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Council reviews Shadowbrook conservation easement; county would commit $1 million toward $6.9 million acquisition
Summary
The finance committee heard a presentation on Resolution 26‑041 to support a conservation easement for roughly 139–150 acres (appraised at $6.9 million). The county would contribute $1 million conditional on partners securing remaining funds; no vote on the resolution was recorded in this meeting.
The New Castle County Finance Committee reviewed Resolution 26‑041 on Feb. 10, a proposal to authorize the county executive to enter an agreement with the Brandywine Red Clay Alliance (BRCA) to assist purchase of a conservation easement protecting roughly 139–150 acres in northern New Castle County.
"This proposed easement purchase has been in the works for ... a year and a half," Councilwoman Durham said, describing the unanimous December approval by the Open Space Advisory Board and the partnership model. Kendall Summers, Parks Division manager in Public Works, told the committee the appraised easement value was $6,900,000 and that Mount Cuba Center had committed $3,000,000 toward the acquisition. Summers said the county's commitment would be $1,000,000 from an existing capital line; BRCA and other partners would provide the remainder. The county would not transfer funds until BRCA demonstrates it has the remaining funding, and the agreement allows the county to revoke the offer if BRCA fails to obtain the easement by Dec. 31, 2026.
Jim Jordan, BRCA executive director, said BRCA is a long‑standing regional land trust based near West Chester, Pennsylvania, and emphasized the property's environmental values, including Burrows Run, which he described as one of the highest‑quality streams in the county and state. "It's the highest quality stream in New Castle County, highest quality stream in the state of Delaware," Jordan said.
Committee members asked operational and access questions. Summers said the easement would preserve existing open‑ag and meadow conditions, restore habitat and protect riparian buffers; programming (youth education, environmental research) is planned but the site will not have unrestricted day‑to‑day public access. Summers and others explained BRCA would be the primary easement holder and enforcer; the county would be a secondary enforcement party if needed.
Some council members voiced concerns about priorities. Councilman Street argued the $1,000,000 commitment was inappropriate while neighborhood parks lack maintenance; other members replied that the million dollars is in the open‑space capital account and is not taken from the general parks maintenance budget.
The record shows a presentation and robust committee discussion; no formal committee vote on Resolution 26‑041 is recorded in the Feb. 10 transcript.
