Churches, charities, regional authorities and a business stand to receive land for free from Prince George’s County if the County Council approves a plan today to transfer possession of 16 parcels it has identified as surplus.
The parcels range from 5,100 square feet to more than 10 acres. Seven are listed for transfer atno cost to two regional authorities, three churches, a charity and a realty company.
Eight of the other properties with 2006 assessments from $410 to $79,000 are listed for sale at no less than fair market value.
Only one property, the old District IV police station at 7500 Livingston Road, is listed to be put up for a long-term lease to a nonprofit group.
Phone calls by The Examiner to several county offices seeking more information about the parcels were not returned Monday.
County code calls for the yearly review of county-owned parcels by the county executive.
The executive then sends a list to the council of properties to be declared surplus and either given away, sold or leased.
Council Chairman Thomas Dernoga wrote in an e-mail that council members tend to look at properties individually rather than as a whole list, and some properties are simply too small to be worth keeping.
At least one pastor is happy to see a neighboring parcel on the property list this year.
James Flowers, leader of the Shining Star Free Will Baptist Church in Seat Pleasant, said he has leased a county-owned 7,600-square-foot strip of land between two of his properties for more than a decade.
“We rented it from the county for a $1 a year,” Flowers said.
The land was just grass until earlier this year, Flowers said, when he paved over the property to connect two of his parking lots.
Flowers said he has been after the county for some time to either sell him the strip or give it to the church.
“We’re a small church without money,” Flowers said. “They should donate it to me since nothing could be built on it.”
