MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The lone voice of dissent Tuesday night in Morgantown City Council’s first reading on the purchase of 40 acres of land known as Haymaker Forest has significant concerns that he feels weren’t addressed.
In fact, Councilman Ron Dulaney said the owners of the land had “the city over a barrel” during discussion Tuesday night.
“For me, the issue that I began to ask immediately is how do we finance this, how do we pay for this,” he said Wednesday on WAJR’s Morgantown AM. “That’s where my mind immediately went. How can we financially do this? Is it feasible to financially do this?”
The city is offering $130,000 per acre, or $5.2 million total, for the property.
“They have set the value based on what they’re anticipated profit will be after they develop and sell the property,” Dulaney said. “As I understand it, the owners of the property are planning to put the infrastructure in and fund that and then sell off individual lots to a corporate residential builder.”
Dulaney said his understanding of the ongoing process is that the city is not bidding against any other potential buyer. Additionally, the decision to purchase the land, which sits adjacent to the 1st, 2nd, and 6th city wards, will need to be made before voters would have the opportunity to decide on an excess levy. That levy wouldn’t hit a ballot until April 2019, ten months following the scheduled public hearing and second reading of this ordinance.
“Where I got hung up with this is, if we think about our constituents or our voters as co-signers on this, we are basically committing to taking out a loan before we have them on board with us,” Dulaney said. “And, to me, that seems risky.”
Additionally, voters would need to renew that levy every five years.
Deputy Mayor Mark Brazaitis has argued, before, during, and following his successful campaign last year, that additional green space is needed to complete a “green belt” — a natural barrier that can protect the city against urban expanse, natural disaster, and potential issues related to storm water run-off.
“It’s a climate moderator, it holds off extremes in temperatures, it’s crucial to water, it’s a flood prevention entity when we know how devastating floods can be,” Brazaitis told Morgantown AM earlier this week. “We see more extreme storms in our community and this holds off some of those extreme conditions.”
Brazaitis said his advocacy for purchasing this land predates his campaign for City Council last year. His Courtney Avenue property sits adjacent to Haymaker Forest.
“This has been the centerpiece of my campaign for this office from day one,” he said.
If voters choose to reject an excess levy, two contingency plans have been discussed. First, council could sell off parts of — or all of — the Haymaker Forest if a levy fails next year. They could also sell other property, but Dulaney doesn’t necessarily see the benefit of trading off property — particularly additional green spaces.
“If it’s about a green wave, that makes a little more sense to me,” Dulaney said. “If it’s about interconnecting, then this is an essential piece that makes sense to me. But if we’re talking more generally about green space, then I don’t quite get the logic.”
Dulaney seemed uncertain that the outcome of Tuesday night’s vote would be much different on second reading.
“Ultimately, I just want answers to this so then I could make a good decision. Until I can make a good decision, I can’t support it.”
An interconnected “green belt” is rare in the U.S., though not unheard of — particularly on the West Coast.
Due to the small sample size, it remains unclear how effective green belts are at doing what they are designed to do — limiting urban sprawl, creating a natural barrier to cordon off development, providing additional recreational opportunities for residents, and limiting the dangers of natural disasters.
“What is our goal here?” Dulaney said. “If it’s really about green space, why are we trading in a lot of open space for a little bit of open space?”
A public hearing and second reading of the ordinance to purchase Haymaker Forest is scheduled for Tuesday, June 19.