On June 26th, at Ashland Nature Center in Hockessin, the New Castle County Department of Land Use held their 2nd Public workshop to discuss the proposed protection strategies for Delaware’s scenic byways, watersheds and villages.  About 50 people were in attendance.  Delaware Greenways was represented by Jeff Greene and Board Member and Treasurer, Fred Hartman.

The concept of a Scenic Viewshed Overlay Protection District to protect those areas along Delaware’s Byways, concentrating first on Brandywine Valley, Red Clay and Harriet Tubman Byways, was well received.   In addition to the byway corridors, the overlay is also designed to protect the scenic roads of the Beaver Valley.  The SVOPD is a special zoning district placed over an existing base zone(s), which identifies special provisions in addition to those in the underlying base zone. Basically it’s an added level of protection for these areas with intrinsic qualities, outside of normal zoning guideline considerations.

After the presentation by county Department of Land Use staff and their consultant, John Gaadt, the public participated in an activity to prioritize the most important characteristics of the Brandywine, Beaver and Red Clay Valleys.

What’s next? The County intends to meet with the SVOPD Working Group, of which Delaware Greenways is a member, later this summer. The Overlay Ordinance will then be submitted to County Council in the Fall for adoption.  Stay tuned here for updates! Learn more: Protection Strategy for Scenic Byways, Watershed Areas and Villages