On December 28, 2020, White’s Ferry ceased operations due to a dispute with Rockland Farm in Loudon County, VA over the ferry’s landing site. (more…)
White’s Ferry
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Update: Rockland Farm responds to statement from White’s Ferry owners here.
White’s Ferry owners–Chuck and Stacy Kuhn–have formally offered to donate the White’s Ferry operation to Montgomery County. This most recent offer has been described by the Kuhn family as “part of their commitment to getting the ferry operational to preserve history, save jobs, and reduce traffic.”
On Wednesday, the owners of White’s Ferry announced they had increased their offer to purchase the Virginia landing site from Rockland Farm to $1.25 million, an increase of $150,000 from the offer that was made in January. We reached out to Rockland Farms owner Libby Delvin, who provided the following response: “We continue to believe that a volume-based fee based on the amount and size of vehicles using our land is the fairest way to compensate us for the use of our land. Fifty-cents per car is very reasonable. The operator can increase the fee of the ferry and pay Rockland Farm accordingly. Most people are willing to pay an additional incremental amount in order to re-open the ferry.”
Other options also recently proposed by the Kuhns as ways to get the ferry opened as soon as possible, include:
Statement by White’s Ferry: “To encourage the re-opening of White’s Ferry, ferry owners Chuck and Stacy Kuhn worked closely with Maryland, Virginia, Montgomery, and Loudoun Counties, and previous ferry owner Herb Brown to once again make an offer to purchase the Virginia landing site from Rockland Farm in an effort to get the ferry reopened for its nearly 1,100 daily users. The newest offer is now for $1.25 million for the 1.4 acres, an increase from the last offer in January of $1.1 million. Both offers are well above the land value.
Other options also recently proposed by the Kuhns as ways to get the ferry opened as soon as possible, include:
One-third of Montgomery County, or 93,000 acres, is designated as the Agricultural Reserve. This unique area of contiguous farmland has special characteristics:
Montgomery County’s diverse agricultural industry is home to 558 farms, employs more than 10,000 people, and contributes $281 million to the County’s economy. AG Facts Below:
Per The Maryland Department of the Environment: The Maryland Department of the Environment is urging citizens and businesses in a large part of the state to voluntarily reduce their water usage as a drought watch has been issued. “Water conservation is a good practice year-round, but we are asking residents and businesses to pay particular attention during the summer months when the State can experience hot and dry conditions,” said Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain.
“You can do your part by limiting the use and duration of sprinklers for lawns, taking short showers as opposed to baths, and not leaving the faucet running while brushing your teeth. These things sound simple, but it all adds up.” A drought watch has been issued for Western Maryland and portions of Central Maryland based on lower-than-normal stream flows and groundwater levels for this time of year. During a drought watch, MDE increases oversight of water supply conditions and encourages voluntary water conservation practices. No mandatory water use restrictions have been issued.
Earlier today, White’s Ferry owner Chuck Kuhn released a statement saying that Rockland Farm, the Virginia landing site for the ferry, had rejected a $1.1 million dollar offer to purchase the Virginia site. In the statement, Kuhn also announced his intentions to sell the ferry to Montgomery County; “We have run out of options and will now seek to sell the ferry land and operations to Montgomery County so it can work to invoke eminent domain and acquire the Virginia landing site.”
Rockland Farm tells us, “the reason that Rockland Farm turned down the $1.1 M combined offer from Loudoun County, Montgomery County, and Mr. Kuhn is that we will not accept a flat fee for our Virginia landing.” Rockland Farm has stated on several occasions that it was requesting $.50 per vehicle. “All that it would have taken to get the ferry open would be to increase the fee by 50 cents per ride for the use of our landing, but Mr. Kuhn said no.”
The owners of White’s Ferry have announced that Rockland Farm, the Virginia landing site for the ferry, have rejected a $1.1 million dollar offer to purchase the site. According to a press release, the offer included funds from White’s Ferry’s owners, both Montgomery and Loudoun Counties, and additional funds from Herb Brown, the original ferry owner. White’s Ferry ceased operations back in December 2020 over a legal dispute with Rockland Farms.
Chuck and Stacy Kuhn, owners of JK Moving Services, purchased the Ferry in February 2021. “We have run out of options and will now seek to sell the ferry land and operations to Montgomery County so it can work to invoke eminent domain and acquire the Virginia landing site,” Chuck Kuhn said. Full statement below:
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Per the Fair Access Committee: As calls intensify for the reopening of White’s Ferry, members of Fair Access for Western Montgomery County and residents of Poolesville will unite at the ferry site on December 29th to mark the two-year anniversary of the shuttering of this vital service that served 800 cars daily.
The 240-year-old community connector ceased operation in December of 2020 after a decade-long lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Loudoun County over their use of private land for a Virginia landing. A critical component of our region’s transportation network, closure of the ferry has hit the town of Poolesville especially hard.
The National Park Service owns about 65 acres of land around White’s Ferry and are developing a master plan for the area. The first planning session about the master plan was presented by a contractor running the project earlier this month. They outlined a preliminary sketch of proposed improvements for the land, which are designed around outdoor recreation activities.
A major charge of the C & O Canal Park system is to help educate the public about the history of the canal. The new plan does not include any facilities or projects focusing on the history of the area where White’s Ferry is situated. At one time, some 100 ferries crossed the Potomac. They were a vital part of the canal’s operations, bringing grain, finished goods and materials across the river to be sent up and down the canal for processing and use. There was once a granary at Whites Ferry itself. You can see its remains as you drive into the Ferry.