Delaware County voters to decide on $120 million open space borrowing proposal
Voters in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, will decide Nov. 3 whether to allow the county to borrow up to $120 million for land conservation projects.
The referendum has drawn support from environmental advocates who believe it would protect natural resources and curb development, and opposition from those concerned about the cost and potential impact on housing.
County officials said conservation projects could protect drinking water sources, improve water quality in rivers and creeks, preserve wildlife habitats, conserve trees and wetlands, create greenways and parks and safeguard natural areas from development.
Jaclyn Rhoads, president of the Darby Creek Valley Association, supports the referendum. Rhoads said open space benefits communities in multiple ways.
"It maintains the community character and protects our drinking water," Rhoads said. "Not only that, it increases property values. It prevents pollution that we would have had to pay for later with increased wastewater bills."
Delaware County has already invested in open space. In 2021, County Council purchased a 213-acre wooded property at the former Don Guanella School in Marple Township. The county plans to transform the site into Delco Woods, a park with paved hiking paths, mountain bike trails and a dog park.
Council member Elaine Schaefer said last year that the project would cost $50 million. The county plans to seek grants to cover the cost, but it remains unclear whether any money from the proposed borrowing could go toward Delco Woods.
"Our natural resources are not just pretty things to look at and enjoy," Schaefer said. "They perform really important environmental services that keep quality of life in our communities high."
The Delaware County Republican Party opposes the referendum, citing concerns about a potential property tax increase. The county estimates that borrowing the full $120 million would cost the average household about $24 a year.
"We give an inch and they take a mile," Michael Straw, chairman of the Media Borough Republican Committee, said. "I don't think it's appropriate to necessarily shoulder the burden of acquiring green space on the entire county, when there are specific areas within this county that don't have green space left to preserve."
The home-building industry has also raised concerns, arguing that preserving additional land could leave less room for new single-family homes, townhouses, condos and apartments.
"When you conserve a piece of property, supply and demand don't suspend themselves," Joseph Viscuso, a spokesperson for the Home Builders Association of Chester and Delaware Counties, said. "We have a shortage of about 5 million affordable homes. And when I say affordable, I'm talking about nurses, teachers, police officers. Affordable housing is a crisis in the U.S. today."
Some of the money would be distributed through the Green Ways Grants Program, which invests in parks and trails throughout the county. The referendum could shape the county's landscape for years to come.
