Friends of Historic Glasgow (Delaware)

Open land isn't worth paying any price in competition (9/29/04)

News Journal editorial on LaGrange

LOCAL OPINION

OUR VIEW
Open land isn't worth paying any price in competition

09/29/2004

The conventional wisdom among property owners is that governments will pay whatever the asking price is to buy land, whether for office buildings or parkland. For the time being, New Castle County proved that belief wrong when it declined to pay $12 million for a 236-acre property in Glasgow, across the road from another park site.

The county hopes to keep negotiating with the family that owns the land. By not jumping at the $12 million price, after the family insisted it had been offered $16 million, showed restraint not often seen in a county with a $240 million surplus.

The Barczewski family owns the land across Del. 896 from the planned Glasgow Regional Park, which has 300 acres. While County Executive Thomas Gordon's administration was eager to buy both properties, the need for more than 500 acres of parkland in a rapidly developing area has been questioned, including by County Council members.

The more open space that can be converted to public park or conservation areas, the better. But governments too often put political value on open space over economic realty. If the Barczewskis can get $16 million for the acreage, they probably will go for it. County taxpayers should not be forced into a commercial bidding war.

Many property owners preserve or sell their land to government as a goodwill gesture to future generations. Pitting the government against a developer to run up land values does not fit that mold.

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Open land isn't worth paying any price in competition