FROM THE READERS:Letters
Green space trumps greenbacks
I support the American Farm Land Trust and so should the other 1 million NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONOF REALTORS® members. That’s because practitioners are in a position to create a balance between conservation and development. (“The cost of open space ,” October 2004, page 14.)
I’ve been working on several development projects involving common green space in excess of 25 percent of the overall land to be developed. The roadway setbacks are double those typical of the area, and the average lot size fits into AFLT-recommended sizes. Guess what? The developers involved are happy to do something positive to conserve land, even though they aren’t going to make as much money as they could on other projects. For me, selling fewer lots in a new development won’t hurt my wallet too much, and in the long run I’m helping preserve land for future generations. We, as ethical businesspeople, need to answer the hard question: What is clean air and green space worth to me?
Every salesperson in my office is involved with a land conservancy group. We’re a small company, but we take our responsibility to the land seriously and are committed to creating a positive balance between growth and green space.
—Jane Page Gunnell-Thompson, The Carolina Real Estate Co., Aiken, S.C.
Green space boosts owners’, communities’ bottom line
“The cost of open space ” presents conservation easements as “a headache” and a hardship on housing availability. Perhaps in some instances that’s the case.
However, in North Carolina, open spaces protected by easements feed our economy a healthy and substantial diet. The Blue Ridge Parkway Scenic Experience Project was a study conducted to gauge interest in preserving the scenic quality of the recreational connecting road between Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains national parks. The study found that “the annual direct economic impact of visitation to the North Carolina section of the parkway is more than $6 billion a year.” Furthermore, the study found that if scenic quality declines, 22 percent of those surveyed will reduce their number of visits and up to a quarter of tourists “will stop visiting” the area altogether.
Asheville, N.C., through which the parkway winds, has been experiencing a residential real estate boom for the last decade, with the majority of those moving to the area because of its quality of life—a large part of which is due to the area’s beauty.
Although the value of the land with an easement may decrease, the adjacent properties’ values are greatly enhanced.
Property rights advocates cited in the article say “conservation easements harken back to the medieval feudal system.” That’s absurd. Peasants didn’t have a choice. Conservation easements are voluntary and represent the ultimate property right—the right to determine exactly how property can and can’t be used.
—Patty Cunningham-Woolf, Preferred Properties, Asheville, N.C.
Wyoming association takes no position on easements
I’d like to clarify a misunderstanding in “The cost of open space .” The article indicates that the Wyoming Association of REALTORS® “has come out against conservation easements.” In fact, the association has discussed the many benefits and problems conservation easements pose but hasn’t taken a position for or against them. If specific legislation is introduced or discussed, we’ll look at the legislation to decide a course of action.
—Michael Brown, Century 21 Bell Real Estate, Cheyenne, Wyo., and president, Wyoming Association of REALTORS®
Letters are edited for space and clarity. Publication of a letter doesn’t constitute an endorsement of the writer’s views by the National Association of REALTORS® or REALTOR® Magazine.
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