Quite a constituency has arisen in favor of
retaining for public use the 500-acre Philips property on the corner of
Highway 63 South and Gans Creek Road.
A constituency also exists for private commercial development, and
presumably the owner/seller of the land is neutral, depending on the
purchase price.
Those who want to retain the land in public ownership have many good
ideas for potential use, but until we have a good idea of how much the
parcel will cost, they are largely whistling Dixie.
As we all know, if the land is bought for public use, the price will
have to reflect fair market value. Since private developers actively are
working to buy the land, a fair land value equation is at hand. Some idea
will arise indicating what developers are willing to pay. If potential
public buyers believe they can swing the deal, appraisals will be sought
and negotiations will proceed.
For some time, city of Columbia recreation plans have included a large
park in the southeast sector mirroring Cosmo Park in the northwest. The
Philips tract fills this bill ideally, but do the city and its citizens
have the will to buy the land? The Missouri Department of Conservation
might be interested in buying part of the parcel for its type of park use,
and private donors might chip in. In deals like this, sometimes the
landowner advantageously can sell part of the land and donate the rest.
Arguments against public acquisition will take two forms. Some will
object to the cost, saying Columbia and Boone County have bought enough
land lately. Others will favor good old private development, which allows
buyer and seller to do their own business and results in higher valuation
on real estate tax rolls.
I believe the Philips tract would be a wonderful public acquisition
that would be a permanent community asset of inestimable value, but lovers
of non-commercial space will have to realize this project won’t come
cheap. Nothing of great value ever comes cheap, of course, but the crass
element of cost stands squarely in the way of achieving the idealistic
goals preservationists want.
Regardless of which side you favor, all of us must agree that cost
evaluation is the first step. Before a serious decision about public
purchase can be made, realistic cost parameters must be determined.
Let’s get on with this first stage.
Henry J. Waters III, Publisher, Columbia Daily Tribune
