Hayden Farm
A 172-acre site, known as the Hayden Farm, was purchased by St. Mary's County Government for a new elementary school and other public facilities. The Board of County Commissioners for St. Mary's County approved the purchase for $5,259,500 at a meeting on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 2008. The vote was 4-1 with Commissioner Larry Jarboe (R) dissenting. Jarboe is quoted as saying, "I do not believe this is right. This stinks more than a whole bushel of rotten crabs." Jarboe reportedly argued that the value of the land was more like $2.5 million[1] The price paid was $1,189,500 more than the highest appraisal made 18 months earlier. It should also be noted that real estate prices nationally had dropped significantly since the time of the appraisals due to the collapse of the so-called real estate bubble.
The site actually consists of four parcels of land.
The subject property is located just outside the incorporated town of Leonardtown, west of Hollywood Leonardtown Road (Md. State Route 245), on Hayden Farm Lane, in the Leonardtown Development District. The property is located within a mile of the County Courthouse in Leonardtown and approximately twelve miles west of the Patuxent River Naval Air Station.
Contents
Timeline
- 2007 July 16 -- Appraisal submitted by Gatewood Company.
- 2008 Dec 9 -- County Commissioner closed door meeting with Larry Jarboe reportedly voting against the purchase.[2]
- 2008 Dec 24 -- Board of County Commissioners for St. Mary's County approved the purchase at a cost of $5,259,500 4-1 at a public meeting. Commissioner Jarboe (R) was the lone No vote, saying the deal "stinks."
- 2009 April 7 -- Public meeting to discuss Master Plan for the site.
Interactive Map
<googlemap version="0.9" lat="38.311996" lon="-76.634359" zoom="15" scale="yes" overview="yes"> </googlemap>
Appraisals
Two appraisals for the site were performed. One by Gatewood Company, Inc. of Waldorf, submitted July 16, 2007 (valued as of May 16, 2007) and the second by Treffer Appraisal Group, Arnold, Md. submitted June 28, 2007 (valued as of June 5, 2007). The appraisals were submitted to Supervisor of Capital Planning for the St. Mary's County Public Schools.
Appraisal Summary
| Tract | Parcel | Gatewood | Treffer |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Parcel 339-outparcel A 89.56 ac, zoned RL | $1,750,000 | $2,150,000 |
| B | 78.92 ac, zoned RPD | $1,250,000 | $1,400,000 |
| C | 339-Lot 1 1.06 ac w/Residence | $247,000 | $262,000 |
| D | 225 1.69 ac w/Residence | $365,000 | $258,000 |
| TOTALS: | $3,612,000 | $4,070,000 |
Downloadable Copies of Appraisals
News Articles
- JASON BABCOCK and JESSE YEATMAN, "County buys 172 acres for schools, library," Enterprise, Dec. 26, 2008, http://www.somdnews.com/stories/12262008/entetop110342_32179.shtml
Op-Eds
- "Why what could be a good deal smells bad," Enterprise, Jan. 23, 2009, http://www.somdnews.com/stories/01232009/enteedi103226_32223.shtml
References
- ↑ Jason, Babcock (2008-12-26). "County buys 172 acres for schools, library". Enterprise. Retrieved on 2009-04-01.
- ↑ Jason, Babcock (2008-12-26). "County buys 172 acres for schools, library". Enterprise. Retrieved on 2009-04-01.
