the costs of sprawl in delaware

8/9/2019 The Costs of Sprawl in Delaware

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The Costsof Sprawl

in Delaware

The Costsof Sprawl

in Delaware


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Table of ContentsWhy a report on the costs of sprawl? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

The purpose of this report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

The costs of sprawl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Farmland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Open space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Transpor tation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Roads are expensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6High growth in auto trips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Public transportation provides a sustainable solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Master planning is the key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Other forms of infrastructure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Emergency and medical services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Corpor ate subsidies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Affects of sprawl on the environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Biodiversity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Water quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Air quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Human environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Conclusions and recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Acknowledgements

This report was prepared by: Chris McEvilly, Shiray Shipley, Jim Steffens and Boyd White. Special thannks toHope Russell for her assistance and to Deron Lovaas for his support. This brochure was funded in part by the

Sierra Club Challenge to Sprawl Campaign. Information was obtained from the State Planning Office, DELDOT,

WILMAPCO, Department of Agricultures Farmland Preservation, United States Geologic Survey, the Department

of Food & Resource Economics, College of Agricultural Sciences, University of Delaware.

Publication design and production assistance by Debbie Heaton, McGann Design Company. Printing provided by

Cedar Tree Press, Wilmington, DE. This report was printed on Genesis paper by the Fraser Paper Company

which is a 100 percent deinked postconsumer waste paper.

2000 Sierra Club

All rights reserved. Permission to reproduce any portion of this publication must be obtained from:Delaware Chapter of the Sierra Club

1304 N. Rodney Street

Wilmington, Delaware 19806

302-425-4911

Additional copies of this report can be ordered through the Delaware Chapter office for $5 each.

This report is available on the web at http://www.sierraclub.org/chapters/de

On the cover: Aerial shot of Middletown from 1988 by the USGS, real estate sale sign photo by WILMAPCO and the road

shot was provided by DELDOT.


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The purpose of this report

This report identifies and discusses several negative affects of suburban sprawl in

Delaware. The first topics address the economic costs of sprawl and its effects on the

land and our societys costs for infrastructure. The second group addresses theenvironmental costs of sprawl and its effects on the human environment, or, in

other words, the day-to-day conditions of Delawareans lives. The term

quality of life is often used in this discussion. There are many ways of

defining this term. Rather than defining quality of life, we ask our

readers to consider all the different ways in which our decisions

regarding land use affect every aspect of the world around us.

The report concludes with suggested solutions for Delawares

future and some ideas of what concerned citizens

can do to promote smart growth. The purpose of this report is

to provide tools for those concerned about how sprawl is affect-

ing Delaware and its future.

The Sierra Club defines sprawl as low-density,

automobile-dependent development that occurs at

the fringes of the urban landscape. In a recent

survey, the Pew Charitable Trust found that suburban

sprawl, tied with crime, is the local issue with which

most Americans are concerned. Those living in

Delaware are no exception. The results of a recent

questionnaire by the Delaware Chapter of the Sierra Club showed that our members feel land-use and open-

space issues deserve the utmost priority. This is no surprise as Delaware is exceptionally susceptible to the

damages caused by sprawl.

Delaware holds a unique place in the battle against sprawl. We are the Small Wonder, and, with 1,955

square miles, we are second only to Rhode Island in size. Therefore, the race to stop sprawl must be run

faster than in most areas around the country because we have less room in which to grow. And growing we

are. This year, Delawares population is expected to reach 757,325 and the Delaware Population Consortium

predicts that 184,000 more people will settle in Delaware over the next two decades. This puts our projected

population increase from 1990 to 2020 at a staggering 28 percent. The cause for alarm is that the number

of households is expected to increase by 47 percent.1Delawares challenge is how to accommodate this

growth while protecting our land, water, air, biodiversity and overall quality of life.

Why a reporton the costs of

suburban sprawl?

$$$

poor water quality

poor air quality

loss of open space, forests,wildlife habitats & farmland

alternate travel modesget minimal funding

new communitiesget funding

older communitiesget left behind

lack of growth managementsprawling

development

new schools,sewers, roads,

fire/ police

population growthto underdeveloped

areas

growth ofvehicle miles

traveled

longertrips

inappropr

in filldevelopm

new roads,road widening

expandedintersections

The endless costs of sprawl

Sierra Club - Delaware Chapter 3


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The results are consistent in every study conducted

to date. Residential land use costs more in services than

is generated in revenues. For example, in the Northeast,

six AFT studies conducted in Connecticut, Massachusetts,

and New York showed that $1.15 was spent on commu-

nity services in residential areas, compared with $1.00

of tax revenues generated by that land, a ratio of 1.15:1.

Meanwhile, commercial/industry areas was 0.36:1 and

for farmland was 0.34:1.

Results in Delaware are comparable. Arecent study

of the Middletown-Odessa-Townsend area estimated that

the ratio of expenses to revenue for residential land use

is 1.2:1, while the ratios for business and farming areas

are 0.7:1 and 0.5:1, respectively. These are fully in line

with costs in other areas of the country. 2 This study did

not attempt to estimate the costs of transportation

improvements in the area, since these costs are paid forout of state income taxes. Clearly in more settled areas

where transportation upgrades have been carried out,

the costs including state taxes, would be even greater.

Farmland

Agriculture is Delawares number one industry,

bringing in over $800 million to the states economy.

Although agricultural use of fertilizer and pesticides

receives a lot of press, chemical inputs into farming are,

with the exception of the heavy use of animal manure

in southern Delaware, one-tenth the levels used by

residential homeowners. With the proper employmentof vegetated buffers along waterways to prevent these

substances from entering streams, farming as a land use

has impacts on water quality second only to undeveloped

land. The low cost associated with maintaining this form

of land use increases its value to our state. Unfortunately,

due to sprawl, Delawares farmland is disappear ing.

From 1992 to 1997 we lost over 18,000 acres of farm-

land, or over 3,000 acres a year. 3 Losses during this

period were 5,261 in New Castle, 6,366 in Kent, and

6,656 acres in Sussex. With the projected population

growth, this trend will continue, if not increase, during

the next twenty years.

The states method of preserving farmland is a

program for purchasing the development rights (PDR),

that is, paying the farmer the difference between of the

value of the land as developed property and land main-

tained in agricultural production. To date the PDR pro-

gram has preserved 54,000 acres at a cost of $56 mil-

lion. It is funded by money from the 21st Century Fund,

which was established through funds received fromthe financial settlement of a law suit by the state of

Delaware. Currently 204 farms, representing approxi-

mately 45,000 additional acres, have applied for the

PDR program, but only $7 million remains in the fund.

When farmers are admitted to the PDR program,

they must maintain their land as farmland for ten years

before they may voluntar ily withdraw from the pr ogram.

Abill currently under consideration in the General

Assembly (HB516) would reduce the time restrictions

4 The Costs of Sprawl in Delaware

The costs of sprawl

Development of land for residential use rarely pays its own way, and the suburban

sprawl model for growth is an expensive alternative to the economic efficiency of

planned development. The American Farmland Trust (AFT) developed a method that

communities across the nation have used to assess the costs associated with different

forms of land use. The method involves calculating the total costs of infrastructure

and comparing these costs to revenues received in the form of taxes. Categories of

infrastructure include general government expenditures, public safety, fire protection,

sheriffs department, public works, libraries, and community development.

Farmland in the Middletown/Odessa area.

From 1992 to

1997 we lost over

18,000 acres of

farmland, or over

3,000 acres a

year.


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imposed by the Delaware Agricultural Land Preservation

Act from ten years to four, an action that would signifi-

cantly jeopardize the integrity of the program.

Maintaining farmland also reduces spending on

new infrastructure. For every dollar we spend on

agland preservation, we are going to save $10 in highway

and road construction costs, said Michael McGrath,

Director of the Delaware Agricultural Lands PreservationFoundation.

Open space

Open space, or green infrastructure, should be

considered of equal significance to roads and sewers.

Across the nation, parks and pr otected open space are

increasingly recognized as vital to the quality of life that

fuels economic health. In the long term, economic

advancement will go to communities that are able to

guide growth through land conservation and other

growth management measures.4

And yet, urban sprawl in the U.S. is consuming 160acres of land every hour.5 Delaware is experiencing a

similar rate of land consumption: in New Castle County

59 developments have already been approved outside

the states designated investment areas, and plans for a

$170 million sewer system could open up 70 miles of

development between the C&D Canal and Odessa.6 In

Kent County, development south of Dover has the poten-

tial to adversely affect the operational effectiveness of

Dover Air Force Base. Sussex County is one of the fastest

growing markets in the Mid-Atlantic States. County offi-

cials are issuing building permits at a rate of nearly

2,000 annually, and potential development could takeup more than 37,200 acres over the next two decades.7

Open space has many benefits beyond scenic

beauty. It is habitat for our native plants and animals,

providing refuge for our threatened and endangered

species. It protects waterways from sediments and pol-

lutants. Instead of using unsightly stormwater retention

ponds, proper ly conserved open space can serve as

flood control areas. It provides sports and recreational

space for our citizens, hunting and fishing opportuni-

ties, and a place of solitude away from the bustle of

daily life.

Although one sometimes hears criticism of money

spent on wetlands protection, wetlands are an extremely

valuable resource, serving as nursery grounds for a

number of fish, nesting sites for resident waterfowl,

and feeding and stopping-off areas for migratory water

birds. Wetlands are natures number one and most

effective pollutant filtration system. Unfortunately, they

are disappearing from Delawares landscape at an

alarming rate. Between 1951 and 1992, at least 44,000

acres of wetlands were destroyed.8 Since 1938, urban

development has been the primary cause of tidal wet-

land loss.9 Removal of wetlands increases the amount

of contamination that reaches our water supplies and

destroys critical habitat for numerous plant and wildlife

species that need wetlands to survive.

Open space protection is a clear example of the

lack of concurrence between county and state land-useplanning because the selection and funding for open

space acquisition must come from the state. For several

years, Delaware provided funding from the 21st Century

Fund. More recently, the funding has come from annual

appropriations in the General Assemblys Bond Bill.

Currently, $10 million is allocated in the budget for 2001,

$5 million of which is already committed. No permanent,

ongoing funding mechanism has been established. In

contrast, last year New Jersey enacted legislation for a

$1 billion dollar open space acquisition program.

Based on land area alone, Delaware would have to set

up a program of over $260 million to be comparable.

Transportation

Roads are the lifeblood of sprawl. When

development is spread thinly over a wide area of land,

an extensive system of roads is required to serve it.

Keeping pace with sprawl has become Delawares

major transportation challenge. New roads are built.

Intersections are widened. New development moves

in. Traffic increases and fills up road capacity.

Transportation resources are sapped. By not taking the

steps to curb sprawl, we are creating an endless cycle of

demand for new and improved roadway infrastructureand more taxes to pay for it.

Curr ent draft estimates show Delawares road sys-

tem has grown to 12,264.8 miles of road lanes.10 Thats

almost two-tenths of a mile of road lane per registered

driver in the state. In the past five years, 329.3 new lane

miles have been constructed, a 2.7 percent increase.10

Much of the increase can be attributed to sprawl pat-

terns of new housing development in New Castle County,

where SR 1 is the only major roadway that has added

a significant increase in lane miles.11

Expanding road capacity attracts unplanned

growth. Route 1 entering the beach resorts in Sussex

County was widened in the 1980s to accommodate

growing traffic. It also became a magnet for develop-

ment. Instead of becoming an attractive gateway to the

beaches, the landscape became cluttered with trip-

inducing commercial strip malls and marked by grid-

lock, driver frustration, and a lack of travel alternatives.

On a busy summer Saturday, this section of Route 1 is

plagued by stifling daily traffic volumes that have

The costsof different typesof land useFor every $1 in taxrevenue generated byland, $X is spent oncommunity servicesto support this

development.

$1.20

$1.15

Residential

$0.70

$0.36

$0.50

$0.34

Farmland

Commercial/ Industrial

American FarmlandTrust Study

Delaware - MiddletownOdessa/ Townsendarea study


6/19

reached 61,258 vehicles.11 Even on weekdays during

July and August, an average of 54,709 vehicles traverse

this section of road. Had land use and transportation

been thoughtfully integrated through comprehensive

planning, we might enjoy today a more appealing

entrance to our beach resor ts and a better quality oflife for local residents.

The Texas Transportation Institute (TTI), which

has studied road congestion in major U.S. metropolitan

areas for the last 16 years, describes this phenomenon

as induced travel.12 It occurs when drivers flock to

new or expanded roads, hoping to save time. TTI has

also found that new roadways tend to encourage addi-

tional development, leading to even more traffic. Without

long-term solutions, the cycle of sprawl is endless.

Roads are expensive

Despite the pace of growth and the miles of newroadways, Delaware has taken a sensible approach by

emphasizing a maintenance first policy to refurbish

existing aging roadways. One-shot windfalls of federal

highway dollars have helped states achieve that goal.

Arecent report of the Surface Transportation Policy

Project ( STPP) in Washington, D.C., on federal tr ans-

portation spending practices noted that Delaware is sec-

ond of all the states in the increase of federal highway

funds spent on repairing roads and br idges.13 However,

while Delaware will continue to grow, we will not always

be able to count on extra federal funds to pay for main-

tenance of the states ever-growing system of roads.Taxpayers already pay a high cost to build the

roads needed to support sprawl. Over the next six

years, taking care of transportation needs will cost $1.6

billion, or approximately $2,100 per capita.14 Building

more roads puts a squeeze on budgets for maintenance

and repair, which costs taxpayers tens of millions of

dollars per mile.

As part of the six-year budget, Delawareans will

spend $59 million to improve secondary roads and

add transit, pedestrian, and biking facilities throughout

the growth area in southern New Castle County.14 The

spending plan will also help pay for an environmental

impact statement for possible major road expansion in

the future and for economic development efforts to

bring jobs south of the C&D Canal.Widespread growth along Route 40 in New Castle

County has gotten ahead of the areas transportation

needs. By 2020, 13,000 additional new households

are expected to add to the corr idors current traffic

congestion. Transportation improvements to support

continued sprawl along Route 40 could cost Delaware

taxpayers up to $360 million over the next 20 years. 15

High growth in auto trips

Adding to the wear and tear of our roads is the sky-

rocketing vehicle miles (VMT) we travel. Fragmented

suburban development requires an automobile trip forevery errand. Studies have shown that residents of

sprawling communities drive three to four times as

much as those living in planned mixed-use communi-

ties.16 Most of this increase comes not from new drivers,

but from more driving by the people already on the

road. Auto traffic in Delaware is increasing faster than

the population.11 In 1999, area residents drove

8,165,000 miles, a 93 percent increase in miles traveled

on state roadways over the past 20 years.10 In the past

10 years, the VMT increased 27 percent while the states

population grew approximately 13 percent10 (ten cars

per hour on one mile of a one-lane road are equal to aVMT of 10) .

The geographical mismatch between workers,

jobs, and places to do errands adds to the level of VMT.

Most of Delawares commuters drive to work alone.

The last available numbers were from the 1990 census,

which showed over 258,000 workers fell into this

category.10 Organizations such as Transportation

Management Association (TMA) are providing successful

alternatives by implementing carpool, r ide shar ing,


0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

Vehicle Miles TraveledPopulation Growth Rate

Population growth and vehicle miles travelled

PERCENTAGE

Traffic on Route 13 in Dover

Had land

use and trans-

portation been

thoughtfully inte-

grated through

comprehensive

planning, we

might enjoy

today a more

appealing

entrance to our

beach resorts

and a better

quality of

life for local

residents.

PhotocourtesyofDELDOT


7/19


and other commute options to help r educe the VMT.

Some Delaware corpor ations provide jitney service to

employees.

In the fast-growing area of southern New Castle

County, traffic levels will be compounded by large lot

suburban r eserve land-use standards. In this region,bounded by the Maryland line and US 13 and from I-95

to just south of Middletown, new homes sitting on large

lots away from services, jobs, and schools are forecast-

ed to grow 76 percent to over 70,000 by 2020.17 The

majority of jobs and shopping will remain to the north,

forcing people to drive more miles between home,

work, and services. The growth of these homes will

occur incrementally, which will make it all the more

difficult to keep up with transportation needs.

Total traffic volume south of I-95 on Route 896,

Route 7, and Route 1 is projected to increase from just

fewer than 88,000 vehicles per day to almost 176,000vehicles by 2020.17 Despite plans to improve transporta-

tion in this area, commuting time from south of the

canal toward Wilmington is expected to increase about

3 to 5 percent. Noise levels are also expected to worsen.

The benefit of road improvements could be negligible

because of the increased population and back and forth

commuter traffic.

Public transportation

provides a sustainable solution

The sheer volume of vehicular travel diminishes

the value of transit. In 1995, vehicles represented90.8 percent of personal travel in the United States. 18

However, public transportation consumes less land

and provides a long-term solution for congestion and

sprawl. One full bus takes 45 single-passenger vehicles

off the road.19

Delawares transit system has demonstrated a clear

ability to help reduce vehicular trips and has provided

a viable choice for Delaware commuters. Total public

transportation ridership has increased by 44 percent over

the last 10 years, even though it has decreased as a per-

centage of overall mode choice due to the tremendous

increase in VMT.11 Use of the SEPTAR2 commuter rail

service grew from 475,040 in 1995 to 645,808 in 1999.20

And yet, in a recent study by the STPP Delaware

was ranked in the Offering Few Options category, and

among the lowest average annual spending per capita

for transit, bicycle, and pedestrian facilities. Delawarespent only 0.3 percent of flexible federal funds for alter-

native modes between 1992 and 1999.13

Delawares transportation challenge is its land-

use policies. Decentralization of activities hamper our

ability to build community centers where public trans-

portation and walking are convenient options.

Churchmans Crossing has the potential to become

Delawares first suburban model for mixed use develop-

ment where vital transportation options intermingle

with retail, restaurants, and other convenience services.

New mixed use transit-oriented development models

could be possible if Delaware adopted statewidecommunity design standards for pedestrians and public

transportation and provided incentives for the develop-

er. In established communities such as the Route 40

area, it would then be possible to pull together frag-

mented development through comprehensive master

planning, and future growth and transportation could

be jointly designed to enhance the existing community.

Master planning is the key

Agrowing number of communities and developers

around the country are looking at new arrangements of

development that emphasize making access by proximityrather than mobility by transportation. This can work

for both established and new communities. National

developer Post Properties Inc. is shifting toward mixed-

use residential communities serviced by commuter

rail.21 To attract buyers, Post is employ-

ing a combination of good design,

Fairplay Station at Churchmans Crossing

Graphic courtesy of DELDOT

PhotocourtesyofWILMAPC

O


8/19

open space, lighting, trees, landscaping, and close

proximity to transit stations.

Neighborhood centers that combine homes, shops,

restaurants, banks, libraries, and parks with pedestrian,

biking, and transit links are able to serve large segments

of population that include the very young and the elderly

who cannot drive. Delawares new neighborhood school

initiative will depend on safe walking and biking facili-ties. This also offers an opportunity for communities to

work together to reduce the VMT.

The states wealth of on-grade parking lots lining

wide roadways surrounded by strip centers are a source

of raw land for new housing and attractive walkable

mixed-use neighborhood centers served by public

transit. Focusing on use of vacant lands and redevelop-

ment within existing urban service boundaries are a

means to reduce traffic and create more affordable

transportation solutions.

Other innovative programs are helping to reduce

auto traffic: Maryland created a Live Near Your Workprogram that provides a cash incentive for employees to

live near their work in targeted neighborhoods. 22 The

City of Chicago set up a pilot project with four banks for

location-efficient mortgages for people

to capture the financial benefits of living in a neighbor-

hood that offers easy access to public transportation,

pedestrian, and bicycle facilities, and is close to shops,

stores, and cultural amenities.23 Seattles Key Bank, with

30 branches in the area, lowered the VMT of its employ-

ees by allowing them to switch their place of employ-

ment to bank branches closer to home.24

Policies for least-cost capital facilities have beencrafted by the state of Washington so that local govern-

ments can give priority to investing in areas already

developed where growth can be supported most efficient-

ly.24 Funding goes toward high-quality livability infra-

structure including street trees, sidewalk improvements,

transit stops, greenways, traffic calming (i.e., means of

reducing the average speed of traffic), neighborhood

parks, public art, landscaping, and other neighborhood

level improvements. Fees are waived or reduced for

development that enhances already developed areas.

Sprawl is at the heart of the Delawares transporta-

tion dilemma. By shifting community design models

toward mixed-use development and cluster housing,

Delaware can make a pre-emptive strike against the

continuing climb in auto traffic. Furthermore, new

infrastructure investments should be directed toward

existing communities. This will take a statewide effort

up to 25 years to plan for growth and transportation.

Other forms of infrastructure

Schools

Our children experience the same traffic

congestion and long rides on their way to school that

adults experience going to work. Schools are also strug-

gling with the burden that sprawl has placed on their

shoulders. Money that should be spent to provide our

children with the best education possible goes instead

to cover the effects of sprawl. Enrollment in Delawares

public school system increased by almost 8,000

students in the four-year period from 1994 to 1998.

Schools in some areas have filled beyond capacity,

forcing students to learn in the atmosphere of cramped

trailer classrooms. For example, at the end of the2000 spring term, Redding Middle School, in the

Appoquinimink School District, added six classroom

trailers to those already in use. Middletown Middle

School is also adding trailer classrooms to handle the

increasing number of students being bussed there.

While the middle schools are currently bearing the

brunt of this problem, these children soon will be going

to the local high schools. This creates an awkward

situation of deciding which age group will receive

money from the districts budgets to handle the influx

of students. At the same time, older schools in existing

communities will suffer or close down as money isspent to build new schools on the outskirts of these

communities. Just as with transportation, sprawl has

created an endless cycle of spending for new schools.

In Maryland, the exodus of residents from urban cen-

ters has caused one county to close over 60 existing

schools, only to build the same number in outlying

areas, at a cost of $500 million over a 20-year period.25

It is difficult to pay teachers what they deserve

and provide students with up-to-date materials when a


Septic fields, water supply and the burgeoning development in

southern New Castle County.

By shifting

community

design models

toward mixed-use

development and

cluster housing,

Delaware can

make a pre-

emptive strike

against the

continuing climb

in auto traffic.

This will take a

statewide effort

up to 25 years

to plan for

growth and

transportation.


9/19


district must focus on constantly building facilities and

paying the added costs associated with bussing children

further distances. Planned development can make a dif-

ference in providing our children a quality education.

Using our sister small state as an example, a study

produced for Grow Smart Rhode Island mapped out

two different scenarios: the first, sprawling development,

the second, revitalization of existing cities and towns.

The study showed that if communities opted for smart

growth development, they would save $31 million for

school facility expansion during the next 20 years.

The money saved can then be spent on improving the

current educational system instead of playing catch-up

with the increasing population.

Utilit iesDevelopment of land outside existing urban bound-

aries requires the extension or installation of sewer and

water utilities. Much of the residential construction on

large lots throughout Delaware uses wells for water sup-

ply and septic systems for water and waste disposal.

Essentially all of the public and private drinking water

supply south and east of I-95 is ground water, and most

private wells are relatively shallow.

In southern Delaware, where soils are sandy and

aquifers are thin and shallow the heavy use of septic

systems is having detrimental effects on water quality.26

Septic systems in the same aquifer can contaminate the

water supply. Although bacteria are filtered out after rela-

tively short travel distances through the ground, recent

studies in the coastal plain of Maryland indicate that

viruses can travel much further. Over half of the fresh

water supply to the Inland Bays originates as ground

water from seeps or springs. Nitrogen and phosphates

from septic systems, agricultural application of animal

manure, and nitrogen oxides from the atmosphere are

the three major factors contributing to the nutrient load

affecting water quality in our Inland Bays. Runoff from

fields travels to the bays fairly quickly via surface water,

but nutrients and pesticides in ground water take a long

time to work their way out of the system.27 Even if all

inputs stopped today, it would still take decades for the

high levels of nutrients to flush from the ground water

in southern Delaware.New housing development requires the extension

of sewer and water lines. Making these utilities avail-

able, however, is a two-edged sword. Although sewer

systems help protect ground water and ultimately sur-

face water quality, their construction necessitates a

significant infrastructure cost, both for the lines and

for the water treatment facility. Their availability acts

as a magnet for greatly increased rates of residential

construction. As an example, a project is currently

being planned for the town of Kenton, which is located

4 miles from the closest existing infrastructure. The cost

to provide the needed sewer system will run close to$2.5 million dollars and service only 100 homes.

Drinking water supply is another resource issue

affected by sprawl. Municipal water supplies in

Delaware are obtained from surface intakes on White

Clay Creek (City of Newark), Brandywine Creek and Red

Clay Creek (City of Wilmington), and the Christina River

(United Water Delaware) . The City of Wilmington uses

Hoopes Reservoir as a reserve; it takes water from

Brandywine Creek, stores it, and releases it into Red

Clay Creek. All of the remaining municipal water sup-

plies in Delaware ar e ground water. One issue raised

during the drought in 1999 was the possibility ofexpanding the capacity of Hoopes Reservoir, but it is

surrounded by country estates, which would be flooded

by raising water levels in the r eservoir.

The City of Dover recently developed a new well

field in the unconfined aquifer to relieve some of their

dependence on the deep Piney Point aquifer, the citys

main water supply. Excessive water withdrawal from the

Piney Point aquifer has lowered the pressure head by as

much as 140 feet at the citys main wells. 28 The effect of

this water drawdown in the Piney Point extends under

the Delaware Bay into New Jersey. Water from the uncon-

fined aquifer, however, is of lower quality and must be

treated for iron and acidity and must be disinfected

before being introduced into the citys water supply.

Yet new developments and an increased demand for

water continue unabated around the periphery of Dover.

The situation in northern Delaware is even worse.

Here, extensive ground water withdrawal from the

Potomac aquifer has sparked complaints from the

State of New Jersey to the Delaware River Basin

St. Jones River dam at Silver Lake.

Development of

land outside

existing urban

boundaries

requires the

extension or

installation of

sewer and water

utilities.

PhotocourtesyofDanSoeder


10/19

Commission. Water purveyors in New Castle County

were supplying over 20 million gallons per day (mgd)

in 1995, pumped from the Potomac Group

aquifers.29 This volume has increased over the past five

years. The New Jersey complaint alleges that ground

water levels in the P-R-M aquifer units ( equivalent to

the Potomac aquifer) in Salem and Gloucester Counties

have been lowered by pumping in Delaware to the pointwhere New Jersey has placed a moratorium on water

permits for new construction in these counties.30

Continued rural r esidential development in New Jersey,

Delaware, and Maryland strains the system even further.

Ground water supplies in southern Delaware are

hampered by a thin unconfined aquifer at the surface

and a lack of thick, productive confined aquifers at

depth. At present, ground water has been sufficient for

the needs of the public water supply, industry, and agri-

culture, with withdrawals in Sussex County averaging

93 mgd in 1995. However, the lions share of this water

is used by agriculture and industry, with only 11 mgd

going for public supply. Increased r esidential, commer-

cial, and resort developments planned for Sussex County

will have to compete with agriculture and industry for

water supplies. Because it is in the southern part of

the state and the main confined aquifers dip to the

south, wells in Sussex County must be drilled deeper

to tap into these aquifers. But this leads to another con-

cern: the quality of the water in these aquifers degrades

with depth. Dissolved minerals and salts are present in

greater abundance in the aquifers at lower depths.

To add to the problem, wells tapping into these aquifersfurther north tend to draw the mineralized water up

from depth due to the pumping, thus degrading the

water quality in the southern part of the state even

further. The Piney Point aquifer, for example, cannot be

used for drinking water south of Milford, because heavy

pumping in Dover has brought salinities at the EPA

drinking water limit of 250 parts per million northward

to the Kent-Sussex line.31 Coastal areas of Sussex County

also have to be aware that over pumping the unconfinedaquifer can cause saltwater intrusion from the

ocean. This is a problem in Ocean City, Maryland and

Wildwood, New Jersey, and will happen in Delaware if

coastal areas are over developed.

Emergency and medical services

Unrelenting sprawl can also have negative impacts

on Delawares police, fire, and emergency medical

services. No one knowingly wishes to place his or her

safety in jeopardy, but far-flung development does just

that. In order to meet demands, resources for emer-

gency services must extend over wider service areas.

Although police and fire stations place smaller

demands on land consumption, they entail sizable

operating costs. They require personnel to be on call 24

hours a day, seven days a week. The size and placement

of emergency services are driven by the need for short

response times, but spread-out community design

makes access d ifficult. Many communities have had

to raise taxes to add emergency stations.

While New Castle County and municipalities have

their own police departments, the Delaware State Police

provide security for Kent and Sussex Counties and the

major highways in New Castle County. The size of thestate police force is fixed by the General Assembly and


The size and

placement of

emergency

services are

driven by the

need for short

response times,

but spread-out

community

design makes

access difficult.

To understand groundwaterone needs a brief description of the geology of the state. Northern Delaware consists offractured, metamorphic bedrock of the piedmont, overlain by thin soils. On a line roughlyparallel to I-95, the ancient rocks of the piedmont plunge to great depth, and are overlainwith sediments deposited by rivers and by coastal processes. These sediments consist ofsands and gravels, interlayered with fine sediments like silt , mud, and clay. The sands andgravels produce water readily, and are known as aquifers. It is much more difficult forwater to move through the impermeable, fine-grained silts and muds, which are known as

confining units. From central New Castle County to southern Sussex, the geology consistsof these alternating layers of coarse and fine sediments, with the layers dipping gentlytoward the south-southeast. The entire sediment column is thousands of feet thick. At theground surface, a younger layer of sediments is present, which sits horizontally on the dip-ping layers like a cap. These sediments were deposited during the ice ages when the greatglaciers to the north periodically melted and huge volumes of melt water came down theDelaware and Susquehanna River valleys. This upper unit ranges from 50 to 100 feet thickin Kent and New Castle counties and 30 to 50 feet thick in Sussex County. It is known asthe unconfined aquifer or surficial aquifer, and it is a major source of ground water inall three counties.


11/19


is not indexed to population increases or r ising crime

and accident statistics. Sprawl has created a need for

a larger police force. Between 1995 and 1998, the

Delaware State Police repor ted a 130 percent increase

in the number of complaints they received.32 Coupled

with the increased traffic along our roadways, thismeans longer delays in response time to reach those

in need of assistance. Also, building new roadways,

specifically the opening of new sections of Route 1,

requires additional police patrol, further straining the

personnel resources.

According to Captain Joseph Papili, State Police

Director of Planning, putting one officer on patrol over

a 24-hour period requires the hiring of five full-time

police officers. The costs associated with the first year

of a single officers employment total around $88,451.

This cost is higher the first year because of the training

and equipment costs that are not repeated until the

fourth year of employment. During the intermittent

years, the costs are around $50,668. Thus, the needs

of the community are not the sole factor in increasing

Delawares police force; it is also a question of obtaining

the necessary funding.

Corporate subsidies

Ending sprawl is not about stopping development

and growth, but rather about what direction economic

development should take. Explosive growth at the exur-

ban fringe coupled with slow growth in older urbancenters leads to traffic problems and evaporation of

sense of community. Growing numbers of metropolitan

areas throughout the country are beginning to address

these challenges by thinking and acting more like coop-

erative metropolitan regions. They are also developing

more integrated approaches and practical solutions than

in the past. To achieve balance, transit and mixing land

uses are tools used to encourage an environment where

activities and centers of interest are closely located,

easily accessed, and provide the workforce and resi-

dents broader housing options.

As more and more people are attracted to Delaware

as a place to live and work, further strain is placed on

the infrastructure. States and metropolitan areas create acycle of corporate subsidies by feverishly competing to

lure corporations and development projects that create

jobs. At the expense of taxpayers, companies are offered

a host of enticements, from undeveloped land to tax dis-

counts, utility deals, massive road projects, and, in some

cases, straight cash. Companies shop around for the best

deal, and states grant the subsidy package, build local

tax bases, and provide new jobs. Because it is easier to

build on undeveloped land, open space is offered as a

bonus. Unfortunately, the cost of providing the infrastruc-

ture and subsidies to the new business turns out to be

greater than the economic benefits provided. Despite the

push to attract new business, there is no guarantee

a company will stay. When traffic congestion takes over

and little open space is left, the overall quality of life is

seriously compromised. That is when corporations think

about moving. Abandoned by business, the community is

left shouldering the high costs of services and salvaging

the job market. The cycle of sprawl starts over as impact-

ed local communities must find ways to compensate for

tax revenue shortfalls in order to pay for additional infra-

structure and services to serve the growth.

Subsidies only play a marginal role in wherecompanies choose to locate. Asurvey was conducted

of chief executives and top managers at 118 foreign-

owned companies with operations in North Carolina.33

The survey showed that when corporations decide to

move, they tend to look more at factors like the quality

and availability of labor and transportation, the overall

quality of life, and general business climate as the

critical factors in their decisions.

Cycle of Subsidies

Company asks state, county or city for a tax br eak,subsidy or land grant to either encourage it to relocateor to build a new facility. Many times this involvesmoving an established business from an existingdevelopment to the fr inge.

Stat e, county or city to build its tax base and att ract jobs, grantsthe company major tax breaks and subsidies. They often alsoprovide infrast ruct ure like new roads, water lines and sewageservice to t he new development. Since it s easier to build onundeveloped land, many states also often offer open space toentice business to move.

The cost of providing the infrastructure and subsidies to t henew business turns out to be greater than the economic benefitprovided. To make up for the revenue shortfall, the city, countyor state feels compelled to bring more business to the areaand develop more open space.


12/19

Biodiversity

Delaware has lost prime farmland, forests, and

wetlands to sprawl. It is difficult to imagine that the land

we now call Delaware was once almost entirely forested

with immense stands of hardwoods, bald cypress, andwhite cedar. Even 20 years ago, at most 3.5 percent of

the land remained in anything like its original state.36 We

will never return to the original condition of our land.

Yet we have a duty to ourselves and our children to pre-

serve what diversity we have inherited. Sadly, Delaware

leads the nation in the loss of native plant and animal

species,35 and 41 percent of its existing plant species are

considered rare or endangered.36 The remaining undis-

turbed land is comprised of scattered, isolated areas of

open space where their small size does little to help

preserve Delawares native species.

In order to survive, Delawares native plant andanimal life r equire somewhat large undisturbed areas.

Of Delawares more than 1,600 native plant species,

more than 10 percent are believed to be extinct; anoth-

er 10 percent are extremely rare; and another 20 per-

cent are uncommon.37 These percentages are likely to

rise as fragmentation allows exotic species to take a

firmer hold, further closing out and preventing the

continued survival of native species. Delawares native

animal population is not fairing much better. According

to the Division of Fish and Wildlife, 84 percent of our

native freshwater mussel species are either extinct or

extremely rare; 50 percent of our native reptiles and

amphibians are extremely rare; 31 percent of our

native fish species are uncommon; and nearly 20

percent of bird species naturally nesting here are

considered rare or extinct.38

Water quality

In addition to providing drinking water, Delawares

waterways provide recreation and sources of income

from fishing. In fact, the recreation and fishing

industries are major sources of income in our state.

However, the resource on which this industry is based is

in a perilous state. While the EPAhas classified 41 per-

cent of our nations waterways on average as being

drinkable, fishable, and swimmable, Delaware is muchworse: only 14 percent of our waters receive a favorable

rating.39 As of 2000, with regard to Delawares rivers

and streams, an estimated 71 percent cannot fully sup-

port fish and wildlife, and 96 percent do not support

swimming.40 In northern New Castle County, only the

White Clay Creek receives an acceptable rating for

consumption of unlimited quantities of fish. All other

streams are rated either as unacceptable for any fish

consumption or for a maximum of one 8-ounce serving

a year. The problems of the Inland Bays have received

considerable attention; excess nitrogen and phosphorus

have produced massive blooms of an alga known as sealettuce, previously rare in the bays.

Sources of pollution in Delawares waters vary

greatly. The Delaware, Brandywine, and Christina Rivers

were once used as industrial sewers. The Clean Water

Act has done much to eliminate point source pollution

from industries, to the extent that water quality in the

Delaware has improved greatly in the last 10 to 15

years. Evidence of past practices remains in the form of

heavy metal and persistent organic residues in river silt

and mud. Many older cities were built with connected

systems of storm water and sewage systems to handle

runoff from major storm events. This situation persists

in Wilmington, where even 0.1 inch of rain in a limited

period can lead to raw sewage running into the

Brandywine and Christina Rivers. Other water bodies

receive bacterial contamination, n itrogen, phosphorus,

and pesticide residues from agricultural activity, particu-

larly because forested strips along stream banks

which act as buffers to filter out these contaminants

have been removed. Population growth, leading to


Delawares size makes the issue of open space an important one. While we spend

many billions of dollars to plan and build our infrastructure, our failure to plan for

and protect our green infrastructure condemns it to inevitable destruction. The

importance of open space to our environment and balance of life cannot be overemphasized. It is necessary to preserve our states environmental health and biologi-

cal diversity, which in turn protects the health of our citizens. Preserving open space

provides local communities retreats for physical and spiritual recreation and at the

same time preserves the natural heritage of our land.

Affects of sprawl on the environment

Delaware leads

the nation in the

loss of native

plant and animal

species


13/19


increasing number of dwellings and paved roads,

driveways, and parking lots, has resulted in greatlyincreased levels of stormwater runoff with attendant

sediment in the streams as well as contamination from

petroleum products.

It is known that, over the years, waste from

National Priority List Superfund sites leaches into the

soil and ends up in our groundwater; Delaware is home

to 17 of these sites.40 Construction within flood plains

and the channelization of streams have exacerbated

these problems. For example, a one-acre par king lot

generates 16 times more polluted runoff than a mead-

ow, washing toxic chemicals and hydrocarbon pollutants

into our streams, lakes, and coastal areas.Population growth has major impacts on water

quality in a number of ways. In addition to the effects

already noted for northern New Castle and eastern

Sussex Counties, the projected growth in southern New

Castle and northern Kent Counties in the next ten years

will have major impacts on the waterways. Because of a

suit brought by the American Littoral Society and the

Delaware Sierra Club against the EPAin 1997, the state

of Delaware is required to produce assessments of

water quality for each of the major river systems in the

state and then to propose implementation plans for

water quality improvement. Already the assessments are

provoking resistance, particularly from communities

faced with water treatment issues. The implementation

plans will likely be at least as contentious. However, the

water quality assessments that DNREC is providing are

merely snapshots in time of the condition of state waters

now. Increases in population for example, large pro-

jected increases in single-family home construction

within the Appoquinimink watershed will have major

implications on the quality of this river. Older residents

around Middletown and Odessa have already noted asignificant increase in sediment in the streams and trib-

utaries. DNREC recently completed water quality data

collection for the Inland Bays watershed and is

currently implementing similar data collection in the

Appoquinimink and Nanticoke watersheds. Data

collection points are located in ar eas with different

types of land use: agricultural, forested, residential,

and urban. The hope is that the data will eventually

reveal how differences in land-use practices contribute

toward the preservation or decline of a watershed.

Air qualityThe EPAhas ranked Delaware as having the second

worst level of air quality in the nation. According to

DNREC, Delaware meets all National Ambient Air Quality

Standards for toxic pollutants set by the Clean Air Act

Amendments of 1990 except for ground level ozone.

Delaware exceeds the national standard for this pollu-

tant, resulting in public health risks and potential

threats to continued economic development and future

transportation investments. New Castle and Kent coun-

ties are classified as severe ozone non-attainment

areas, one class lower than Los Angeles, which is in

the extreme category. Sussex County curr ently hasmarginal non-attainment area status. Any lapse in

meeting conformance requirements could pose serious

consequences to the state.

Motor vehicles traveling on Delaware roads con-

tribute over 24 percent of the total emissions that make

up ozone, according to the Delaware Department of

Transportation. In New Castle County, emissions of

smog-producing nitrogen oxides exceed the allotted

budget for transportation conformity by 1.5 tons. This is

Wetlands along Roy Creek to be developed by the proposed Americana Bayside Project.

a one-acre

parking lot gen-

erates 16 times

more polluted

runoff than a

meadow, washing

toxic chemicals

and hydrocarbon

pollutants into

our streams,

lakes, and

coastal areas.

PhotocourtesyofTerriUsuki


14/19

equal to approximately 150,000 one-mile trips per day.

Contributing to the states non-conformity status

are recent changes of lower mobile source emission

budgets for 2002 and 2005, speed limit increases to

65 miles per hour on SR 1 and I-495, and projections

of continued growth of suburban sprawl in New Castle

and Kent counties. Delaware is now under pressure to

establish a program to demonstrate its ability to meetcompliance by 2005, with deadlines for solutions by

each county falling in 2001. Judy Katz, Director, Air

Protection Division, EPA, Region III, recently provided

a warning to the Air Quality Mobile Source Committee

that Delaware must now make the hard decisions or

funding for major transpor tation expansion projects

may be held up.

Ground level ozone is the major component of

smog. While ozone in the upper atmosphere occurs nat-

urally and protects life on earth from harmful ultraviolet

radiation, ozone at ground level is a noxious pollutant.

Ground level ozone is formed by the reaction ofoxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic com-

pounds (VOC) in the presence of sunlight. Ozone is a

severe irritant, responsible for choking, coughing, and

stinging eyes associated with smog. It can damage lung

tissue, aggravates respiratory disease, and makes people

more susceptible to respiratory infections. Children and

senior citizens are especially vulnerable to ozones

harmful effects, as are people with existing disease.

Besides health problems, ozone harms vegetation,

resulting in crop loss, increased tree and plant suscepti-

bility to disease, and potential long-term effects on

forests and ecosystems.The connection between suburban sprawl and air

quality has long been recognized. The American Lung

Association declared as early as 1974 that land use

policy is crucial to controlling air pollution. As subur-

ban sprawl increases the number of roads, the vehicles

on them, and the length of time spent driving, our air

quality will only get worse. The EPAestimates that the

tremendous growth in driving throughout the United

States will begin to overtake all the gains we have made

reducing air pollution through applications of cleaner

fuels. Americans are driving their cars almost 60 per-

cent more than in 1990, according to the EPAs Livable

Communities Initiative.

With inadequate options for transit, biking

and pedestrian connections, Delaware has limited its

ability to comply with Clean Air Act requirements. A

long term vision of bold new transpor tation and land

use strategies is needed to improve our air quality

and keep ahead of future projected increases in auto

emissions. The only real solution is reducing vehicle

miles traveled, which can only be done by shifting

the sprawl paradigm toward more centered growth.

Human environment

In order to achieve their suburban dream,

Delaware citizens have abandoned their once vibrant

cities and towns. Fleeing our urban centers leaves us

with failing urban economies, diminished quality of life,

and the financial burden of social services to serve theneedy. Hardest hit are the poor and the elderly. This is

a long-term trend in Delaware. In 1920, one out of two

Delawareans resided in Wilmington. Today, one in ten

does.43 Wilmingtons population was stable between

1920 and 1950 but had already begun to decline

noticeably by 1960, prior to the citys racial problems.

As people move away from urban locations, local

employers and service providers follow. Urban dwellers

are left with fewer employment options and must travel

further distances to jobs. Insufficient transit routes and

poor transit connections penalize those without person-

al transportation and may even preclude them fromentering the workforce. Additional time spent commut-

ing adds another layer of expense on before- and after-

work childcare, an expense that some families may not

be able to afford. These are ways that sprawl contributes

to economic and racial segregation.

Sprawl puts the elderly at risk, often leaving

them isolated and unable to be self-sufficient. Many

of the businesses and services on which they depend

have relocated to suburban areas and are no longer

accessible from their communities.

Abandoned neighborhoods not only affect those

that remain behind, they also affect Delawares culturalhistory. About 90 percent of the historical buildings in

Delaware are found within town limits.44 As people

continue their flight from these areas, historic proper-

ties often become derelict. Delaware can become more

aggressive in saving buildings with historic significance

by listing them on the National Register and pr oviding

incentives for their revitalization.

Sprawl also affects the quality of life for those in

the suburbs. Parents with long commutes to work and

the need to do errands after work leave children in

daycare or at home alone for long periods of time.

Lack of transportation alternatives, and an ever-increas-

ing distance to parks and schools, leave children

dependent on parents for outdoor activities. Young

adults lacking community centers or areas for organized

programs have too much free time and little opportunity

for exposure to positive activities and role models. As a

result, we have generations of children who spend more

time indoor s watching TVand playing video games

rather than engaging in constructive activities with other

children and adults.


In New Castle

County,

emissions of

smog-producing

nitrogen oxides

exceed the

allotted budget

for transportation

conformity by

1.5 tons. This

is equal to

approximately

150,000

one-mile trips

per day.


15/19


The following are recommendations for a morerational and integrated approach to land use planning.

The governor must provide clear anddecisive leadership to reshape Delawaresthinking on land use

As a summary of the Delaware Land Use Summit

held in the spring of 1997, the Choices for Delaware

Study Committee produced a document containing a

number of recommendations for changes in the way

our state approaches land use and infrastructure deci-

sion-making.45 After nearly three-and- a-half years, very

few of these recommendations have been acted upon.

It is clear that leadership at the highest state level mustbe present to encourage changes in state, county, and

municipal responsibility for planning. Since each gover-

nor can practically select only one or two areas for

emphasis during his or her administration, we strongly

encourage the future governor to adopt land use plan-

ning as the key issue in the next 4 to 8 years.

Effective land use planning will necessarily include

economic growth and natural resource conservation.

Studies have repeatedly shown that an attractive physical

environment and adequate infrastructure are key

inducements for companies to locate in a particular

area. Thus, effective land use planning will reap impor-

tant benefits in the states efforts to attract new business.

Instead of attempting to attract computer chip fabricat-

ing facilities, which consume millions of gallons of pre-

cious water a day, Delaware should adopt the strategy of

neighboring Pennsylvania in seeking out new businesses

aligned with computer software, biotechnology, and

pharmaceuticals. By locating these companies in attrac-

tive destination parks where shared services and com-

muter travel options are available, these new businesses

will provide tax revenues to counties and at the sametime reduce trip miles in areas already over capacity.

Establish concurrence in planning betweendifferent levels of government.

Delaware must solve its core problem of growth

management: the split between municipal and county

land use planning and state resource planning. The jeal-

ousy with which the counties guard their decision-making

prerogative is palpable; yet the counties will never have

the resources to deal effectively with transportation, open

space, and farmland preservation. Asolution must be

found if we are to achieve truly comprehensive planning.

Establishing concurrence has manyelements. The following are all important.

s Re-establish the Office of State Planning Coordination

as a cabinet-level function, adequately staffed and

funded.

s Establish mechanisms of achieving concurrence

between the Delaware Conservation, Development

and Redevelopment Plan (DCDRP) and the county

comprehensive plans along the lines recommended

in the Choices for Delaware Study Committee

Recommendations. Key elements in this will be to

ensure that adequately funded open space acquisition

and farmland preservation (see below) be coordinat-

ed across state and county jurisdictions, that plans

for transportation infrastructure be harmonized with

county development plans, and that growth areas

within counties be coordinated with school districts.

s Require municipalities to have comprehensive

growth plans. Provide planning expertise to the cities

and towns as dictated by the financial burden of the

planning function.

Instead of debating whether growth will occur, communities should be discussing the

patterns of development: where we put it, how we arrange it, and what it looks like,

said Edward T. McMahon, Director of the American Greenways Program of The

Conservation Fund. Because of the pressures of projected population growth over thenext 20 years, the history of Delawares land use decisions, and the nature of our

physical environment, Delaware confronts enormous challenges that require novel

approaches for preventing continued haphazard development and destruction of our

natural resources. The problems are statewide and in all three counties. Any solution

to growth management must face the overriding issue in our state the discrepancy

between county and municipal decision-making and state control of major elements

of the planning matrix, namely transportation, natural resources, and agriculture.

Conclusions and recommendations

Insanity can be

defined as doing

the same thing

over and over

and expecting a

different result.


16/19

s Establish mechanisms for achieving intergovernmen-

tal coordination between counties and municipali-

ties, such that plans for annexation do not conflict

with county growth plans and that comprehensive

plans in the border regions are coordinated.

s Through the agency of the Delaware Office of State

Planning Coordination, establish mechanisms of

coordination between the Departments of Agricultureand of Natural Resources for preservation of farm-

land and open space. This is particularly important

with regard to the preservation of critical natural

areas not yet under state or county control.

s Bring the Delaware Economic Development Office

under the umbrella of the Delaware Office of State

Planning Coordination. While economic development

is important to the state, this program must be coor-

dinated with state and county land use planning.

Provide long-term funding for open space

acquisition and farmland preservation.Ameaningful open space program will require

$250 million dollars over ten years. This number is

derived from scaling the program recently developed

in New Jersey to the land area of Delaware. No effort

has been made to correct differences in land values.

While the value of land in northern New Castle County

approximates that of land in the developed sections of

New Jersey, land values in southern Delaware are lower.

Aprogram for pur chase of farmland development rights

will need $200 million over 20 years.

We must be creative in thinking of ways to fund

open space acquisition and farmland preservation. One

solution is to create a large bond bill specifically for

these purposes. But other means exist. Pennsylvania is

obtaining $40 to $50 million a year from a 2 cigarette

tax. Currently, the cigarette sales tax difference between

Maryland and Delaware is 26. Using half the difference

for land acquisition would provide an adequate program.

Establish county comprehensive

plans as true planning documents

The state legislation that instituted the system of

county comprehensive plans imbued them with the

force of law. Yet, if Delaware is to achieve true land useplanning, then additional elements will be required.

We shall need to:

s Identify centers within designated growth areas ( e.g.,

Rehoboth Beach-Lewes, Milford, suburban Dover,

southern New Castle County, Bear-Glasgow,

Hockessin) and establish for each a 25-year build-out

plan. Such plans should include maps of open space

and farmland targeted for acquisition or preservation,

placement of infrastructure, necessary highway

improvements prior to development, plans for public

transportation and alternative transportation, and

areas for commercial and industrial designation.

s Provide incentives for new forms of development.

The assumption is that all people living in a subur-ban environment demand at least a quarter acre. Yet,

there are examples of successful cluster housing that

preserve open space in a setting that fosters commu-

nity spirit. At the Land Use Summit in 1997, promot-

ers of the Whitehall development in southern New

Castle County (a large development involving multi-

ple housing types, areas for commercial establish-

ments and considerable open space preservation)

asked the question of environmentalists at the meet-

ing, What do you find objectionable in the Whitehall

plan? There is nothing inherently wrong with the

Whitehall concept if watersheds and sensitive areasare preserved. In fact, a strong argument can be

made for this concepts being the preferred form of

development. But if Whitehall is an island in a sea of

tract housing, then we have achieved no truly com-

prehensive development plan for the region.

s Within the framework of 25-year build-out plans,

coordinate the preservation of open space, forests,

and stream corridors. By doing so, larger areas of

open space can be preserved, providing beneficial

habitat protection and making possible systems of

walking and biking trails. In some cases this kind of

coordination will allow the use of existing terrain fea-

tures for stormwater control, rather than relying

almost exclusively on stormwater retention basins.

s Develop zoning as a mechanism for achieving smart

manageable growth, rather than for promoting sprawl

Zoning should be used to direct growth into urban

centers with established urban growth boundar ies. By

creating zoning and design standards for mixed use

and by using zoning to curtail the spread of commer-


SEPTA R2 commuter rail at the Wilmington Train Station.


17/19


cial strip malls along major transportation arteries,

commercial development can be directed into more

esthetically pleasing commercial parks that may also

serve as transportation hubs providing transit.

s Effective statewide sunsetting laws must be estab-

lished. Sunsetting is a program of time limits follow-

ing approval of a subdivision plan for development

to begin. If the development is not started within thedesignated time, it must be resubmitted for approval

to insure that the subdivision complies with existing

code and zoning laws. However, current legislation

will not affect most developments that have been

applied for or where construction has begun and has

remained uncompleted, even for years.46 This is a

statewide problem. Effective land use planning

requires that planners have control over dormant

plans and subdivisions.

It is not too late for smart growth planning for

northern New Castle County. The county has an abun-

dance of shopping malls that have lost out to the even

larger shopping malls in the area. Asuccessful idea in

California has been to convert these older malls into con-

dominium developments, reserving enough space for

public transportation hubs and commuter parking, and

commercial space for many of the needs of commuters

(e.g., childcare facility, drugstore, dry cleaner) . To be

successful, the counties must work proactively, to retool

these underutilized existing resources.

Urban renewal and redevelopment must be

elements in overall land use planning.

At the Land Use Summit in 1997, the City ofWilmington gave an impassioned plea for redevelopment

of the city as an element in Delawares growth strategy.

Wilmington already has in place most of the needed infra-

structure and yet its population decline is approximately

equal to the projected growth in the state over the next 20

years. The location of major banks and corporate offices

in Wilmington has marginal impact, since these buildings

tend to be self-contained islands that have little affect on

the city as a whole. Ideally, businesses attracted to the city

should provide employment oppor tunities to r esidents of

the city. For renewal to be successful, an alliance of city,

county, state, and federal interests must be formed.

Neighborhoods must be reclaimed, involving community

input at all stages, to provide a mix of low- and middle-

income housing in a safe and attractive environment. An

aggressive brownfields program is needed that will help

revitalize existing neighborhoods and industrial areas,

preventing unnecessary sprawl, and providing new eco-

nomic development opportunities. The combined sewer

overflow problems, resulting in raw sewage entering the

Brandywine and Christina Rivers during even minor rain

events, will require money from state and federal sources

to be solved quickly and completely.

In other cities and towns, such as Dover,

Middletown and Milford, careful design of housing

options within the existing municipal boundaries will

preserve these town centers and help keep the surround-

ing areas from development. Rather than municipalannexation of county land, we should consider establish-

ing green belts as ways to preserve and enhance the

urban environments.

Delawares Inland Bays

and coastal areas must be protected.

s Delawares Inland Bays are an incomparable

economic resource for tourism, recreation, and

commercial fishing. We risk squandering this

resource if we do not act promptly to conserve it

from the effects of excessive and unmanaged devel-

opment. The state should assume some responsibilityfor the protection of its Inland Bays as one of its

most important resources.

s Improving the water quality in the Inland Bays will not

happen overnight. It will demand more resources than

Sussex County alone can muster, particularly with

regard to wastewater treatment and discharge. The

dilemma of how to deal with residential sewage con-

tinues to plague us. Proliferating septic systems threat-

en shallow aquifers in sandy soils and ultimately the

Inland Bays themselves. Once installed, sewer systems

act as magnets for increased development. One alter-

native is a contained residential sewage system that is

pumped at regular intervals. Rather than pay a sewer

fee, homeowners would pay a periodic pumping fee.

s The Senate and House of the General Assembly are

currently considering bills SB273 and HB 446, which

would regulate housing developments in the Coastal

Zone. These bills would provide an uncommon level

of state oversight of county land use decisions.

Without a clear and timely county plan for coastal

land protection and voluntary coordination between

the county and the Department of Natural Resources,

such legislation will be necessary.

s Delaware is unique among states in having in place

the Coastal Zone Act regulating industrial activity. The

danger today is excessive residential development that

threatens air and water quality and wetland destruc-

tion in the same way that industrial activity did in the

past. Unmanaged, Delawares coastal resources will

disappear.


18/19

Notes1 These population statistics were taken from D. A. Ames & R. Dean, Projected

Population Growth and New Arithmetic of Development in Delaware 1990-2020, 1999; citing various U.S. Census publications and the DelawarePopulation Consor tium, Annual Popu lation Projections. Version 1998.0 ,January 1998, Dover, Delaware.

2 T. C. Thomas and J. Mackenzie, Farmland Preservation in the Middletown-Odessa-Townsend Area of Delaware. Department o f Food & Resour ceEconomics, College of Agricultural Sciences, University of Delaware, 1996.

3 Delaware Office of State Planning Coordination, Gross Land Use Changes inDelaware, 1992 to 1997. http://www.state.de.us/planning/info/lulcdata/

change/lulcchng.htm (1999).4 The Economic Benefits of Parks and Open Space, The Trust for Public Land,

1999.5 Eben Fodor, Better Not Bigger, New Society Publishers, Gabriola Island, B.C.,

Canada, 1999.6 As Delaware dawdles, farms fade away. Other states move to pr eserve farm-

land as First States efforts lose momentum, News Journal, 6/6/99, reported byJohn Long.

7 Southern Delaware Changing With Rush of Development, AP Wire Service

story by Christopher Thorne, as picked up in the May 11, 2000 issue of theSmart Growth News (www.smartgrowthnews) , the electr onic newsletter of theUrban Land Institute.

8 Delaware Office of State Planning Coordination, Shaping Delawares Future :Managing Growth in 21st Century Delaware, Strategies for State Policies andSpending, 1999; citing U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Status and Recent Trendsof Wetlands in Five Mid-Atlantic States, 1986; and an updated U.S. Fish andWildlife Service inventory.

9 Environmental Law Institute, Protecting Delawares Natural Heritage: Tools forBiodiversity Conservation, Washington, DC: ELI, 1999.

10 Delaware Transpor tation Facts, State of Delaware, Department ofTransportation, Office of External Affairs, Dover, DE, 1999.

11 Information from Ralph Reeb, Deputy Director, Delaware Department ofTransportation Office of Planning.

12 1999 Urban Mobility Study, Texas Transpor tation Institute ( TTI) , Texas A&MUniversity, College Station, TX; the 16th annual study is available at http://mobility.tamu.edu.

13 March 2000 Repor t: Changing Direction, Federal Transportation Spending inthe 1990s and 1999 Tools of the Month. Surface Transportation Policy Project,Washington, D.C.

14 Capital Improvement Program, Fiscal Years 2001-2006, Delaware Departmentof Transportation, Dover, DE.

15 Route 40 Corridor 20-Year Transportation Plan, Delaware Department ofTransportation, Dover, DE, June 19, 2000.

16 Eben Fodor, Better Not Bigger, New Society Publishers, Gabriola Island, BritishColumbia, Canada, 1999.

17 Greater Route 301 Major Investment Study Final Repor t, Delaware Departmentof Transportation and the Wilmington Area Planning Council, prepared byVanesse Hangen Brustlin, Inc., Boston, MA, Januar y 21, 2000.

18 Part of a presentation by Rober t Cervero, Professor, Depar tment of City andRegional Planning, University of California, Berkeley, at Moving People:Transportation Options for Delaware, sponsored by the University of Delaware,

March 17, 2000.19 I-95 Is Closing Planning and Survival Guide, Delaware Depar tment of

Transportation, Dover, DE, March, 2000.20 Profile, Delaware Transit Corporation, Delaware Depar tment of Transportation,

Dover, DE, 1999. The Corporations website is http://www.DartFirstState.com.21 Information about Post Properties, Inc. was obtained through the Urban Land

Institute, Washington, D.C., and through their website, http://www.postproperties.org.

22 State of Maryland, Department of Housing and Community Development,Annapolis, MD, Live Near Your Work Program Legislative Initiatives, January15, 1997, session of the Maryland General Assembly.

23 Center for Neighborhood Technology, Chicago, IL, 1999-2000 Location EfficienMortgage Partnership, and on their website at http://www.cnt.org/lem.

24 Redevelopment for Livable Communities Program. Energy Outreach Center,

Olympia, WA, 1997.25 Robert. W. Burchell, Maryland Department of Planning, Impact Assessment

Study of Maryland Schools, 1999.26 Judith M. Denver, Effects of Agricultural Practices and Septic-System Effluent on

the Quality of Water in the Unconfined Aquifer in Parts of Eastern SussexCounty, Delaware Geological Survey, Report of Investigations, 66 pp, 1989.

27 Robert J. Shedlock et al., Water-Quality Assessment of the Delmarva Peninsula,Delaware, Maryland and Virginia: Results of Investigations, 1987-1991. U. S.

Geological Survey Water Supply Paper 2355-A, 41pp, Reston, VA, 1999.28 Pierre J. Lacombe and Rober t Rosman, Water Levels in, Extent of Fresh Water

in, and Water Withdrawals from Eight Major Confined Aquifers, New JerseyCoastal Plain, 1993. U. S. Geological Survey Water Resources InvestigationReport 96-4206 , Reston, VA, 1996.

29 Judith C. Wheeler, Freshwater Use in Delaware, 1995, U.S. Geological SurveyFact Sheet FS-126-99 , Reston, VA, 1999.

30 Erika Hobbs, Rural growth putting NJ in hot water, Philadelphia Inquirer,August 21, 2000.

31 Pierre J. Lacombe and Rober t Rosman, Water Levels in, Extent of Fresh Waterin, and Water Withdrawals from Eight Major Confined Aquifers, New JerseyCoastal Plain, 1993. U. S. Geological Survey Water Resources. Investigation

Report 96-4206 , Reston, VA, 1996.32 Delaware Office of State Planning Coordination, Shaping Delawares Future:Managing Growth in 21st Century Delaware, Strategies for State Policies andSpending, 1999.

33 Kenan Institute of Private Enterpr ise Survey, as noted in the News and Observer(Raleigh, North Carolina), November 5, 1999.

34 L. M. Fleming, Delawares Outstanding Natural Areas and Their Preservation.Delaware Nature Society, Forward, 1978.

35 DNREC, State of Delaware: 1998 Watershed Assessment Report (305( b) ) ,DNREC: Dover, DE. III 4-6, 1998.

36 W. A. McAvoy, Rare Native Plants of Delaware, DNHP, DNREC: Smyrna, DE,1998.

37 Delaware Office of State Planning Coordination, Shaping Delawares Future:Managing Growth in 21st Century Delaware, Strategies for State Policies and

Spending, 1999.

38 Ibid. For a thorough discussion of the threats to Delawares plants and animalssee Environmental Law Institute, Protecting Delawares Natural Heritage: Toolsfor Biodiversity Conservation, Washington, DC: Environmental Law Institute,1999.

39 Environmental Law Institute, Protecting Delawares Natural Heritage: Tools forBiodiversity Conservation, Executive Summary, Washington, DC: ELI, 1999; cit-ing DNREC, Division of Water Resources, 1998 (305(b)) WatershedAssessment Report, p. I-4.

40 DNREC, Division of Water Resources, 2000 ( 305( b) ) Watershed AssessmentReport, p. 3 and 123-126.

41 Delaware Office of State Planning Coordination, Shaping Delawares Future:Managing Growth in 21st Century Delaware, Strategies for State Policies andSpending, 1999; citing Delaware Department of Transportation Plan, 1996.

42 Wilmington Area Planning Council, WILMAPCO Emissions Calculations

Summary, July Scenarios, August 14, 2000.43 Statistics from the Delaware State Data Center.

44 Ibid.; citing State Historical Preservation Office.45 Choices for Delaware Study Committee, Program Recommendations, prepared

by Siemon, Larsen & Marsh, May 19, 1997.46 Under wide open spaces, suburbia may reside. Wilmington News Journal,

August 7, 2000.



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New Castle County www.co.new-castle.de.us

Information 302.395.5555

Kent County www.co.kent.de.us

Levy Court 302.744.2305

Planning Dept. 302.744.2471

Sussex County www.sussex.de.us

County Council 302.855.7743

Planning Dept. 302.855.7878

Wilmington Area Planning Council www.wilmapco.org

State Planning Office www.state.de.us/planning/

302.739.3090

DE Economic Development Office www.state.de.us/dedo/

302.739.4271

DelDOT www.state.de.us/deldot/index.html

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