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Navy cancels condemnation of some land at Site C
Washington County asks for remaining acreage
By DAN PARSONS
Staff Writer
PLYMOUTH — The Navy on Tuesday petitioned a federal court to cancel condemnation proceedings on 1,572 acres of 2,793 it owns at Site C — formerly the Navy’s preferred site for an outlying landing field in Washington and Beaufort counties.
The 1,572 was acquired by condemnation by the Navy in 2005 from the McMullen Trust after the parties were unable to agree on a purchase price for the land. At that time, the Navy paid the Trust $3.2 million — its estimate of just compensation. The litigation to determine the actual just compensation was still pending in federal district court until Tuesday.
The McMullen Trust is a fund owned by Harry McMullen, an out-of-state landowner with North Carolina roots.
The announcement was made Monday afternoon by Mark Anthony, a civilian Navy employee working on the OLF project, in an e-mail to Washington County Manager David Peoples.
“When the Navy decided to drop the Washington County site from further consideration, the possibility of returning title to the property back to the Trust to settle the litigation was introduced into confidential settlement discussions that were underway under the direction and oversight of the court,” Anthony wrote to Peoples on Monday. “The Government and the McMullen Trust have now agreed on terms to settle the litigation that include returning title to the property back to the Trust, and related financial terms. We expect that the settlement stipulation will be filed with the federal district court on 25 March for approval by the Judge.”
Twice pegged as the Navy’s preferred site for the OLF, Site C was removed from consideration as a potential site by the Navy in January. Two new sites in northeastern North Carolina and three sites in Virginia are now being considered as sites for the field — to be used by Navy pilots to practice landings on aircraft carriers.
At a meeting Tuesday morning of the Washington County Board of Commissioners, Peoples discussed with the board the potential fate of the remaining acreage the Navy owns. Though the 30,000 acres needed to build an OLF at Site C are in both Washington and Beaufort counties, the Navy-owned land is entirely within Washington County, according to Peoples.
The Navy does not have the authority to deed that land back to its original owners in the county, but can in the case of the McMullen Trust because the sale was pending in court, Anthony wrote. Peoples said Anthony indicated to him that the Navy “was interested in being good citizens” as it decides how to dispose of the land.
“We want to take account of the best interests of the affected parties rather than simply excessing the property under normal federal property disposal procedures,” Anthony wrote.
Peoples said the Navy could deed the land to the state of North Carolina and that the state would have to decide what to do with it then. Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution formally requesting that the property be eventually turned over to the county.
“The Navy said that state might want it for wetland mitigation,” Peoples said. “The state may sell it themselves or they could deed it to Washington County, which may require some special legislation to be passed. They are interested in moving forward with this and don’t want it to take several years.”
By DAN PARSONS
Staff Writer
PLYMOUTH — The Navy on Tuesday petitioned a federal court to cancel condemnation proceedings on 1,572 acres of 2,793 it owns at Site C — formerly the Navy’s preferred site for an outlying landing field in Washington and Beaufort counties.
The 1,572 was acquired by condemnation by the Navy in 2005 from the McMullen Trust after the parties were unable to agree on a purchase price for the land. At that time, the Navy paid the Trust $3.2 million — its estimate of just compensation. The litigation to determine the actual just compensation was still pending in federal district court until Tuesday.
The McMullen Trust is a fund owned by Harry McMullen, an out-of-state landowner with North Carolina roots.
The announcement was made Monday afternoon by Mark Anthony, a civilian Navy employee working on the OLF project, in an e-mail to Washington County Manager David Peoples.
“When the Navy decided to drop the Washington County site from further consideration, the possibility of returning title to the property back to the Trust to settle the litigation was introduced into confidential settlement discussions that were underway under the direction and oversight of the court,” Anthony wrote to Peoples on Monday. “The Government and the McMullen Trust have now agreed on terms to settle the litigation that include returning title to the property back to the Trust, and related financial terms. We expect that the settlement stipulation will be filed with the federal district court on 25 March for approval by the Judge.”
Twice pegged as the Navy’s preferred site for the OLF, Site C was removed from consideration as a potential site by the Navy in January. Two new sites in northeastern North Carolina and three sites in Virginia are now being considered as sites for the field — to be used by Navy pilots to practice landings on aircraft carriers.
At a meeting Tuesday morning of the Washington County Board of Commissioners, Peoples discussed with the board the potential fate of the remaining acreage the Navy owns. Though the 30,000 acres needed to build an OLF at Site C are in both Washington and Beaufort counties, the Navy-owned land is entirely within Washington County, according to Peoples.
The Navy does not have the authority to deed that land back to its original owners in the county, but can in the case of the McMullen Trust because the sale was pending in court, Anthony wrote. Peoples said Anthony indicated to him that the Navy “was interested in being good citizens” as it decides how to dispose of the land.
“We want to take account of the best interests of the affected parties rather than simply excessing the property under normal federal property disposal procedures,” Anthony wrote.
Peoples said the Navy could deed the land to the state of North Carolina and that the state would have to decide what to do with it then. Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution formally requesting that the property be eventually turned over to the county.
“The Navy said that state might want it for wetland mitigation,” Peoples said. “The state may sell it themselves or they could deed it to Washington County, which may require some special legislation to be passed. They are interested in moving forward with this and don’t want it to take several years.”
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tunne rat wrote on Jul 6, 2009 8:55 PM:
that is the biggest propganda word that every came out of butterfields and rino jones mouth in the past hundred years .
just 2 water boys for the obama socalist party , and a hand full of red necks that dont have a clue about whast they are talking about . "