The Nanticoke Heritage Byway Corridor Management Plan Acknowledgements Steering Committee Donna Angel – Woodland Kevin Phillips - Bethel Linda Allen – Woodland Doug Marvil – Laurel Don Allen - Woodland Deborah Mitchell - Laurel Jim Blackwell – Seaford Gigi Windley – Phillips Farms Karin D’Armi Hunt – Seaford (Hearn’s Pond) Sterling Street – Nanticoke Indian Tribe Brenda Stover - Seaford (Hearn’s Pond) Dan Parsons - Sussex County Dave Hillegas – Bethel Ann Gravatt - Delaware Department of Transportation The Nanticoke Heritage Byway would like to thank the following for their continued dedication, assistance and guidance: Bethel Historic Society Laurel Redevelopment Corporation Community of Concord Nanticoke Indian Tribe Community of Woodland Previous Western Sussex Byway Committee Concord Historic Society Seaford Historic Society Delaware Department of Transportation Southern Delaware Tourism Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sussex County Council - Sponsor Control Dr. David Ames, University of Delaware – Center for Todd Lawson and Staff of Sussex County – IT, Mapping Historic Architecture and Design & Addressing, Engineering, Administration Federal Highway Administration Town of Bethel Greater Seaford Chamber of Commerce Town of Laurel HAPPEN group (Hearn’s Pond) Town of Seaford John Smith National Water Trail Woodland Church Laurel Chamber of Commerce Woodland Ferry Association Laurel Historic Society Woodland Historic Society State Government - former State Representative Cliff ord Lee (deceased), State Representative Danny Short, State Representative David Wilson, Governor Jack Markell, Former State Senator Joseph Booth and Former State Senator Robert Venables NANTICOKE HERITAGE BYWAY Table of Contents PAGE NUMBER 1.0 Introduction to the CMP 4 2.0 Vision, Mission, Goals and Strategies 28 3.0 Resource Assessment and Community Descriptions 33 4.0 Background Conditions 54 5.0 Conservation, Preservation and Protection of Resources 106 6.0 Public Participation Plan 111 7.0 Tourist Amenities 119 8.0 Economic Development, Promotions and Marketing 126 9.0 Funding and Financing 132 10.0 Action Plan and CMP Implementation 145 11.0 Wayfi nding and Interpretation 149 12.0 Action Plan 161 Appendix A: Defi nitions and Acronyms Appendix B: List of Tables and Figures CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAN Introduction to the Corridor Management Plan, Statement 1 of Purpose, and Corridor Story CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION TO THE CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAN 1.1 - Statement of Purpose CMP began. Th ere has been an actively engaged group of corridor residents that began meeting in 2009 / 2010 Th e Nanticoke Heritage Byway (NHB) Corridor to discuss ways to enhance and promote the corridor’s Management Plan (CMP) is intended to provide a tremendous sites and resources. Th e current CMP detailed collection of information that will assist in process, which began offi cially in August 2013, has meeting the corridor Mission and Vision Statement also engaged a diverse group of vested stakeholders, (see Chapter 2.0) developed for the corridor. Th is including many of the original stakeholders. Th ese CMP will attempt to foster economic development, stakeholders include citizens, business owners, continued research, and set a clear course for future government and other public agencies, religious actions (projects) within the Nanticoke Heritage entities, and private entities. In an eff ort to include Byway region. In addition, the CMP will provide and coordinate with as many entities as possible the direction and foresight as to the proper course of following groups (which we call Stakeholder groups) promotion, use, and preservation of the corridor’s were coordinated with throughout the development resources. of the CMP. Th e CMP is a product of extensive coordination and 1.3.1 Steering Committee input from the NHB communities and stakeholders. Th e Steering Committee, which was formally Th is CMP is an extension of the people – the people of identifi ed in the early stages of this CMP the NHB. Th e varied interests and goals of the diverse development, acts as an advisory committee to assist communities and vested interests along the corridor in research, implementation, review and approval of have been assembled and unifi ed in this CMP, to all documents and deliverables related to this CMP. give the corridor a cohesive voice to be heard and Th e Steering Committee is comprised of a variety of understood by many. Th is CMP will be the promoter individuals including concerned citizens, business and the protector of the NHB corridor for many owners, government agency staff , college/university generations in the future. professors and students, neighborhood organizations, DelDOT staff , and other vested interests. Th roughout this CMP are colored boxes (see National 1.3.2 General Public Scenic Byway Point #1 in Section 1.2 below) that Th e general public was aff orded the opportunity to highlight the respective section of the CMP that review all CMP related materials to ensure that the addresses one of the 17 points or criteria required CMP was a byproduct of the communities and those by the National Scenic Byways Program (NSBP) for with a vested interest in the corridor. Th e general a CMP to be eligible for All-American Road (AAR) public was provided multiple opportunities to provide nomination. input pertaining to their vision, goals, actions, and 1.2 - Corridor Limits wishes for the future of the NHB. Two (2) series of Public Workshops were held in communities along the Th e NHB corridor is approximately 40 miles Byway to ensure adequate public input in November travelling through the southwestern portion of the 2013 and April 2014. State of Delaware. Th e corridor is divided into fi ve (5) segments for ease of analysis and identifi cation. Th e NHB travels west from Trap Pond State Park in NATIONAL SCENIC BYWAY Laurel, passes through Bethel, then heads north across CMP POINT #1 the Nanticoke River in Woodland into Seaford to the intersection of Bridgeville Road and U.S. 13 north of A map identifying the corridor boundaries, location, Seaford. Th e corridor limits are displayed on Figures intrinsic qualities, and land uses along the corridor. 1 through 6. 1.3 - Stakeholders Th e development of the NHB began many years ago – well before the current process for the development CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAN 5 CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION TO THE CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAN Figure 1-1: Corridor Limits LEGEND Bridgeville Nanticoke Heritage Byway Segment 1 (8.0 Miles) Segment 2 (12.3 Miles) Segment 3 (3.0 Miles) Corridor Length Segment 4 (7.2 Miles) 39.8 Miles Segment 5 (9.3 Miles) Byway Limit Hea Source: Western Sussex Scenic and Historic Highway Nomination Application rns Route, July 2009, and Context Sensitive Solutions for Delaware Byways Pon R d R Western Sussex Byway, December 2009, DelDOT, 2012 o d s s S ta t io n R d Middleford Seaford Concord Blades Concord Rd d R d n a l d o o W W o od la nd -F er ry F R i d r Woodland e t T S o n w 010.75 .5 i ³ a e Miles r M P Bethel R hil d lip s Landing Rd lle Rd Po vi rt s Laurel La ur el Rd Byway Limit 6 NANTICOKE HERITAGE BYWAY CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION TO THE CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAN Figure 1-2: Corridor Segment 1 LAUREL INSET ³ Byway Limit 010.5 Miles SEE LAUREL INSET Laurel Byway Limit Trap Pond State Park LEGEND Nanticoke Heritage Byway Segment 1 (8.0 Miles) Segment 2 (12.3 Miles) Corridor Segment 3 (3.0 Miles) Length Segment 4 (7.2 Miles) 39.8 Miles Segment 5 (9.3 Miles) Source: Western Sussex Scenic and Historic Highway Nomination Application Route, July 2009, and Context Sensitive Solutions for Delaware Byways Western Sussex Byway, December 2009, DelDOT, 2012 CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAN 7 CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION TO THE CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAN Figure 1-3: Corridor Segment 2 LEGEND Nanticoke Heritage Byway Segment 1 (8.0 Miles) ³ Segment 2 (12.3 Miles) Corridor 000.325 .65 Length Miles Segment 3 (3.0 Miles) Segment 4 (7.2 Miles) 39.8 Miles Segment 5 (9.3 Miles) Source: Western Sussex Scenic and Historic Highway Nomination Application Route, July 2009, and Context Sensitive Solutions for Delaware Byways Western Sussex Byway, December 2009, DelDOT, 2012 BETHEL INSET SEE BETHEL INSET Woodland Byway Limit Bethel Laurel 8 NANTICOKE HERITAGE BYWAY CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION TO THE CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAN Figure 1-4: Corridor Segment 3 Seaford Blades LEGEND Nanticoke Heritage Byway Segment 1 (8.0 Miles) Segment 2 (12.3 Miles) Corridor Segment 3 (3.0 Miles) Length Segment 4 (7.2 Miles) 39.8 Miles Segment 5 (9.3 Miles) ³ Source: Western Sussex Scenic and Historic Highway Nomination Application 000.125 .25 Route, July 2009, and Context Sensitive Solutions for Delaware Byways Miles Western Sussex Byway, December 2009, DelDOT, 2012 CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAN 9 CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION TO THE CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAN Figure 1-5: Corridor Segment 4 Byway Limit ³ 000.175 .35 Miles LEGEND Nanticoke Heritage Byway Segment 1 (8.0 Miles) Segment 2 (12.3 Miles) Corridor Segment 3 (3.0 Miles) Length Segment 4 (7.2 Miles) 39.8 Miles Seaford Segment 5 (9.3 Miles) Source: Western Sussex Scenic and Historic Highway Nomination Application Route, July 2009, and Context Sensitive Solutions for Delaware Byways Western Sussex Byway, December 2009, DelDOT, 2012 10 NANTICOKE HERITAGE BYWAY CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION TO THE CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAN Figure 1-6: Corridor Segment 5 Seaford SEE CONCORD ³ INSET 000.45 .9 Miles CONCORD INSET Concor Pond Rdd ­ Byway Limit LEGEND Nanticoke Heritage Byway Segment 1 (8.0 Miles) Segment 2 (12.3 Miles) Corridor Segment 3 (3.0 Miles) Length Segment 4 (7.2 Miles) 39.8 Miles Segment 5 (9.3 Miles) Laurel Source: Western Sussex Scenic and Historic Highway Nomination Application Route, July 2009, and Context Sensitive Solutions for Delaware Byways Western Sussex Byway, December 2009, DelDOT, 2012 CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAN 11 CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION TO THE CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAN 1.4 - The Delaware Byways and the natural, recreational and scenic qualities.