[bawolff]

When you put it that way, i disagree. A gift is a gift. Once you give it to someone its their's to do with as they please. A gift with strings is not a gift.

This story is different though, the farmer sold the land for cheap in exchange for some conditions. This situation is more like going back on a contract.

[wyre]

Sure, a gift if a gift, but if I give you a gift and then you go off and sell it for $10mil you're a terrible friend.

[bawolff]

If we are extending this metaphor, given the property passed through many hands, i feel like the equivalent would sort of be like giving a friend a gift, the friend eventually dies, their children sell it when dealing with the estate because they dont have use for the item.

That seems like a pretty normal thing to do.

[wyre]

I don't think the metaphor extends. A family gave their city land conditionally, decades went by, and then the city sells the land do develop a data center.

I don't understand what type of cope you are trying to achieve by excusing this as an okay thing to do.