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.
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.
That seems like a pretty normal thing to do.