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By MEGHANN COTTER
Crow's Nest preservation advocates are hoping that a $500,000 grant will help them save the ecological sanctuary in Stafford County.
The money, awarded yesterday to the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust by the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation, will be combined with a $10 million commitment from the Stafford County Board of Supervisors and a $9.5 million pledge from the state. It will be used to negotiate a buying price with the current owner, K&M Properties of McLean.
While some say this latest effort to rescue the 4,000-acre peninsula from development is not promising, others believe the money is an important step toward success.
"$20 million is enough to get them to come to the table," said Alison Mize, director of outreach for the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust.
Her nonprofit organization has been facilitating the collection of funds necessary to work out a deal with K&M.
The developer is working to obtain subdivision approval for 688 homes on a 3,230 acres. The county Planning Commission will consider those plans Wednesday.
The company has also been lobbying supervisors and the court system to allow thousands more lots on the property, as it was originally zoned for in 1971. The case is currently on appeal to the Virginia Supreme Court.
But preservationists want to turn the property into a state nature preserve. Crow's Nest, which is between the mouths of Potomac and Accokeek creeks, is home to some rare plant and animal species. It is also a portion of the Chesapeake Bay watershed and Stafford's largest expanse of undeveloped land.
Michael Nardolilli, president of the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust, said the trust will pursue several other funding sources before approaching K&M. But his organization hopes the company will consider the final offer they make because of the cooling real estate market and difficult development nature of the land.
Over the years, however, several groups, including the state and federal governments, have attempted to negotiate a sale of the property without success.
Activists have been after the county to prevent the tract from being developed. And supervisors have discussed other options, including a land swap, condemnation of the property or a bond referendum that would authorize the county to borrow money to buy the property.
There also have been discussions about dividing the property into developed and protected sections. And Nardolilli said his organization is open to buying just the tip--considered the most important part--of the peninsula--if it cannot negotiate for the entire acreage.
Clark Leming, K&M's attorney, said people have talked about saving the property for years, but no one has ever made a formal offer.
"There has never been a complete meeting of minds between parties attempting to buy and K&M," he said.
There is a lot of money invested in the Crow's Nest property, he said. And any deal needs to ensure a fair return.
But Aquia District Supervisor Kandy Hilliard, who represents the Crow's Nest area, said prospective buyers have had a tough time putting their finger on a reasonable price.
"I don't know that there is enough money out there to make this happen," she said. "Every time we had gotten close to what I thought was a final outcome, the price went up."
Several people have said the property was originally priced at about $35 million. And recent rumblings have suggested the price is now more than $50 million.
That's why Hilliard says she worries that the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust will encounter the same negotiation troubles that everyone else has.
"The devil is in the details and that's the part that has not been worked out yet," she said.
Saving Crow's Nest, she said, will require cooperation from multiple sources, including supervisors, county staff, developers and activists.
"I don't think there is a single method that will bring us to the end of this," Hilliard said. "There are still lots of conversations that need to be had."
Leming, however, said K&M is happy to sit down and consider potential arrangements.
"Probably something could be done to save and protect Crow's Nest, provided we have an environment where the property owner could sit down and rationally discuss the prospects," he said.
"It is hard to have discussion in a politically charged environment. Activism surrounding the Crow's Nest issue has made compromise extremely difficult."
To reach MEGHANN COTTER:
Email: mcotter@freelancestar.com