NCC@2050 Stakeholder Challenge Summary

Dates: July 2, 2020 - October 23, 2020

Number of Responses: 50

Organizations Represented:

Village of Jester Merestone Smalleys Cove Forest Glen at Glennwood Station Crossing (55 and Maintenance Maintenance Pinewoods II older community) Corporation Corporation

Nordic Dell Shipley Chase Wawaset Millcreek Neighbors Wyndom Maintenance Corp Maintenance Maintenance for Safer Pathways Maintenance Corporation Corporation Corporation Change REACH Riverside Videre Woods Centerville Point Hunter's Ridge

Bayview Manor 1 8th District Rosegate League of Women Goodwill of Neighborhood Voters of New and Planning Council Castle County Delaware County (City of Wilmington)

The Nature Network DE Duffield Associates, Multiple Interested Conservancy Inc Residents

Questions & Responses

1. Can you identify a specific location or community that represents a sense of place and is something about which you speak to friends or colleagues? What would you like to see replicated across the County?

• Arden, Delaware: I want to see the have a development plan that increases and sustains tree canopy and natural space. A plan that seeks to increase tree canopy in neighborhoods not just parks. A plan that values our natural resources for the invaluable “jobs” each fulfills. • Wilmington River Front: I'd like to see sustainable mixed-use communities (restaurants, service-based retail, housing, community services and co-working) replicated across the county. Planned communities with an emphasis on attracting families, seniors and singles, diverse ethnicities and incomes and AFFORDABLE housing. • Whitehall: It reminds me of PUD developments in NJ or Columbia in . I hope Whitehall will be a success and services will begin to be built in that development. • Brandywine Creek State Park (Mentioned multiple times) & the National Park/Beaver Valley. • C&D Canal pathway. • Ironside Crossing. • Old New Castle: mix of housing types; access to amenities and services within walking or biking distance; mix of housing types and costs; strong sense of place. • Carousel Farms is a great place. • Brandywine Library & Route 9 Library: area with the dog park is wonderful. Library is sort of a hub or modern community center with classes, information and food. It feels like a place where real community can be built if used efficiently and correctly. • Hobby Lobby and Trader Joe's • Parcel of land behind Fox Hunter Crossing • Whitehall and Bayberry - Walkable, self-contained communities with, lots of trails & parks

1

• The Brandywine River, and the cultural institutions found along it • Southern NCC - i.e. Biggs Farm, Back Creek, Bohemia Mill, etc. replicated across Southern NCC. More open and less dense communities. No mixing of single, TH and apts. in the same neighborhood. Roads to support expected traffic volume. Shopping within 20 mins of communities • Delcastle Recreation Area - This location has walking paths, fitness stations, courts, playgrounds, soccer and ball fields, a center and golf course across the street. It gets lots of use. The problem is that unlike other parks in the county, many neighborhoods (within 1 mile) are cut off from this park unless because there are no sidewalks or safe bike lanes. Neighbors are asking for greenway connections for the people who live along Rt. 41/Newport Gap Pike, Millcreek Road and Hercules Road. • Sussex County, DE • The Highlands (City of Wilmington), a community characterized by ample green spaces, well maintained parks and recreational facilities, being walkable, having easy access to grocery stores and restaurants and services, safety, and limited access exposure to pollution/industrial hazards. • Parks & Trails: Jack A. Markell Trail (mentioned multiple times)/Carousel Park/Glasgow Park/Judge Morris Estate/Battery Park/Lum's Pond/Arbor/Rittenhouse Park/ Talley Day Park/ State Park/ Glasgow Park/ Weatherhill Trail (From Delcastle Golf Course Clubhouse to just down the hill from Goldey Beacom College). Love this wooded trail with challenging hills, wildlife, and a paved surface that others in my family use as a bicycle connector. Glasgow Park. Great place for the communities to come together. The events held at Glasgow Park to continue throughout the county, not just this area. We should also offer ethnic group-based activities. • Parks & Trails: First State National Historical Park, Brandywine Creek State Park, Bellevue State Park, Rockwood Park, , Blue Bell Barn trails, Carousel Park - all the great federal, state and local parks. We'd appreciate more historic Delaware tie ins along the trails and in the parks. More trail markers with distances and levels of difficulty. • Delaware’s State Parks: I am not appreciative of Delaware’s State Parks because of its beautiful scenery and landscape and am instead gravitated toward the effort the Parks have demonstrated to remain as prestigious and environmentally friendly as they are. The staff and atmosphere is welcoming and understanding of a variety of different levels of expertise on the behalf of park goers. Every time I visit Lums Pond State Park and Delaware Seashore State Park I have felt at home and at peace knowing that the original beauty of Delaware is being honored and maintained. I further manifested my appreciation for their dedication to these State parks by applying for a position at each of their locations. I was hired mainly because of my ability to express my love for their platform and for advocating for a balance between nature and for positions at these Delaware State Parks and was ultimately granted the opportunity to contribute to the preservation of the magic of Delaware. • Brandywine Town Center: I'd like to see sustainable mixed-use communities (restaurants, service-based retail, housing, community services and co-working) replicated across the county. Planned communities with an emphasis on attracting families, seniors and singles, diverse ethnicities and incomes and AFFORDABLE housing.

2. Please list examples of good development or redevelopment in the unincorporated parts of the County that you would like to highlight. What characteristics distinguish these places?

• Darley Green/Claymont: redevelopment with mixed uses high density living is commendable. However, if it incorporated more affordable living, that would be even better. Shopping at edge opens to wider public on main thoroughfare, also open to the village behind it. Focal point is the new library. Housing is largely uniform apartments with detached larger homes at back of development (not an ideal mix of housing types). Excellent access to transit and trains. Sense of place is clear. • Village of Rocky Run, Talleyville, Stonegate: well maintained, secluded, private • Brandywine Town Center comes to mind as a good example from the past, but what is its plan for the future if major anchors like Regal (and Thomasville) close?

2

• Concord Plaza (Silverside Road & Concord Pike): Excellent example of redevelopment option, with rental apartments with appealing balconies above commercial. Some upper level space appears to be designated for offices. Transit infrastructure in place at street in front of development. Wide sidewalks and nice landscaping, with tables and umbrellas outside restaurants. Charming, with a definite sense of place. Limitation is the relative expense of rental apartments, with apparently no moderate-priced housing. • CSC building on Centerville Road: includes walking paths. • Just approved Hercules golf course development by Pettinaro was fought by people who feared the impact of more cars and homes in the area, but the silver lining is that the plan includes multiuse paths dedicated to public access through out that connect via a tunnel under the road and to multiple locations outside of the neighborhood. Additionally, instead of building the traditional sidewalk in front, DelDOT will be putting in an off- road multiuse path along part of Hercules Road. Development that allows for safe, off-road, green connections to schools, recreation centers, places of worship and centers of community commerce is what people want. • Linden Hill Station in Pike Creek: Shops below, rental apartments above, town homes adjacent. Next to shopping center. Good walking and biking accommodation, as well as transit, nearby. Sense of place is bolstered by attractive and inviting common areas. Unfortunately, not a variety of housing types and prices. • The Greenway system in Pike Creek. The Reservoir in Newark. Both represent development of unincorporated parts of the County. They represent areas with good parking and trails that are safe and secure. They are also well marked. Again, it would be interesting to develop the historic significance of some areas. like private open spaces in developments. If they featured interesting signage and possibly properly marked parking and trail markers, these often ignored areas could furnish new ways to use the "outdoors"? • Limestone Hills neighborhood off of Stoney Batter Road was probably built 30+ years ago, but it was built with multiuse paths. • The redevelopment of Barley Mill Plaza to a Wegman’s will utilize vacant property to provide food choice and access to residents in that part of the county. • Yorklyn: I think we need more village style settings in the County where people can walk or bike to a nearby center where there are restaurants/bars. People need to be able to live, work and play in a close vicinity. There need to be off roadway trails for safety to get people out of their cars. • Arden: Heavily wooded • Belvedere, Bellevue, Westover Hills: These are across different socioeconomic levels as well. Good development these days in the County is not synonymous with affordable (housing, retail space, etc.). Good development seems to go hand-in-hand with expensive/costly/unaffordable. • Southern NCC: Less development, more open space. Too much building requires more infrastructure such as schools. This raises taxes for retirees. • Bayberry South • Biggs Farm: larger lots, open space, close to arterial routes but not on arterial routes, buried utility cables to reduce outages. Would also like to preserve some of the natural areas across the county - woods, fields, waterways, etc. • Whitehall (south of the Canal): Excellent intermix of housing types from detached large homes, row houses, town houses, modest detached; Grid style street design makes for good connectivity; elementary school and large well equipped park adjacent at entry. Under construction is a Christiana Care facility and a retail center. Asphalt bike/pedestrian path provides good access to activities down the road. No accommodation for transit service (no bus pull off, etc., nor signage). • Wilmington Riverfront/Markell Trail: This area was once a derelict area of closed businesses and junk yards. Now it is a vibrant and accessible area with shops, restaurants, housing, and a walking path. This allows residents to enjoy the city and nature at the same time. • Union Street in Wilmington: Local neighbors and business have monthly/quarterly meetings to discuss progress and suggestions. Local businesses should be supported like they are in that area. The ability to walk to a local shop is priceless as so many areas are food desserts. • Newark's Main Street • Parks and Trails: Jack Markell Trail, Pomeroy Trail, Hall Trail.

3. What are the most pressing challenges the County’s residents, businesses, and stakeholders must address? 3

• Crime (mentioned multiple times)/community policing/ Police as public servants vs. Police as enforcers. • Transportation issues (traffic congestion, public transit/auto dependency, pedestrian safety, inadequate infrastructure/poor road & median upkeep & condition) • Affordable housing (mentioned multiple times)/senior citizen housing • Employment/higher paying jobs • Poverty/ inequitable access to education/healthcare/food deserts. All these relate back to crime, housing issues, and health disparities. • Property taxes are too high/tax relief for senior citizens/school taxes are too high • Communicating with the community • Encourage infill development/ too many vacant storefronts • Overdevelopment/loss of open space/lack of connectivity-lack of sidewalks/unwalkable communities/unbikeable communities • Sprawl/ repurposing abandoned retail and industrial sites • Climate change/large storm events/water pollution/storm water runoff/failing retention basins/flooding • Environmental justice in the county’s less privileged communities • Overpopulation • Coronavirus • The NCC Land Use process. NCC Land Use needs to quit using the excuse that “our hands are tied” by existing “by rights” regulations, which seem to allow developers free rein. This action has stripped the residents of their rights in favor of the developers. This deficiency must be addressed before any more bad decisions are made which further exacerbate the deterioration of our living environment.

4. What are your suggestions for how to best engage people in the NCC@2050 planning process? What approach would you use to gain consensus?

• Communicate with mass emails, surveys, brochures, hold community meetings (virtual & in person), online workshops, postal mail • Use Neighborhoods Associations/Block Captains/Councilpersons/nonprofits/bus advertising/community policing to share information • Social media, county website • Ask employers to be a part of their company newsletters, have representatives at the functions offered in Glasgow Park, have sign-ups or tables at popular places like the mall, gyms, supermarkets. • Assign a small (~20) group to each of the main elements proposed for the plan to work on understanding the element, its relationship with the other elements, where conflicts and complements exist between elements. After each group has completed its review prepare a summary document that can then be shared with all the groups. Then create a few new groups each assigned several (2 or 3) elements specifically to work on the conflicts between their assigned elements and try to reach consensus on resolving the conflicts. Then after all elements have been reworked to resolve conflicts, draft a revised preliminary NCC@2050. It will need more discussion, establishing priorities, and attempting to gain consensus on the whole. Could use the same techniques or another method. • Modify the input process and go to underserved/underprivileged communities to get their concerns understood and registered (many don’t have the ability to participate in zoom meetings, and those sessions tend to be too structured to gain detailed input). And, give that input the same weight in the development of the Comp Plan as you would to privileged communities. • Not sure. • Have very clear objectives/People need to believe their opinion matters/don’t slam business down our throat/ • You will never reach consensus. You just need to do what is right for the environment and our long term future. • Change the mission to a more logical time frame. 2050 means nothing when our problems are now. 4

5. Please list your top three priorities for what the NCC@2050 plan should address to ensure New Castle County is a great place to live, work, and play in the year 2050.

• Crime/need more police to handle speeders and dangerous drivers/healthy relationships with law enforcement • Access to WIFI/ high speed internet for everyone • Economic, health, and education inequities • More services south of the canal/maintain rural character south of canal • Address traffic concerns (volume/noise/safer roads/infrastructure/public transit/ multi-modal transportation/transportation funding • Employment/higher paying jobs/quality jobs/encourage local business development over national brands • Affordable housing/address homelessness/senior housing • Environmental justice/social justice/ extra investment in areas where disinvestment has occurred due to structural racism • Climate change/environmental protection/hazard mitigation/stormwater runoff/water pollution • Protect & maintain open space/preserve farmland/more walking trails/biking trails/encourage native plants • Relief from high taxes • Improving public school education and infrastructure/ have renters pay school taxes also/homeowners without children should be allowed to negotiate a reduced school tax bill • Better development (mixed use, redevelopment of underused/empty real estate/shopping malls/walking parks/trails, bike trails/connectivity) • Manage and control growth/sprawl/ protect historic resources

5