Town Manager Kaj Dentler on Monday proposed that the Town Council consider formulating a strategy for land acquisition, prompted by a recent inquiry from the council.
The town has had some key wins and losses in the land acquisition game over the years, he said. The 86-acre purchase of parkland along the Potomac River in 2001 and purchase of 40 acres adjacent to Leesburg Executive Airport in 2012 provided big benefits. Yet, Dentler said, the town has also missed out on some opportunities, citing the Rodgers Farm, where a residential subdivision is under construction, and the former Westpark Golf club, although that property was later purchased by Loudoun County and looks to remain a passive use.
The town has also long considered pursuing purchase of the 40-acre O’Connor property near Ida Lee Park to expand passive park uses there, but the high price tag has stalled progress on that front.
Dentler acknowledged that the town has never had a defined vision when it came to land acquisition, but said land banking is never a bad idea, even if you don’t have any immediate plans for the property.
“If you don’t acquire the land today you may not have it tomorrow or at a price you can afford. If you own the land, there is no rush to develop it. The land is only going to become more and more valuable,” he said.
In furthering the discussion, Dentler said the council should to identify the organizational needs of the town government, and what facilities may be in need of future expansion. Residents’ needs for open space should also be considered, as well as the key criteria to select properties. Cost limits and whether certain environmental factors make a property more or less attractive should also be discussed.
“If we don’t develop some type of plan and we don’t fund that, then we can have dreams. It might be pie in the sky, but when the opportunity comes is when you strike,” he said.
Dentler emphasized that the council having a public discussion about a particular property will only increase that property’s value, and thus could strain potential negotiations. To that end, he said discussion of an overall strategy can happen in a public meeting, but suggested that specific property discussions be held in closed session.
Council members endorsed Dentler exploring the formation of such a strategy, with Councilman Neil Steinberg calling it “a no brainer and obviously well overdue.”
Vice Mayor Marty Martinez agreed.
“I’m really excited about us taking this step,” Martinez said. “I know we’ve had these discussions before … but we never had the political will on council or an opportunity in our markets to be able to do something like this.”
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May 26, 2021 at 08:32PM
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Dentler Proposes Land Acquisition Strategy for Leesburg - Loudoun Now
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