The Virginian-Pilot
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VIRGINIA BEACH
The city's proposed $40 million deal to buy an old rail corridor for a possible light-rail project could cost more because a federal agency is asking questions about the land's value.
Federal Transit Administration officials say past appraisals of the 10.6-mile-long strip are too old and that a new one is needed. The concern is important because FTA approval is needed before Hampton Roads Transit can use $5 million in federal funds toward the land purchase, a key part of the multi-agency deal crafted last year to buy the corridor.
Beach Mayor Will Sessoms said he hopes the FTA will allow the old appraisals - one from 2006, one from 2008 - to stand, but acknowledged that a new one might be needed.
"If we have to spend money on an appraisal to get $5 million, then we'll have to do it," he said. "That's bureaucracy. I'm sorry that's the case. I would argue we don't need one, but they have the final say."
The city's appraisal from 2006 cost $60,000.
The land, which stretches from Newtown Road to Birdneck Road, is owned by Norfolk Southern Corp. The city is exploring using it for a light-rail project that would connect with the Norfolk Tide line that's under construction.
An FTA spokesman declined to comment other than to say the agency is in discussions with HRT.
HRT officials said they are hoping to convince the FTA that a scaled-down "review appraisal" is all that is needed.
The FTA outlined its concerns to HRT in a letter last month obtained under a Freedom of Information Act request.
In addition to the $5 million in federal money, the state has committed $20 million and the city has put up $10 million to buy the land. The remaining $5 million comes from a utility easement Norfolk Southern would retain on the land.
Aaron Applegate, (757) 222-5122, aaron.applegate@pilotonline.com
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Sessoms and other People's Money
Here we go again . . . Mayor Sessoms is volunteering to spend even more of our tax dollars on a project we voted down once already. More money lost to a multi-million dollar black hole that gives nothing back. Why do we need to buy a railroad that we don't want and can't afford? How much further in debt does the Mayor want the city to sink? Virginia Beach is not like one of those Wall Street banker buddies that can get a bail out from the Feds. Nope - the City Council and the Mayor need to understand that Light Rail is a No Go. We don't want it, we don't need it and we certainly can't afford it.
Cost Overruns
Excuse me. Will someone please remind me of any government project begun in the past fifty years that did not experience cost overruns?
hmmm
all I know is I'm keeping my big ole eight cylinder until I can't buy or make parts for it anymore and I will avoiding spending one dime in Virginia Beach or Norfolk, too many other places to spend my money where they aren't wasting it on developer bailouts
Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha
So freaking funny. Who out there really thought this effort was not going to increase costs and trouble. Nuff said.
I rode my bike past you're window last night
Invest in a real infrastructure. Build safe and navigable bike lanes and paths. Get out of you're cages people!!
Logic?
I surely do hope the city monitors these comments as I would love to see a nice bike path for my daily commute from the Virginia Beach courthouse to Norfolk. That should only take four hours, if I am lucky enough to make it with the road runners around here.
Who Actually Owns That ROW?
http://www.aar.org/InCongress/~/media/AAR/BackgroundPapers/Railroad%20Land%20Grants%20%20Feb%202009.ashx
I read in a few places that less that 10% of railroad ROW's were actually land grants.
There are three main types of conveyances that allowed railroads to acquire the ROW's for their tracks: 1) Federal land grant, 2) easement deeds sometimes called Right-Of-Way deeds, 3) some type of warranty deed or fee simple deed. ROW's were also acquired by adverse possession, state grant deeds, condemnation, or quit claim deeds. The courts have always differentiated between the Federal grants of ROW and the grants of the alternate sections of lands to the railroads when they decide abandonment cases originating from the U.S. Land Grant Acts. The courts have found in almost every instance that the land granted for ROW's were reversionary to the current existing abutting or adjacent property owner, but that the alternate section lands belong to the railroads or their successor in interest to the land.
Wow
There are some really strong feelings here. Rightly so, the first project is not even finished and politicians, lawyers and the management have already been found or theorized to have their hands in the cookie jar. Hey, couldn't you have even waited to get the first one right before raping the taxpayers? Who wants to follow ineptitude and compromised reputations into the toilet? What's that song....take the money and run, AND they are, to the next city. Wake up taxpayers, say NO to light rail, wait and see what happens in Norfolk. We have gone all these years without it, a few more won't hurt. I am sure we are used to the rush hour traffic and from what I see on the light rail web site....there AIN'T that many people that will be riding it.
VB TOWN CENTER DOES SEEM LIKE NY AND BOSTON, DOESN'T IT
Doesn't VB Town Center remind you of Boston and NY? All the skyscrapers we have there, we definately need light rail. Norfolk will never recoup the costs, and neither will VB. Just get a few horses, make a wagon to look like a train, and they can walk around Town Center in about 15 minutes, ain't no-one else going to use it.
Clogged Roads? What clogged
Clogged Roads? What clogged roads?