Why Should Delaware Care?
A major concern among many in Sussex County is the fast pace of development that has been ongoing for years, particularly near Delaware’s popular beaches. A new Lewes-area preserve shows the complex process behind slowing some of that development.
The Sussex County Land Trust faced a multimillion-dollar problem in 2019.
The trust — a nonprofit charged with preserving open spaces in southern Delaware — sought to protect an 80-acre property near the Delaware beaches as a public trail and a working farm.
But the $8.5 million price tag — a discount from what housing developers could have offered — was a big lift for the small nonprofit.
“We had to get a bit scrappy,” said Sara Bluhm, executive director and the only full-time staff member of the Sussex County Land Trust.
On Tuesday, the Land Trust finally purchased the property after seven years of negotiating and piecing together federal, state, county and even private dollars.
The purchase means eastern Sussex County’s yearslong building boom will not spread to the property that sits southwest of Lewes and east of Route 1. Still, it will take years and even more funding for part of the land to open to the public.
The purchase also highlights the unique approach to preserving open space in Sussex County, where years of retail and housing construction has sparked environmental concerns and questions of whether local infrastructure can handle an influx of new residents.
Unlike other Delaware counties, Sussex County does not have a dedicated parks department, so owning and maintaining preserved land is a complex collaboration between the county, the state, and nonprofits.
While that approach saves taxpayers money, Bluhm said it can be limiting because her organization can struggle to find the money to transform preserved land into something Sussex County residents can enjoy.
‘The Hidden Farm’
A flock of geese pecked through rows of cut corn last week at Sussex County’s newest preserved property, a quiet scene set within one of the region’s fastest-growing areas.
Set back from Route 1, the farm is far enough away that the sound of passing traffic fades. Trees line the property, partially screening it from nearby townhomes.
“We sometimes call this ‘The Hidden Farm,’ because people don’t know about it,” Bluhm said.
Former landowner Linda Miller, though, calls the property “Ard na Gréine,” Irish Gaelic for “the rise that catches the sun,” because of its slight slope and views of beautiful sunsets.
Miller said she has received dozens of letters of interest from developers and solar companies looking to purchase the property. It is one of the largest tracts of land east of Route 1 that has not yet been developed.
“I could always tell, when the mail came addressed to me a certain way, that this was going to be somebody interested in purchasing the farm for development,” Miller said.
But she said she wouldn’t have found peace with herself if she let the land turn into yet another housing development or solar field.
“Having open space is, I think, important to everyone, especially as areas get more congested. People need a place of quiet and peace and tranquility,” Miller said.
Former County Councilman I.G. Burton was one of the first to inquire about preserving the land in 2019. Shortly after, the Sussex County Land Trust agreed to pull together the funding to acquire it, with the county contributing $1.75 million.
The appraisal process took years, Bluhm said, and then it took even longer to raise all the money to acquire the property.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture contributed the largest portion of the funds, with the condition that the farmland on the property continue to be used for any form of agriculture.
Delaware’s environmental agency also contributed, as well as the Longwood Foundation and a number of private donors.
Still, the Sussex County Land Trust has to do more fundraising before the property opens to the public.
The nonprofit now has to raise more money to make a master plan for the site. Bluhm said she anticipates the nonprofit will eventually construct a trail around the perimeter of the land, with a connection to the Georgetown/Lewes Trail.
Sussex County Land Trust also plans to undetake native habitat restoration. The property is located adjacent to Ebenezer Branch, which flows into Canary Creek and the Great Marsh.
Miller still lives at the house on the property, and her driveway is still private. The nonprofit is considering adding another access point and a parking lot, which would require even more money.
Bluhm said she will soon begin applying for grants to cover the costs of the master plan.
A county without a parks department
Sussex County Administrator Todd Lawson said money is the main reason why the county government does not have a parks and recreation department.
Lawson said not everyone wants their tax dollars to be spent managing and preserving parks.
County spokesman Chip Guy added that the state and local municipalities already manage a lot of parks in Sussex County, “so the county [government] didn’t necessarily feel that it needed to be in that particular service.”
The county government does provide funding to acquire the land. Sussex County Council often allocates millions of dollars per year for that purpose — although that amount varies greatly depending on the timing of the acquisition.
Last year, the county spent $3.3 million on open space preservation, not including farmland preservation, according to county Finance Director Gina Jennings. The year before, it spent $350,000, and the year before that, it spent $2.3 million.
The county sometimes has partial ownership over the preserved land, and sometimes helps maintain it, Lawson said.
But primarily, the county partners with nonprofits to manage preserved land, including the Sussex County Land Trust, the Center for Inland Bays, the Nature Conservancy and the Nanticoke Indian Association.
Bluhm said all the work that goes into managing parks is often invisible to the public — and very costly. Her nonprofit has to fund the construction of road entrances to the parks, storm water management, parking lots, invasive species control, trees and more.
“I often say that park management is not sexy,” Bluhm said.
But that management is what the nonprofit will likely focus on in the future, she said. It already controls 1,400 acres of property. With limited funding and only one full-time employee, it has to focus on turning that land into public spaces instead of acquiring more.
Asked about the county’s private-public system of park acquisition and management, Bluhm said it is a “good partnership, but it certainly is limiting” because her organization does not get a lot of county funding for park management.
“I think that if residents of Sussex County would like to see a more robust parks program, then they should probably call their county council people and maybe tell them to fund us a bit more,” Bluhm said.
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