Land Value
May 5th, 2006
Everybody wants a piece of the country – but when your piece gets too close to my piece, it’s not the country anymore.
There is a spectacular farm in Powhatan, Virginia called Oak Leaf. Soon, it will be a subdivision called Oak Leaf. The farm was recently purchased, rezoned, and divided into 50 residential lots. On Thursday, my dad and I drove there to pick out three lots we want to build on.
The monetary value of one of these lots is around $185,000. In a year or two, they may be worth an additional $100,000 each, proving to be a wise investment. However, the true value of this land, the value of its beauty and productivity, will be significantly diminished by its fragmentation. The damage called suburbia has already begun.
There is conflict in my head. I am contributing to the problem that urban planners are trained to fix.
