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State bonds could preserve pristine Crow's Nest State joins efforts to save the Crow's Nest peninsula in eastern Stafford County from development.

State joins efforts to save the Crow's Nest peninsula in eastern Stafford County from development.

By RUSTY DENNEN
The Free Lance-Star

Date published: 10/19/2002

Grass-roots efforts to preserve the pristine Crow's Nest peninsula in Stafford County may get a boost from the state.

If voters on Nov. 5 approve a $119 million bond issue for Virginia parks and natural areas, some money will go for purchase of a portion of the Potomac Creek property.

Gary Waugh, spokesman for the Department of Conservation and Recreation, confirmed that Crow's Nest will get some some of the money if the measure passes.

How much, he said, has not yet been decided because there are other projects in line for natural area purchases and improvements across the state.

Virginia has been interested in helping to preserve Crow's Nest for some time. But getting a commitment to pitch in money has been hampered by the property owner's desire to sell the 3,800-acre tract in one piece, Waugh said.

The owner, K&M Properties, an investment group in McLean, is now willing to sell chunks of the property, which prompted the decision last week to earmark the money, Waugh said.

"We hadn't put [Crow's Nest] on the list as a potential project because we thought it was an all or nothing, $30 million proposition," he said.

There was no way the state could put up that kind of money on a single project. Only $13.2 million is in the bond issue to buy land for 10 more preserves and to make improvements to six existing ones.

K&M has not said how much it is asking for the tract, but it reportedly paid $18 million for it, and some nearby property, years ago.

John D. Mitchell, chairman of the Crow's Nest Trust, which has been trying to preserve the land, was ecstatic about the state initiative.

"Crow's Nest has always been on the federal radar screen" for preservation, he said, "and not on the state radar screen." Mitchell, a Stafford resident, works for the Department of Conservation and Recreation as a liaison between the state and preservation groups.

But time is running out, he said, "Because the landowners are becoming impatient and will develop this property."

K&M has begun building on some of the surrounding land that it also owns. Kamel Tabbara, a principal of K&M, was unavailable for comment yesterday.

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Date published: 10/19/2002