A
brief history of the lands
bordering Flint Hill, Stricklersville, and Elbow
Roads:
• 1975: Maryland acquired 5613
acres as Fair Hill Natural
Management Resource Area. The land is just south of the
Pennsylvania/Maryland
border. It starts
at the western end of
London Britain Township and continues to Elk Township.
• 1984: The DuPont Company
donated almost 1700 acres to the
states of Pennsylvania and Delaware.
From this time forward the
concept of a connecting animal
corridor between White Clay and Fair Hill to help in
decreasing the
fragmentation of habitat became a constant goal among members
of several
organizations within the township.
In the 1990's White Clay
Watershed Association conducted a
study to determine if an animal corridor could be created to
connect the White
Clay Preserve with Fair Hill. The open land left indicated
that this corridor
had to go through London Britain Township as all other areas
were too built up
to create the 400 foot wide corridor recommended at that time.
In 2000 the two subdivisions
that comprise the Southern end
of the Greenway were presented to the Board of Supervisors
• In the process of
negotiation the township purchased Lot
#5 from the Cunningham/Bristows with a grant from Chester
County.
• The Open Space in Flint Hill
Crossing is a result of
Subdivision Ordinance Requirements and an agreement with the
developer to
eliminate 20 houses on the west side in favor of a tax write
off for value
given.
In 2006 Master Site Plan was
developed for the development
of the two sites using grant money from the State. A Master
Site Plan was
developed using public money, required public input, meetings,
and included all
the “pie-in-the-sky” things that might be wanted. It took
between six months to
a year to develop but this Plan is required if any County and
State money were
to be used in actual development.
In the early 2007 Grant money
was obtained from Chester
County and Pennsylvania to develop "Greenway South." This was
to
include establishment of a meadow to help control invasive
plants, limited tree
planting, mowed trails and creation of a parking lot and a
handicapped trail
and overlook.
2011 sees the completion of
the development achieved with
the development grant.
Overall Timeline for
connecting Greenway:
1965 - Citizen opposition to
the dam results in the
incorporation of the White Clay Watershed Association.
1975 - Maryland acquires 5613
acres as Fair Hill Natural
Management Resource Area
Mid 1970s - Plans for a White
Clay Creek dam are abandoned
amidst opposition from citizens, United Auto Workers' members,
and conservation
organizations as well as new studies predicting lower future
water needs.
1984 - The DuPont Company
donates almost 1700 acres to the
states of Pennsylvania and Delaware for inclusion in the White
Clay Creek
Bi-state Preserve to ensure its protection.
1991 – Intermodal Surface
Transportation Efficiency Act
(ISTEA) is passed. Among other things this law includes
planning for Open Space
and Open Space opportunities. The connecting Greenway is on
the Delaware Valley
Regional Planning Commission as an open space opportunity, and
helps us with
State Grants when the Township or Land Trust applies for.
Acquisition of the above
property creates one mile of the
proposed connecting greenway of the 4 miles that are needed
within London
Britain Township.
2004 - Conservation Reserve
Enhancement Program (CREP) trees are planted. This is a
Federal Program
designed to protect creeks from deterioration and silt runoff.
The Government
rents the ground for 15 years, and pays for planting the
trees. Three years were
required to put this program in place with the USDA.
2006's — A Master Site Plan
was developed for the
development of the two sites using grant money from the State.
A Master Site
Plan was developed using public money, required public input,
meetings, and
included all the “pie-in-the-sky” things that might be wanted.
It took between
six months to a year to develop but this Plan is required if
any County and
State money were to be used in actual development.
2007's — Grant money is
obtained from Chester County and
Pennsylvania to develop "Greenway South." By the end of 2011,
this
program has almost completed round #1 of development but also
comes with the
end of these grant monies.
The above only discusses the
one mile of the western end of
the Greenway. It does not discuss the 2.5 miles that have been
put under
conservation easement on the eastern end, or the 300 plus or
minus acres that
are in agricultural easements, and other types of conservation
easements
throughout the township.