5/19/2014
New Castle County Council backs Wagoner's Row plan; Weiner: "Plan's design promotes the byway"

Councilman Bob Weiner said the plan's design was the kind of thoughtful and quality design promoted by supporters of the byway."It's really low density, will have minimal impact on surrounding communities, it respects community character, it's sensitive to its position as a gateway property along the byway and will largely be invisible to the traveling public given its massive buffering," Weiner said.

N.C. County Council backs development plans
Adam Taylor, The News Journal; 7:12 a.m. EDT May 19, 2014

Story Highlights
• Wagoner's Row will offer 12 homes on 20 acres at Montchanin and Buck roads
• Homes will be sold to adults 55 years old and above
• Home sizes will be 3,000 square feet and sell for about $1 million each

New Castle County Council has voted to rezone part of a 20-acre property on Montchanin and Buck roads in Greenville to allow for 12 homes that will sell for about $1 million each.

Twelve acres that will pave the way for the Wagoner's Row project will be rezoned. Two existing residences will remain and the rest of the land – about 51 percent – will remain as open space, officials said.

The property is owned by the Mary Kaye Carpenter Trust. She is the mother of former Philadelphia Phillies owner Ruly Carpenter, who grew up on the property. The trustees decided to subdivide the property after Mary Kaye Carpenter died last year.

The lots for the homes will be between one-quarter and one-third of an acre. The one-story cottage-style houses will be 3,000 square feet and be for sale to people at least 55 years old.

The property is along the Brandywine Valley National Scenic Byway. The plan met with criticism of county land use officials at first, but eventually received approval when the landowners changed the plan to minimize byway travelers from being able to see the homes from the road.

Under the first plan, homes would have been 50 feet from Montchanin Road. The plan that was approved calls for the homes to be at least 125 feet from the road and for more of the mature pine trees along the road to be preserved.

"The idea is to give folks an opportunity to live in a beautiful place in a beautiful part of the county, but to do it on a downsized basis and not have some of the massive structures that have sprung up on the viewshed," said Wendie Stabler, the attorney for the trust.

Eleven of the 13 council members voted to approve the project. Council President Chris Bullock and Councilman Penrose Hollins abstained because the engineer for the project has worked on plans at Canaan Baptist Church, where Bullock is pastor and Hollins is a member. Councilman Jea Street was absent.

Councilman Bob Weiner said the plan's design was the kind of thoughtful and quality design promoted by supporters of the byway.

"It's really low density, will have minimal impact on surrounding communities, it respects community character, it's sensitive to its position as a gateway property along the byway and will largely be invisible to the traveling public given its massive buffering," Weiner said.

Councilwoman Janet Kilpatrick said Greenville already has apartments for younger people and large houses for families, but needs more smaller homes for retirees, so that people have the opportunity to live in the same community for their entire adult lives.

The Save Our Delaware Byways group had opposed the plan earlier, but no members were present at Tuesday's vote.

There are already buyers ready to sign contracts for the homes – and a waiting list in case anyone backs out. One of the 12 prospective buyers is former governor and U.S. Rep. Mike Castle.

Contact Adam Taylor at (302) 324-2787 or ataylor@delawareonline.com.

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