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Our Pages
Another Glagow Area Rev War site threatened (11/1/09)
FOHG Position Paper on La Grange Record Plan Submission 8/24/08
Land Use Fails To Support Historic Review Board (2/22/08)
La Grange Facts Sheet (1/18/2008)
Developer refiles SLAPP suits against FoHG members (2/20/2007)
La Grange developer's SLAPP suit dismissed (2/7/07)
Follow the players in New Castle County development (5/30/06)
POSSIBLE TEST OF ANTI-SLAPP LAW IN DE (5/28/06)
Please help support the Friends of Historic Glasgow, DE!
Going, Going, Gone? (3/26/04)
Obituary for Anne Barczewski (1/8/06)
Larding the Lean Earth: Soil and Society in 19th C. America
Developer sues ex-owners of historic farm (1/15/06)
Historic Farm in Jeopardy (2/11/05)
Glasgow auction bids on history (7/13/03)
Open land isn't worth paying any price in competition (9/29/04)
La Grange Communities LLC development project plan # 20051045
SLAPP suit filed against LaGrange development opponents
West End Dairy founder, farmer dies at age 95 (1/7/06)
National Register: La Grange (1974)
Developer looks to add homes, shops, school to historic Glasgow
Petition to save Historic Glasgow
Press Release (9/13/05)
Delaware's history can be reduced to street names (8/30/05)
Preservationists must act fast to save historic farm (8/20/05)
School district is seeking to destroy historic farm (8/10/05)
1600 Artifacts Discovered At La Grange (7/25/05 Press Release)
LaGrange Press Release: Developer wants more time (5/8/05)
PLUS review – PLUS 2005-06-15; La Grange (Barczewski farm)
Capital of the Rebellion: Phila. and the Revolution. (8/26/1777)
Feinting Spell: Howe headquarters at Aikin's Tavern
Battle of Cooch's Bridge
Howes' headquarters are at Aitkens tavern; Cornwallis (9/9/1777)
Geo. Washington letter: Iron Hill, Coach's [Cooch's] Mill 1777
Geo. Washington's letter to Continental Congress (9/3/1777)
Aithim's Tavern [Aiken's Tavern], Crouch's Mills [Cooch's] 1777
Glasgow Regional Park welcomed (10/26/03)
Glasgow park gets under way (9/14/03)
Bidding for farm in NCCo hits snag (6/9/2003)
Glasgow park parcel could cost county $12 million (9/16/04)
Delaware's heritage is disappearing (12/3/03)
Citizens Work To Save Historic Landmarks (Glasgow) (3/8/04)
Friends of Historic Glasgow news (8/20/04)
Glasgow property is historic (10/5/04)
Historic farm sold to NCCo developer (2/4/05) - WRONG!
Christina Basin's importance is undeniable (7/18/04)
NCCo decides $12 million too much for 236-acre property 9/21/04
Where Green Trees, Not Greenbacks, Flourish (6/21/97)
La Grange Press Release: Battle to Save LaGrange (2/11/05)
National Register: Cooch's Bridge Historic District (1973)
National Register: Aiken's Tavern Historic District (1977)
HABS DE-216: La Grange Granary (aka.: Samuel H. Black Farm)
New Castle County Parcel View of La Grange (Barczewski farm)
Royal Farms developing Battle of Cooch's Bridge gateway (3/2/05)
Brooks House Historic Zoning Overlay (7/14/04)
Threatened by Cloverleaf - News Gazette article (5/30/73)
History of nepotism at historic Glasgow's expense (5/17/05)
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Friends of Historic Glasgow (Delaware)
Open land isn't worth paying any price in competition (9/29/04)
News Journal editorial on LaGrange
LOCAL OPINION
OUR VIEW
Open land isn't worth paying any price in competition
09/29/2004
The conventional wisdom among property owners is that governments will pay whatever the asking price is to buy land, whether for office buildings or parkland. For the time being, New Castle County proved that belief wrong when it declined to pay $12 million for a 236-acre property in Glasgow, across the road from another park site.
The county hopes to keep negotiating with the family that owns the land. By not jumping at the $12 million price, after the family insisted it had been offered $16 million, showed restraint not often seen in a county with a $240 million surplus.
The Barczewski family owns the land across Del. 896 from the planned Glasgow Regional Park, which has 300 acres. While County Executive Thomas Gordon's administration was eager to buy both properties, the need for more than 500 acres of parkland in a rapidly developing area has been questioned, including by County Council members.
The more open space that can be converted to public park or conservation areas, the better. But governments too often put political value on open space over economic realty. If the Barczewskis can get $16 million for the acreage, they probably will go for it. County taxpayers should not be forced into a commercial bidding war.
Many property owners preserve or sell their land to government as a goodwill gesture to future generations. Pitting the government against a developer to run up land values does not fit that mold.
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