The Green Bank Controversy

Editor's Note:  The Green Bank Property may soon be transferred from the County Commission to the Board of Education--the problem being that there are deed restrictions in it which make it too difficult to handle.

But I fail to see the problem.  I was on the County Commission in 1990 when these restrictions were implemented.  They have worked well for 25 years.  I am proud of those restrictions.  They serve to protect the property from private acquisition.

(In that time the land (a portion of it) has been used for a scrap metal facility, a storage site, a sewer plant, an outhouse business, and for Green Boxes--all of which are unquestionably "economic and/or industrial" development.

There was one effort to place 9 more acres in private hands so that six massive sewage storage pits (open air) could be placed on the property.  Fortunately, the community rose up and fought that deal.  Because of that the owner has had to install a sewage treatment plant which is indeed a reasonable thing.

We got rid of the County Commissioner who was behind the sewage project.  Sadly,  we may have left Jamie Walker,  County Commissioner,  in the process.  He is up for re-election next year and he desperately wants to shed this property from the county portfolio.  But why?

Only the sewage pits have been publically opposed by the community.  The county has allowed the business a 99 year lease on the property with all payments being applied to the purchase at some time in the future on three acres of the property.

The sewage pits were a fiasco just waiting for transfer of the deed.  In fact,  the county commission initially approved the transfer but backed out when it saw what an uproar it had caused in the community.  Apparently, only a few people wanted the smell of raw sewage wafting its fragrance over their homes.  (There were a few folks who didn't mind.)  But by and large,  when it came time to re-elect David Fleming they decided that he was not a good bet for their future and they replaced him with David McLaughlin, a local farmer.

This is now his first test of common sense.  I can name four other county commissioners who have turned their backs on their county and attempted to approve something that did not match with the community's values--David Fleming, James Carpenter, Reta Griffith,  and Joel Callison.  The Sharp's Farm controversy took them out of the equation. 

Ironically,  that was about sewage too!!  Now David McLaughlin,  Bill Beard, and Jamie Walker are flirting with doing great damage to the county with this proposal to dispose of the Slaven Property at Green Bank.

A group of local folks at Green Bank rose up and signed a petition opposing the sewage pit deal and for a while we thought it was dead.  (It may still be but that remains to be seen.)

Since the county commissioners don't have the balls to do the right thing with the property,  they have decided to transfer it back to the Board of Education from which it originated many years ago.  Now, remember,  they had no problem transferring the property (three acres) to the Greenbrier Valley Economic Development Authority.

A group of local citizens have proposed that the property be used as a magnet for tourists via a boardwalk (due to the sensitive nature of the wetlands which are present and the rare and endangered Manno grass)  The proposal is for a park which would allow tourists to see the site which is adjacent to the ancient site of Fort Warrick.  I think that this is a great idea!!!

But the county commission is ignoring that possibility for community economic development and stimulus.

Why?

 Well, you see the owner of the adjacent salvage yard, storage site, sewer business, portable building business wants 9 more acres of the property.  It is the same plat which was originally voted on by Walker and his buddies but minus the sewer pits.  (That was photoshopped out for the purposes of this new presentation.)  The claim is made that they don't need those pits anymore.  (Someone should have thought of that before they had David Fleming wade into the controversy with his hip boots.)

They now have enlisted the support of the county commissioners to "resolve" the issue via a transfer back to the Board of Education.  Ironically this is the same Board of Education that the Times, this week, has a report on the deteriorating conditions of the local school facilities. Now Emery Grimes, president of the board, wants the property transferred back to the Board.

Why?

Well the claim is made that it will be easier to utilize the property (to me, that is code for dispose of) the property. (again, code for transfer of the property to private hands)  Problem:  the Board of Education in 1990 placed some important restrictions on the transfer of the property.  (see above pic)  That Board of Education did not want this property to end up in private, non-commercial hands.  (Not a bad idea, either)  They even put a reversion clause that automatically returns the property to the Board in case of such an attempt.

That is a sticky wicket!!!

The Board can dispose of the property but only through a public auction. (They don't have the legal authority to do what the County Commission can. (on this we agree.)  There is a silver lining here,  I must admit!!

So why all the circuitous maneuvering?  The more I think about it,  the more I realize that transfer back to the board is a dead end.  It will lock the property up forever!  But if so,  so be it!!! These are honorable men and we can expect them to do the honorable thing!)  lol

I would love to have seen a public park at Green Bank instead of sewage facility but sometimes you don't get what you want.  The community elected Beard, Walker, and McLaughlin to make this decision!  It doesn't make sense to me,  but who am I?

Norman Alderman