MORGANTOWN — The purchase of the 40-acre Haymaker Forest for $5.2 million presents such an opportunity for the city that it must act now to secure the property — even if that means hoping the city’s voters back that decision up next April by supporting a tax levy.
That was the theme that ran through a lengthy discussion prior to council voting 6-1 in support of the purchase on first reading during Tuesday’s Morgantown City Council meeting. Councilor Ron Dulaney was the lone dissenting vote.
Haymaker Forest is in or adjacent to the city’s 1st, 2nd and 6th Wards — largely between Courtney Avenue and Southpointe Circle on one side, Dorsey Avenue and Rosemary Drive on the other and East Oak Grove Cemetery to the south. Much of the property is located outside the city’s boundaries.
According to City Manager Paul Brake, the $5.2 million asking price is what the seller is willing to sell it for, not an appraised value, though an appraisal is forthcoming.
Further, Brake said, if the city doesn’t take a leap of faith now, “it is likely this land will be gone. It will not be there when we get everything set in place.”
He went on to say, “There is a sense of urgency. The property owner has dictated a price and dictated the time frame. If we choose to negotiate, it may not be accepted. We could choose to delay and it may not be available.”
He suggested the creation of a land reuse/preservation program that could be filled from a pool of local experts to not only steer the city’s use of the Haymaker Forest, but any similar acquisitions going forward. Brake explained that such a program, particularly one that is levy-supported, would be unique to West Virginia.
That said, Brake explained that his suggestion of a dedicated tax levy to go before the voters next April is just one way the city could go about funding this acquisition.
He said the city will soon make the last annual bond payment of $263,268 on the Public Safety Building and could likely support payments on the forest property for the next two or three years without identifying an additional funding source.
Even in a worst-case scenario — a levy is brought forward and voted down, for example — he explained that the city could sell some or all of the property, which would then fall under city zoning. As it stands, the city would have no say in how the land is developed. It was insinuated that development could be imminent if the city doesn’t act.
The city could also look at selling other properties or even potentially tweak its $3 weekly user fee to assist in funding, Brake said.
More than a dozen residents spoke on the issue, with the majority voicing support for the purchase for a number of financial, ecological, recreational and sentimental reasons.
Those who spoke against mainly focused on the fact that they feel the cost is too high at $130,000/acre given the other needs within the city — particularly if funding for the purchase is not settled.
That was also the gist of Dulaney’s objection. While he said he supported the move in theory and supports the acquisition of green space, he believes city has to view it as a business move and not simply a community investment — particularly if it’s not sure the money is going to be there.
“We have no negotiating power with the seller,” Dulaney said, later adding, “If, in fact, at some point we have to sell this property, then we have to view it as a business transaction. We have to assume that we’re going to get our investment back out of this.”
Others argued that the opportunity is too good to pass up and the city needs to do what it must to make it happen now.
“The broader idea here, with the idea of this land management is an opportunity for us to acquire property and have some control rather than have things happen to us that we have to react to,” Mayor Bill Kawecki said. “It’s worth taking the chance.”
Deputy Mayor Mark Brazaitis was a proponent of acquiring the property dating back to before his council campaign. He said not acting would let down the city’s future generations, calling the forest a municipal Cooper’s Rock.
“This is bold, but it isn’t rash,” Brazaitis said, adding, “This is a decision that will benefit us today, tomorrow and as long as we have our city.”
