NEW KENT — Fast-growing New Kent County wants to help property owners set aside land from future development.
County Administrator Rodney Hathaway outlined a draft program to assist landowners with the initial costs of establishing conservation easements on their properties at the Sept. 9 Board of Supervisors meeting.
Hathaway said New Kent’s strategic plan contains several goals to preserve the rural nature of the county.
“That’s also a very consistent theme in our current comprehensive plan,” he said. He said the objective would form an important part of future planning.
“I’m not saying that we don’t want growth, but we want to grow smartly to preserve our character,” Hathaway said.
New Kent is the fastest-growing county in Virginia. Between 2010 and 2020, New Kent’s population grew by almost 5,000, an increase of 26.5%.
The strategic plan recognizes the control of growth via its Agricultural and Forestal District program as well as conservation easements.
“Right now we have about 11,000 acres, just over, in conservation easements. That sounds like a big number but I believe there’s about 143,000 acres in the county, so we are talking about just under 8% of the county is currently in conservation easements. There is still room to encourage additional easements,” Hathaway said.
Property owners face a raft of costs if they want to get land into conservation easements including legal charges, surveying fees and administration costs levied by the trusts that assume the easements, he said. The fees can reach up to $30,000.
Hathaway recommended that the county provide $100,000 a year to offset costs to landowners who want to set up conservation easements. He is proposing grants of up to $25,000 to assist with upfront costs.
“In my opinion, this is the best way to preserve land,” Hathaway said. “This is truly a permanent program.”
Grants would be given through reimbursements and not until land is in a conservation easement. The county would work with the trusts that create easements.
At present the county has funds of $120,000 approved in its capital budget for the purchase of development rights.
The Board of Supervisors did not take action on the draft report on Sept. 9.
“This is something we can look into but I think it will take a bit of time to get it right,” board Chair Thomas Evelyn said.
Supervisor John Moyer spoke about the importance of farmers keeping open fields in the family for future generations.
David Macaulay, davidmacaulayva@gmail.com
