Newport News mows into expensive wetland purchase

The city of Newport News, Va. recently purchased 37 acres of land that include a local wetland the city erroneously mowed less than two years ago. The $950,000 purchase will facilitate a new road that will connect two major boulevards, but this will only use 5 acres of the land. The city may not have purchased the remainder of the land if the mowing mistake had not occurred.

In summer of 2010, the city responded to a high weed complaint and had local inmates mow the land. However, they later discovered that they mowed over a protected wetland. The city then became responsible for monitoring the wetlands on the property which could have cost them at least $7,000 a year for several years. City Engineer Everett Skipper said that they city may have bought the remainder of the property anyway to expand its environmental “green space” project.

Read more at wdbj7.com