and keep those folks on the tax roles maintaining thier own land on thier dollar not mine!
Look out!
Watch what happens if the developer controlled sessoms gets in office again. This will be the perfect storm in VB. No money for the city to protect open space, and a developer owned mayor. I understand sessoms figured out there are a couple trees left and an acre or so of land that is not covered by concrete.
RENO
Re-elect no one to City Council. Especially the Mayor. The Virginia Beach City Council is always crying poor mouth. Priorities for spending in the Beach should revamped. It is amazing how Council always finds money for their pet projects. Future development should be required to pay for some of the open space. Rosemary Wilson might not go for that since the major contributors to her campaign are real-estate affiliated. This is a major problem in the Beach, special interests helping to fund elections. RENO - Re-elect no one to Council.
Let's see now
Not enough money to purchase a lot more land for green space? Let's see how much there is for parking garages and hotels. And we can't forget theatres can we. Maybe if our treasurer would make sure taxes are collected in a timely manner things would be better, maybe not, but you know it's "no big deal" anyway.