School Board moves forward in condemning land for acquisition
“The Loudoun County School Board has elected to use eminent domain to acquire a 17-acre property in Ashburn for a new elementary school.
In a 6-3 vote, the board elected June 25 to take the property, located on Belmont Ridge Road near Croson Lane, to build ES-27, an elementary school to serve Ashburn and Brambleton residents. The property is owned by Edwin Lim, a pastor in Fairfax, Sarah Lim and trustees of the Sung Chun Park and Chun Hwa Park Living Trust.
Negotiations between the two parties have been difficult. According to Michael Coughlin, an attorney with Walsh Colucci Lubeley Emrich and Walsh who is representing the landowners, the property owners currently have an offer of $4.5 million, though he would not disclose who made the offer. The School Board has offered $1.5 million and the county assessor has valued the land and the single-family home on the property at $2.18 million. The Lims and Park trustees made a counteroffer of $3.75 million to the School Board.
“The action we would request is deferral of the buying certificate and giving the parties enough time to reach an agreement,” Coughlin said to the School Board during Tuesday’s public hearing.”
Dvorak, Alanna. Loudoun Times 26 June 2013.