VIENNA -- Russ Brinsfield hopes a 275-acre "green belt" around the town will help limit haphazard growth and keep prime farmland intact.
"The purchase of this 275 acres (by the state) will preclude any development occurring south of town," said Brinsfield, Vienna's mayor.
The proposed purchase, to be discussed by the state Board of Public Works on Wednesday, will protect land originally slated for a new housing subdivision.
"It was proposed as a large-scale development, but when the economy tanked and the housing market plummeted that caused (the town) to rethink the scale of proposed development," Brinsfield said.
He said with preservation being a main goal of the town's 2003 community vision plan, commissioners decided to approach the state and ask that the land be protected.
"The citizens of Vienna have a very clear vision for the future of their town," said John Griffin, secretary of the state's Department of Natural Resources. "After a series of well-attended public meetings, Vienna completed a comprehensive planning process. The plan works to protect the rural, historic character of the town by clearly defining areas where growth should occur within and around the town."
Brinsfield said the green belt was always something his citizens had considered.
"We had always thought about having a green belt around the community," he said. "It really does a much better job of protecting our natural resources and farmland. It is a win-win as far as we're concerned."
Brinsfield said the town is very environmentally concerned and their plans to protect the area do not end here.
"This is great news for Vienna, it's a dream come true," he said. "We have a group that appreciates what we have and cherishes it."
He said the town hopes to create a discovery center by purchasing the old Nanticoke Inn to make the area a destination for ecotourism.
"Negotiations are underway with land owners to create a Nanticoke River John Smith Discovery Center as a destination for tourists where they can rent canoes and kayaks and kayak the path that John Smith took and bike in and around Vienna," Brinsfield said.
The town is 17 miles from the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge and Brinsfield said bikers can ride to the refuge without ever having to get onto Route 50.
"The goal for the town is to allow low impact ecotourism to frame our economic development strategy for the future," he said.
He also said the discovery center will serve as a real land mark for the Nanticoke River and hopes the Nanticoke Watershed Alliance will make the building their home.
"We're all on board with the concept -- there have been no contracts signed and there's nothing definite, however as a potential tenant or presence there we are very excited about being a part of the whole thing," said E.B. James, executive director of the Nanticoke Watershed Alliance. "It is a good thing for Vienna to have a resource center like that in the town and a good thing for the Nanticoke River to have a coherent welcome center to serve all things Nanticoke, a one stop shop if you will."
