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Stafford supervisors are waiting to hear whether a McLean developer will accept the county's offer to buy Crow's Nest for $30.5 million.
K&M Properties, which plans to develop the environmentally sensitive peninsula, received the offer Friday. It must respond in 30 days.
Attorney Clark Leming, who represents the company, said he has no comment at this time.
Crow's Nest, which sits between the Potomac and Accokeek creeks, is home to some rare plant and animal species. It has more than 1,000 acres of virgin forest.
The tract has been the subject of controversy since negotiations between K&M and the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation fell through in 2004.
Environmentalists want the county to buy the land for a state nature preserve.
But K&M, which wants to cash-in on its long-term investment, is seeking approval to put 688 homes on 3,230 acres of the peninsula. The Stafford Planning Commission rejected K&M's preliminary subdivision plan in January. The firm has appealed that decision to Circuit Court.
Activists involved with Save Crow's Nest have said previously they are thrilled that the county is taking steps to save the peninsula. But the group's Web site indicates concern that the current bid won't cover the entire peninsula.
County Attorney Joe Howard said the proposal covers much of the land east of Raven Road, about 2,887 acres. It does not include the most inland part, known as Crow's Nest Harbor. That area was platted in the 1970s for a 300-home subdivision. It's the closest section to a great blue heron rookery, which is already preserved.
The official proposal comes about two months after board members agreed they wanted to buy the tract. Howard said officials spent that time getting paperwork in order and hiring condemnation consultants.
The county does not plan to condemn the peninsula, he said yesterday. But it is an option supervisors say they may explore depending on K&M's response to their bid. A serious offer must be made and rejected before a county can pursue condemnation.
Leming said previously his clients can prove their land is worth about $60 million. But activists and county officials point to the peninsula's rugged and wetland-packed terrain, saying it couldn't be developed enough to get that kind of financial return.
Supervisors originally planned to offer $27 million, the appraised value. But they agreed to put slightly more on the table to account for the past six months of rising real estate prices.
"It's the biggest step so far," said Supervisor Paul Milde, whose Aquia District includes Crow's Nest. "We made what we thought was a fair offer and they know now that we are serious."
Officials are still considering their financial options for buying the peninsula. About $10 million from the state is available. And the county also has access to a $10 million low-interest loan.
Milde says he'd like to see developers give money, in exchange for permission to put more houses on less-sensitive county land.
Just last week, developer Rob Gollahon, filed a rezoning application for a mixed-use community east of U.S. 1, between the new Interstate 95 interchange and Eskimo Hill Road.
The development includes 1,623 homes, commercial, recreation and office space. Gollahon says he would pay more than half his $50 million proffer package within one year of a rezoning.
The advance cash is not specific to the acquisition of Crow's Nest. But proffers--voluntary money, land or promises developers give in exchange for a rezoning--are typically used for county services, including park land.
To reach MEGHANN COTTER:
Email: mcotter@freelancestar.com
