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→News Articles: added County Times Story 4/9/2009
[[Image:hayden-farm-aerial.jpg|right|thumbnail|Aerial view of the "Hayden Farm" with the 4 separate parcels designated. Source: St. Mary's County Government.]]A 172-acre site, known as the Hayden Farm, is slated to be purchased by St. Mary's County Government at a cost of $5,259,500 for a new elementary school and other public facilities. The site actually consists of four parcels of land. As of April 3, 2009 the deal has not closed.
The property is located just outside the incorporated town of Leonardtown, west of Hollywood Leonardtown Road (Md. State Route 245), on Hayden Farm Lane, in the Leonardtown Development District. The property is located within a mile of the County Courthouse in Leonardtown and approximately twelve miles west of the Patuxent River Naval Air StationPatuxent River (PAXRVR).
Capital funds were set aside specifically for acquisition of land by the County starting with a Board of County Commissioners decision in spring 2005, according to local officials.
The local Board of Education was under pressure to identify a site for the next elementary school by January 15, 2009 or risk losing state planning approval. This is the primary reason cited by local officials for the timeline of the Hayden Farm procurement.
The demand for the elementary school was facilitated primarily by the massive growth at nearby Naval Air Station Patuxent RiverPAXRVR, facilitated by BRAC consolidations that included the relocation of the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) from northern Virginia.
== Issues ==
== Timeline ==
* 2005 Spring -- Initial Capital funds were set aside specifically for acquisition of land with a Board of County Commissioners decision.
* 2007 June 28 -- Appraisal submitted by Treffer Appraisal Group.
* 2007 July 16 -- Appraisal submitted by Gatewood Company.
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* 2008 Dec 24 -- Board of County Commissioners for St. Mary's County approved the purchase at a cost of $5,259,500 4-1 at a public meeting. Commissioner Jarboe (R) was the lone No vote, saying the deal "stinks."
* 2009 Jan 15 -- Deadline for local Board of Education to identify a site for the next elementary school or risk losing state planning approval.
* 2009 April 7 -- Public meeting to discuss Master Plan for the site.
== News Articles ==
* JASON BABCOCK and JESSE YEATMAN, "County buys 172 acres for schools, library," ''Enterprise'', Dec. 26, 2008, http://www.somdnews.com/stories/12262008/entetop110342_32179.shtml* Guy Leonard, "Hayden Farm Plan Triggers Traffic Worries," ''County Times'', April 9, 2009, http://somd.com/news/headlines/2009/9827.shtml
== Op-Eds ==
