A key historic farm in Delaware is under imminent threat of suburban strip commercial & high density residential development. Oh, and the School Board wants to tear down the historic manor home and build a school. What kind of history lesson is that?
Please read, sign, and pass along to your neighbors. Visit the links on the right-hand side of the petition page to learn all about the issues surrounding this disturbing situation. The Friends of Historic Glasgow have done an excellent job monitoring and fighting the case up to this point, but they need your help. The owner, who has Alzheimer's, expressed her intent "never to sell to developers" her entire life long. Shame on her wayward children:
http://www.ipetitions.com/campaigns/historicglasgowpark/
Another reason why if any of you out there have significant environmental or historic property you would like to protect, please consider deeded conservation easements. Historic overlay zoning can be overturned and watered down. National Register status is only helpful if you *want* to protect your property, it is absolutely meaningless if a property owner (or future owners) wants to develop it in spite of your past wishes.
4 comments:
That's terrible! I signed the petition and so did my parents. Ever since the Supreme Court decision in favor of development, this kind of thing has been bothering us more than ever.
And what will that Target and those icky plastic houses look like in 100 years? Yuk. Signed the petition.
Found out some good news today, due to CNN. I don't know if it will help in the fight for this farm, but I hope so. Delaware is one of the states that is trying to quickly pass legislation to limit the use of eminent domain. So I'm crossing my fingers that it's good legislation and that it's able to save this farm if all else fails.
As far as I can determine, there is no plan to use eminent domain to acquire this farm. This is all a deal between the children of the landowner and the developer. Therefore, the only thing stopping it now is the approval of the local jurisdiction. This is why we need to support the locals who are fighting to see that this approval is not obtained.
Eminent domain is a tool that allows local jurisdictions to acquire lands for public good, and was until recently, usually reserved for things like roads and other projects that obviously met a public need. However, it was recently upheld by the Supreme Court to acquire lands by a local jurisdiction that may be then turned over to private entities for development. Several states either already have or are planning to enact limitations to this, including limitations to such projects for public funding (which would mean any roads, sewer/water lines, or other public facilities would then have to be paid for out of the developer's or other private monies).
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