KPA Current Activity

Newsletters:

Winter 2021-2022 (PDF)
Winter 2020-2021 (PDF)
Winter 2019-2020 (PDF)
Special Bulletin - Tree Cutting - May 2019 (PDF)
KPA Newsletter, Spring 2019 (DOC)
KPA Newsletter, Spring 2017 (PDF)
KPA Newsletter, Spring 2016 (PDF)
KPA Newsletter, Fall 2015 (PDF)
KPA Newsletter, Winter 2015 (PDF)
KPA Newsletter, Summer 2014 (DOC)

Update to NCC Council Resolution No. R24-072 (PDF)

May 19, 2024

An update to the KPA's positon on NCC Council Resolution No. R24-072

RE: NCC Council Resolution No. R24-072

Dear President Nagle and Members of New Castle County Council,

I am writing to you today on behalf of the Board of Directors of the Kennett Pike Association on an urgent matter regarding a recent change to the Centreville Hometown Overlay.

For over 67 years the Kennett Pike Association (KPA) has represented thousands of families and individuals – our current membership is more than 250 families and 30 institutions and small businesses who live and do business along the Kennett Pike and Route 100 corridors. Our Mission has always been to preserve, protect and beautify these corridors which are the Brandywine Valley National Scenic Byway. We are proud of our legacy of responsible stewardship. In addition to maintaining the beautiful landscaped medians in Greenville, we work on behalf of our constituents and neighborhood groups to ensure that developments and zoning matters are sympathetic to the intrinsic qualities of these special scenic roadways.

From time to time, the KPA has supported certain developments and land use changes when they meet two criteria:
    1. The development or change is consistent with our Mission
    2. The development or change has clear support of the local community

At your February 27, 2024 New Castle County Council meeting, KPA spoke in favor of Resolution R24-072 to amend the Centreville Community Redevelopment Plan and Manual of Design Guidelines to create a cottage community development option. We did so with the understanding that the local Centreville community supported the change, and that it had the support of the Centreville Civic Association, to which KPA generally defers on issues affecting Centreville. It is now clear that KPA misinterpreted or misunderstood critical information provided to us including the amount and nature of communications between the developer and the Centreville community, the level of community support, the understanding of CCA regarding the proposed project, and the effect of the Resolution in converting the pocket community approval processes from a matter of discretionary approval, to a matter of right. In supporting Resolution R24-072 our intent was simply to affirm the concept of responsible infill being possible for consideration within Centreville, subject to community support and sound planning principles, consistent with our mission. Since February 27, 2024 it has become apparent to us that there is broad and deeply felt opposition to the change in the hometown overlay that permits the development of pocket communities as a matter of right. Had we understood then what we now know, KPA would not have supported this change.

The KPA Board recently reviewed in detail the information we were given at the time, our deliberations, and our decision to support the change. The Board unanimously voted to retract our support for the change in the hometown overlay given the misinformation and misunderstanding on which our prior support was based, and in view of the considerable and reasonable opposition to the change in the overlay. Going forward we would hope for greater clarity in distinguishing between a particular pocket community development and ordinance changes to allow for them. We sincerely regret our part in providing misguided support for the Resolution and respectfully ask that County Council reverse its vote to amend the Centreville hometown overlay.

Sincerely,

   Deborah Diver, President KPA
   On Behalf of KPA Directors

CC: KPA Directors
   Bayard Williams, President CCA

October 2022

Byways Ordinance 22-071 (Substitute 1)
NCC Department of Land Use Protection Strategy for Scenic Byways, Watershed Areas, and Villages

They say good things come to those who wait. Or is it to those who are persistent? Or both?

Last Tuesday night, New Castle County Council unanimously approved Substitute 1 to Proposed Ordinance 22-071 sponsored by Councilwoman Dee Durham and co-sponsored by Councilmembers Carter, Kilpatrick, and Hollins. Seven years in the making, the Byways ordinance embodies the vision set out by the Brandywine Valley National Scenic Byway Partnership in 2015. The Partnership formed a team to pursue the goal of protecting the Brandywine Byway’s most significant features and was represented by 13 representatives from the community. They identified threats to the Byway’s intrinsic qualities and in 2017 sent a proposal entitled the “Brandywine Valley National Scenic Byway Design Guidelines,” to New Castle County officials.

A community task force worked with the New Castle County Land Use Department since then to develop the first iteration of the ordinance which focused on both the Red Clay and Brandywine Byways. Councilman Bob Weiner was an early proponent, working together with unflagging leadership from John Danzeisen (President, Kennett Pike Association and Co-Chair, Brandywine Valley National Scenic Byway Partnership), Gary Linarducci (Co-Chair, Brandywine Valley National Scenic Byway Partnership), Mary Roth (Executive Director, Delaware Greenways), and area resident/advocate Patricia Hobbs. When finally introduced and reviewed by the Planning Board in the fall of 2020, some concerns were identified which led to a rethinking of the ordinance’s methodology. Ultimately, a simpler approach was finalized in early 2022, and the ordinance was broadened to also include the full New Castle County segments of the Harriet Tubman and Bayshore Byways.

On October 11th, Substitute 1 to 22-072 finally had all of the kinks worked out and, backed by significant community advocacy, was passed unanimously by County Council. The Byways Protection Ordinance is a significant conservation ordinance which enhances protections of the six defined intrinsic qualities of New Castle County byways: scenic, historic, archaeological, cultural, natural, and/or recreational.

This innovative new ordinance adopts development standards, protection of scenic viewsheds and the other intrinsic byway qualities, and review procedures for a 660’ swath of land on either side of the four County-recognized byways, including:

  • Reduces parking requirements by up to 25% for development along designated byways, and allowing waivers of parking lot design standards for environmental or scenic preservation
  • Provides a limitation of building height for nonresidential buildings that are situated on properties adjacent to designated byways.
  • Enhances landscaping and buffering requirements along scenic corridors
  • Limits/controls types of signage
  • Addresses enhanced building and site design
  • Encourages underground utility lines.
  • Requires a Viewshed Plan for all development subject to the scenic corridor standards.
  • Includes recommended setbacks for residential and commercial projects along a designated byway
  • Limits industrial scale solar energy systems within 660 feet of a designated byway.

We are proud of New Castle County’s leadership in what this ordinance accomplishes and hope that other jurisdictions will use it as a template to assist in protecting their byways from resource loss and insensitive development. Special thanks to New Castle County Land Use Department General Manager Richard Hall, Land Use Department staff Antoni Sekowski and Christopher Jackson, and project planning consultant John Gaadt for seeing this initiative through to adoption.

May 2022

These are the latest businesses set to join Wegmans in the redeveloped Barley Mill Plaza

A breakfast spot, a sports bar and a Mexican restaurant will be among the first businesses in the redeveloped Barley Mill Plaza.

They'll join Wegmans, the centerpiece of the new shopping center, which will be bordered by an office complex and a housing development. The new complex is being constructed in place of DuPont offices at Centre Road and Lancaster Pike in Greenville.

Local developer Greg Pettinaro announced the following tenants Monday.

  • First Watch: A Florida-based chain serving American-style breakfast, brunch and lunch.
  • McGlynns Pub: A Delaware sports bar and restaurant
  • La Tolteca: A Mexican restaurant
  • ChristianaCare GoHealth Urgent Care: An urgent care center.
  • Performance Physical Therapy & Fitness: A local physical therapy clinic
  • Spa #1 Nails: A spa providing nail salon, waxing and eyelash services

The businesses are scheduled to open in late summer or fall 2022, Pettinaro said. The developer anticipates having more tenants signed on soon.

Wegmans is slated to open in the fall, according to a company spokesperson.

The urgent care is scheduled to open May 23, according to a company spokesperson.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Delaware's first Wegmans is taking shape. The store will be smaller than Concordville one.

The development will include four brown brick buildings for the restaurants and retailers totaling 34,700 square feet. A 4,000-square-foot pad site is also being advertised, but has not been constructed.

At about 84,000 square feet, the Wegmans will follow the company's newer, smaller suburban store format. Wegmans' largest locations are almost double the size. Earlier plans for Barley Mill showed Wegmans at around 100,000 square feet.

To the south of Wegmans, opposite the retail buildings and adjacent to sports fields for Ursuline Academy, the housing portion of the project will include 80 luxury flats and 33 townhomes. The townhomes are currently being constructed by Montchanin Builders. They've sold 11 townhomes, Pettinaro said.

A 105,000-square-foot office building is also under construction behind the housing development near Odyssey Charter School. The developer has signed one "nationally-recognized office tenant" to take 22,000 square feet of the building. It is scheduled to be completed in the middle of next year, Pettinaro said.

The plans call for another 52,000-square-foot office building near the retail buildings along Lancaster Pike that hasn't been developed yet.

The three restaurants set to join Barley Mill Plaza have a presence in Delaware.

First Watch came to Delaware in 2018 as one of the first tenants in a strip center on Geoffrey Drive in Christiana.

McGlynns was established in Delaware in 1983 and has locations in Pike Creek's Polly Drummond shopping center, Glasgow's Peoples Plaza and on North State Street in Dover.

La Tolteca has a restaurant in the Concord Square shopping center on Concord Pike north of Silverside Road in Talleyville.

To learn more about Barley Mill Plaza, visit https://www.barleymillplaza.com/

June/July 2022

Delmarva Power will be working along Pyles Ford Road in Centreville

  • replacing two utility poles in the 4300 block of pyles ford road between 4301 and 4305
  • Replacing all three phases of overhead power lines, 10 crossarms, five fuse links and 1 transformer between 4301 Pyles Ford Road and the intersection of Owls Nest Road
  • Replacing all necessary hardware, animal guards, etc
  • Performing any tree trimming/removals as necessary

This work is designed to help improve the reliability of your electric service. For the safety of our employees, the nature of these improvements may require service interruptions. Crews will make every attempt to provide advance notice of any service interruptions.

Crews will be working along the roadway to complete this work. Lane restrictions will be in place to ensure the safety of our crews. Please use caution while driving through the areas that are marked with “Utility Work Ahead” signs.

It will take several weeks for us to complete this project. Thank you for your patience as we work to improve your service. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me at 302-451-5378.

2017 Summary on Recent Developments

The Crooked Billet development on the historic Brindley Farm property is proceeding as the proposed 55+ community gains the necessary approvals. The 28-acre estate just north of the Christiana Care facility at the intersection of Kennett Pike and Route 141 was originally deeded by William Penn and visited by General George Washington just before the Battle of the Brandywine. Developer and builder Tim Dewson plans to build 22 single family homes while preserving 14 acres as open space, and the estate home will also be preserved. In addition, 7 new homes will be constructed on Kent Road joining the Westover Hills C community.

The Country House retirement community in Greenville is proceeding with their plans to expand their facilities. 55 new independent living apartments and 18,000 square feet of amenities will be constructed by extending the front of the main building. In addition, 20 context-sensitive duplex cottages in 10 buildings will be constructed on the Charis Parcel closer to the Delaware Museum of Natural History.

The Wagoner’s Row development at the southeast corner of Buck Road and Route 100 has now gotten underway. A suit challenging the proposed development was found in favor of Wagoner’s Row. The 20-acre property owned by the Mary Kaye Carpenter Trust will have 12 cape-style homes for people over age 55 of some 3000 square feet each. The owners worked with the community to increase the setback from the roadway and to agree to height restrictions and requested landscaping.

The Stonebrook development just north of Stonegates in Greenville has broken ground and started  construction on 6 new homes. The new homes will be about 2,700 to 2,900 square feet and sold to age 50+ residents. The developer worked with the community to convince the state and county to not require sidewalks along the Kennett Pike which would not have connected to any other sidewalks or pathways. The original home will be preserved.

The Marra Project located just south of the AI DuPont Middle School in Greenville is also proceeding. This is a 4-lot subdivision with the new homes set back well off of the Kennett Pike --- more than 125 feet --- with significant landscaping along the roadway.

Current Meetings:

The KPA will host annual meeting on October 13th at Hagley Soda House 5:00 pm

Theme: Community Get-Together – meet your neighbors and elected officials; hear development updates; enjoy snacks and beverages



Archives:

KPA Newsletter, Winter 2014 (DOC)
KPA Newsletter, Spring 2013 (DOC)
KPA Newsletter, Spring 2012 (PDF)
KPA Newsletter, Fall 2011 (DOC)
Agenda for the 2011 Annual Meeting (DOC)
KPA Newsletter, Spring 2011 (DOC)
KPA Newsletter, Fall 2010 (DOC)
KPA Newsletter, Spring 2010 (PDF)
KPA Newsletter, Fall 2009 (PDF)
Minutes of the 2009 annual meeting from October 26th at the Hagley Soda Hosue KPA Newsletter, Spring 2009 (PDF)
KPA Newsletter, May 2006 (PDF)
KPA Newsletter, October 2005 (PDF)
KPA Newsletter, July 2004 (PDF)
KPA Newsletter, September 2003 (PDF)

The KPA hosted a Meeting on September 30, 2004 (PDF) to discuss the transportation issues in Centreville, Delaware.
Delaware Department of Transportation (Del DOT) hosted a second meeting on October 25, 2004. (PDF)

Centreville Civic Association and New Castle County are working on an Hometown Overlay for Centreville. This link show the work that has been done to date on the Centreville Villiage Plan.