The Southern New Castle County Scenic River and Highway Study THE SOUTHERN NEW CASTLE COUNTY SCENIC RIVER AND HIGHWAY STUDY New Castle County Department of Land Use 1 The Southern New Castle County Scenic River and Highway Study This publication is the most recent in a series of studies that have been compiled to catalog New Castle County’s scenic and historic resources. Christopher A. Coons, County Executive County Council Paul Clark, President Joseph M. Reda, District 1 George Smiley, District 7 Robert S. Weiner, District 2 John J. Cartier, District 8 William J. Tansey, District 3 Timothy P. Sheldon, District 9 Penrose Hollins, District 4 Jea P. Street, District 10 Stephanie A. McClellan, District 5 David L. Tackett, District 11 William E. Powers, Jr., District 6 James W. Bell, District 12 Charles L. Baker, General Manager, Land Use Department 2 The Southern New Castle County Scenic River and Highway Study The Southern New Castle County Scenic River and Highway Study Prepared by The New Castle County Department of Land Use New Castle County, Delaware In conjunction with Gaadt Perspectives, LLC Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania Historic resource information and analysis provided by Center for Historic and Architectural Design (CHAD) University of Delaware Support provided by Wilmington Metropolitan Area Planning Council (WILMAPCO) New Castle County January 2008 3 The Southern New Castle County Scenic River and Highway Study Introduction and Executive Summary PURPOSE The Southern New Castle County Scenic River and Highway Study follows in the tradition of similar studies executed for the Brandywine and Red Clay Valleys north of the C&D Canal. The intent of this study, as with the prior efforts, is to further the County’s growth management planning process by inventorying, interrelating and reinterpreting many of the resources discussed in the County’s Comprehensive Development Plan Updates. The Study goes on to suggest a variety of means by which to protect such resources – natural, historic, and scenic (including scenic roads). The result is a plan that can be used in conjunction with the County Comprehensive Plan Update, as well as with other planning efforts such as the Greater Route 301 MIS study, the Southern New Castle County Circulation planning process, and local municipal plans, to advance the growth management and transportation planning processes in Southern New Castle County. Perhaps the most basic purpose of this study, as with its predecessors, is to familiarize or reacquaint Southern New Castle County residents, and those elsewhere in the County, with the qualities and character inherent to this area. A study such as this, in essence a “slice in time”, helps document a unique set of circumstances singular to one place. Most importantly, however, public awareness of the historic, scenic and natural resources that together form the core components of the character of this place, and which have long been revered, will help heighten interest in future preservation. LOCATION Southern New Castle County includes all land in the County south of the C&D Canal and is approximately 190 square miles, representing 44% of the total area of the County. It lies within the Atlantic Coastal Plain and is relatively flat with major concentrations of prime agricultural soils and critical clusters of both tidal and fresh water wetlands. From a regional perspective, the following counties surround the study area: Cecil and Kent Counties, MD to the west and Kent County, DE to the south. The eastern boundary of the study area is the Delaware River (see Figure 1). Included within the study area are three municipalities – Middletown, Odessa and Townsend – all of which have comprehensive development plans that call for various levels of development. The most extensive of these is Middletown – in large part due to recent annexations, this community has future potential for residential, commercial and industrial uses. 4 The Southern New Castle County Scenic River and Highway Study STUDY METHODOLOGY Like its predecessors, this report is comprised of four main sections. These sections are: Part 1, The Southern New Castle County Planning District in New Castle County; Part 2, Resource, Land Use, and Traffic Management Issues; Part 3, Priorities for Resource Protection; and Part 4, Achieving Resource Protection Objectives. The beginning of Part 1 documents current conditions in Southern New Castle County with respect to land use and public infrastructure (chiefly transportation, wastewater facilities and water supply). The balance consists of detailed inventories of the historic, scenic and natural resources of Southern New Castle County, including GIS maps. These inventories form the basis for the resource protection priorities discussed in Part 3. Part 2 examines the resource management issues facing the study area in light of a changing development pattern. Issues range from resource protection to agricultural retention to transportation and traffic management. Part 3 goes through the process of prioritizing and targeting those resources (or concentrations of resources) that are in most need of short-term protection. Initially, the resource inventories are reviewed and composited to reaffirm important resources and illustrate where resources converge or concentrate. This set of protection targets is further refined by eliminating certain “givens” (lands developed, lands committed to development, and public lands) and identifying properties under institutional ownership. A final factor is the amount and location of vacant land expected to be developed or known to be under development pressure (areas targeted for growth, areas where infrastructure exists, etc.); for the most part, this equates to the investment strategy mapping adopted by the state, County, and WILMAPCO (and which is somewhat synonymous with the County’s identified sewer service area). The result of this process is a composite of resources considered first-priority targets for protection. These targets consist principally of stream corridors and their riparian buffers, selected scenic road corridors, and high quality natural, scenic and/or historic resource areas or areas of resource concentrations. In Part 4, a variety of techniques for resource protection are described in the context of Southern New Castle County. Some of these techniques are also described in the County’s 2007 Comprehensive Development Plan Update and are partially reflected in the County’s Unified Development Code (UDC). Among the techniques discussed are: zoning and related land use controls; site planning and conservation design techniques; private land stewardship actions; historic resource protection measures; transportation planning considerations (principally road planning); and interagency cooperation. 5 The Southern New Castle County Scenic River and Highway Study The Southern New Castle County Scenic River and Highway Study also includes inventory maps of scenic, historic and natural resources, maps of prioritized resources and scenic roads, and appendices containing a detailed inventory of historic resources, a roster of visual accents, vista points and visual intrusions, and details of a recommended scenic road network. 6 The Southern New Castle County Scenic River and Highway Study 7 The Southern New Castle County Scenic River and Highway Study TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................4 PART 1 Southern New Castle County..........................................................................................10 1.1 Land Use and Public Infrastructure 1.2 Historic Resources Inventory 1.3 Scenic Resources Inventory 1.4 Natural Resources Inventory PART 2 Resource, Land Use, and Traffic Management Issues .................................................79 2.1 Historic, Scenic, and Natural Resource Protection 2.2 Agricultural Issues 2.3 Traffic Management Issues 2.4 Sewer and Water Infrastructure 2.5 Inter-Agency Cooperation PART 3 Priorities for Resource Protection..................................................................................94 3.1 Refinements to the Resource Inventories 3.2 Composite of Significant Resources 3.3 Committed and Protected Lands 3.4 The Scenic Road Network 3.5 First-Priority Resource Protection Targets PART 4 Achieving Resource Protection Objectives..................................................................107 4.1 Public Regulation and Site Planning Techniques 4.2 Public Purchase and Private Land Stewardship Options 4.3 Historic Resource Protection 4.4 Transportation Planning 4.5 Coordination and Management Among Public Agencies APPENDICES ...............................................................................................................120 Appendix 1 – Visual Accents, Vista Points and Visual Intrusions 8 The Southern New Castle County Scenic River and Highway Study Appendix 2 – Standing Properties in Designated Scenic Views Appendix 3 – Demolished Properties in Designated Scenic Views Appendix 4 – Scenic Roads in Southern New Castle County Appendix 5 – Selected References FIGURES Figure 1 - Study Area Figure 2 - Uncommitted Land Figure 3 – Geographic Zones Figure 4 – Delaware Map of Hundreds Figure 5 - Historic Resources Figure 6 - Scenic Resources Figure 7 - Natural Resources Figure 8 – Composite Map of Historic, Scenic & Natural Resources Figure 9 - Ownership Status Figure 10 - First Priority Resources for Protection TABLES Table 1 –