Citizens for Responsible Growth

New Castle County Planning Board Reviews Greenville Center Plan

Citizens for Responsible Growth once again mobilized more than two dozen community members to present prepared testimony before the New Castle County Planning Board on January 5th opposing a twelve-story tower at Greenville Center, which remains part of the Stoltz Development Partners plan for development of that site. More than 150 area residents were in attendance to support the opposition. (See CRG In The News - Community Publications article).

Regrettably, despite a Herculean effort by members of our organization over the last two years to offer Stoltz constructive input from the community (See CRG Negotiating in Good Faith - sidebar), thus far, plans for the Greenville Center and Barley Mill Plaza projects remain unchanged.

As has been customary at the Planning Board Meetings over the last year, board members asked the attorneys for Stoltz to address the legitimate concerns of the community, which included traffic and other issues, but the request went unanswered. Because the board does not vote on the projects put before it, and the Greenville Center proposal has already been deemed by the County Land Use Department to be code compliant, it is anticipated that the plans will go forward - an outcome that is completely unacceptable to Citizens for Responsible Growth and the community at large.

Next Steps for CRG

The unsatisfying outcome of the latest Planning Board Meeting on Greenville Center, and the fact that Stoltz has formally filed for the 2.8 million square foot project at Barley Mill Plaza even after publicly promising the community that the plan would be scaled back to 1.7 million square feet, has left the community outraged.

County Councilman Bob Weiner has suggested that the community consider all options, including taking legal action, to address the apparent violations of the County's Unified Development Code as applied to the Stoltz projects.

Leaders of our organization had hoped their good faith efforts would preclude the need for such action; however, under the present circumstances, Citizens for Responsible Growth has decided to continue to pursue our options, including preparing for litigation. Meanwhile, we will continue our appeal to our state and county governments and Stoltz to act responsibly.

As reported in our last newsletter, CRG has already sent the Land Use Department a 20 page Request For Interpretation, which the UDC requires the Land Department to answer in conjunction with the County Law Department. A copy of the Request For Interpretation can be viewed on the CRG website.

Stoltz Managment Admonished by DelDOT

On January 11, DelDOT issued a letter to Stoltz Management Inc. after they were caught "topping" trees on the corner of Kennett Pike and Buck Roads. The trees are located within the DelDOT Right of Way and are maintained by the Kennett Pike Association.

The letter gives Stoltz ten days to respond to the issue of damages before the matter is turned over to the Attorney General's office.

"Stoltz really showed their true colors in this situation," said John Danzeisen, KPA president. "Apparently, the trees were not the shade of green that most interests them."

Did You Know?

Did you know that Routes 52 and 100 in Delaware have been designated as a National Scenic Byway? This is one of the reasons why the protection and preservation of this area is so critical.

Click Here for more information.

Citizens for Responsible Growth would like to thank all who contribute to the success of our mission - to advocate for responsible and sustainable growth that strikes the appropriate balance between economic development and the preservation of the unique scenic character of the Brandywine Valley and natural and historic resources surrounding our communities. Please visit our website.