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Stafford board meets behind closed doors about wildlife haven up for development, but won’t talk publicly about its deliberations. Date published: 3/3/2004 By RUTH FINCH
After several weeks of enthusiastic talk about saving Crow’s Nest, Stafford County supervisors went silent on the issue yesterday. The board spent an hour in closed session to discuss, among other business, acquiring the ecologically sensitive peninsula at the mouth of Accokeek and Potomac creeks. The board declined afterward to comment on its discussion and would not answer questions about the issue. Supervisor Kandy Hilliard, whose district includes Crow’s Nest, said it would be inappropriate for her or any supervisor to comment on Crow’s Nest while the zoning of the peninsula is under appeal. That stance comes just three days after Hilliard and Supervisor Mark Osborn spoke at a public rally by the preservation group Save Crow’s Nest about holding a referendum on a bond issue to buy the land. Other supervisors also have spoken out publicly on efforts to preserve the 3,800-acre tract, which is home to one of the last stands of virgin forest in the region and a heron rookery. Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act allows public bodies to discuss land acquisitions privately, but only if a public discussion of the matter would adversely affect its ability to negotiate. The Free Lance–Star objected to the closed meeting, arguing that a public discussion would not harm the county’s negotiating position since board members have previously said they intend to buy the land. But County Attorney Alda White assured supervisors that discussing the issue in private was legal, and the board voted unanimously to do so. The owner of Crow’s Nest, K&M Properties of McLean, is looking at ways to profit from its investment, including selling the peninsula to another developer. It is awaiting a ruling on whether a 1971 rezoning of Crow’s Nest, rescinded by the Board of Supervisors in 1978, is still valid. The county’s zoning administrator determined in December that the land was not vested for higher-density development. The Board of Zoning Appeals is slated to take up the issue later this month, and the matter could eventually end up in court. Save Crow’s Nest formed earlier this year when news got out that K&M was no longer negotiating with the state, which had hoped to buy the land. When those negotiations ended, the price tag for the land was $30 million. During the public comment portion of last night’s board meeting, several Save Crow’s Nest members reiterated the group’s preference that the county hold a bond referendum as soon as possible, rather than waiting for the Nov. 2 general election. “The property owners deserve to know that a purchase is possible and the citizens of Stafford deserve to know—finally—that Crow’s Nest can be permanently preserved,” Linda Thomas said. Another member, Cecelia Kirkman, said in an interview earlier that the board’s sudden reticence didn’t bother her. “We’re less concerned with what the supervisors say and more concerned with what they actually do,” she said. “We will be watching to see how the board acts to save taxpayer dollars by saving Crow’s Nest.” To reach RUTH FINCH: 540/720-1622 rfinch@freelancestar.com
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