DATE: Friday, September 5, 1997             TAG: 9709050658

SECTION: BUSINESS                PAGE: D1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY MEREDITH COHN, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   62 lines

ROBERTSON BUYS LAND ON THE EASTERN SHORE

A company owned by Pat Robertson has bought a 169-acre farm outside Cape Charles in a growing area of the Eastern Shore, but its use has not been determined, a spokeswoman for the evangelist said.

Robertson Enterprises Inc. bought the parcel in July from Donald and Mary Appenzeller for $750,000 in cash, according to the deed.

The land, known as Tower Hill Farm, still is being cultivated, but much of it was recently rezoned for single-family houses. A 10-acre strip on the property, on the west side of U.S. 13, was rezoned for commercial use, according to Northampton County records.

``Mr. Robertson purchased the property for personal business use that I don't know has been determined,'' said Patty Silverman, a spokeswoman for Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network. ``Mr. Robertson is a businessman, and throughout the years he's been involved in different business ventures unrelated to the ministry.''

What's certain is the land will not be used by the ministry for another retirement home, Silverman said. CBN is developing a $100 million upscale retirement complex on 60 acres in Virginia Beach.

The complex, called Founders Village, will be built on land owned by the ministry, a campus that spans 750 acres in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake.

Officials in Northampton County said they knew of the purchase but wouldn't speculate on what might be built there. They said they are hoping for development that meshes with their environmental and economic growth policies.

Greg Manter, director of the Eastern Shore of Virginia Economic Development Commission, said that the land is close to sites for proposed golf courses and that he would like to see Robertson's development complement them.

In the past couple of years, the Cape Charles area has landed a couple of major new businesses. SEA Inc., an environmental consulting company with several Fortune 500 corporations for clients, recently moved its headquarters there. Delisheries, which makes packaged mixes for baked goods, also moved to town.

Northampton County's administrator, Thomas Harris, said the county is known for its so-called sustainable development policies and would like any development to fit in with them.

Sustainable development incorporates three principles: environmental protection, economic viability and social equity. Specifically on the Eastern Shore, Harris said, the policies call on developers to consider the area's rural heritage, environmentally sensitive land and 30 percent poverty rate.

``We need a good economic base, a diverse economic base,'' Harris said.

``But we're looking to see that developments' effects benefit the social fiber of the community,'' he said. ``When we make decisions and plan strategy, we certainly like to maintain and protect the rural character.''

With a large influx of retirees to the Eastern Shore in recent years, Harris said, a retirement facility like Founders Village would have fit into their strategy.

County officials said Robertson has not told them of his intentions for the property nor applied for any permits. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

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