DGI Leads the Update of the Brandywine Valley National Scenic Byway’s Corridor Management Plan

The Brandywine Valley National Scenic Byway Partnership, co-chaired by Delaware Greenways and the Kennett Pike Association, has assigned Delaware Greenways to lead a project to update the Corridor Management Plan for the Byway.  Jeff Greene, Director of Planning for Delaware Greenways, has been appointed chair of the committee that will update the Plan.  Gary Linarducci, Co-Chair of the Byway Partnership and Board President of Delaware Greenways said, “The Corridor Management Plan, written in 2005 when the Byway received its designation as Delaware’s only National Byway has served us well and we’ve accomplished many of the recommendations of the Plan.  However, it’s now time to look what needs to be done to protect and preserve the Byway Corridor of Route 52 and 100 between Rodney Square in Wilmington and the Delaware Line through the next decade.”

A Corridor Management Plan represents the strategic plan that the Byway Partnership follows in its mission – and obligation – to preserve and protect the character of the Brandywine Valley and the byway roadways and encourage responsible economic development and tourism.  In 2013, Forbes Magazine named our Byway one of the top 10 scenic roadways in America.

The Corridor Management Pan sets the mission, vision and goals of the Byway and the recommended strategies to achieve each of the eight goals set forth.  Since publication of the Corridor Management Plan in 2005, many of the recommendations have been accomplished and others are still underway.  Among the accomplishments of the Partnership are:

• Replanting of the historic sycamore trees along the ACTS Country House and the Delaware Museum of Natural History commonly known as Alice DuPont’s Pearls.
• Streetscaping the Kennett Pike in Centerville along with establishing the Hometown Overlay District preserving the historic character of the village.
• Implementing context sensitive transportation improvements in Greenville and at the intersection of Routes 52 and 82.
• Developed plans for the intersection of Routes 92 and 100 that preserve the historic landscapes surrounding the intersection.
• Developed the Scenic Conservation and Scenic Stewardship Plans that identified scenic viewshed corridors and showed how property owners living along the Byway roadways can preserve the historic landscaping.
• Developed Design Guidelines to manage the development and redevelopment of properties along the Byway.

The Byway has been fortunate to have strong community support throughout its history and Corridor Management Plan Update Committee will be reaching out to its supporters and the community groups, businesses, cultural institutions, the tourism community and the citizens along and near the Byway as we develop the updated Plan.  A public meeting is planned for late summer/early fall to update the community.  Please forward any comments and questions to Jeff Greene via email at:  jgreene@delawaregreenways.org .  The Update is slated to be completed by the end of 2018.

Information about the Brandywine Valley National Scenic Byway can be found on our website at https://delawaregreenways.org/portfolio_page/brandywine-valley-scenic-byway/

The 2005 Corridor Management Plan along with other planning reports about the Byway can be reviewed at https://delawaregreenways.org/scenic-byways/expand-byways/

Funding for this project has been provided by the Delaware Department of Transportation.