Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Beaver Valley in Concord saved from development
CHADDS FORD >> The Brandywine Conservancy confirmed Thursday that it had met its $8 million goal to help save the Beaver Valley property in Concord, Delaware County, from a proposed housing development.
Kim Reynolds, the conservancy’s director of development, said in a telephone interview that donors had swept the fundraising efforts to the goal in the past two weeks after a Delawarebased non-profit organization dedicated $5 million to preserving the 240-acre property, which abuts the First State Heritage National Park in Delaware.
“We are still in the process of collecting all the pledges, but at this point we have enough commitments to meet the $8 million that is needed,” Reynolds said from the conservancy’s headquarters in Chadds Ford. “It is beyond thrilling.”
A support group, Save the Valley, said the conservancy had received almost 2,000 individual donations, “making it one of the largest crowdfunded movements our community has ever seen,” the group said in their announcement. “All of your passion, tireless work, and dedication made it happen.”
Reynolds said that after the Mt. Cuba Center in Wilmington pledged $5 million to the effort, donations came rushing in and pushed the effort across the finish line. The project had to raise the full $8 million by Wednesday to meet its agreement with the landowners. The final $175,000 came in the past week.
“We received over $1 million in gifts in the past 2 weeks,” Reynolds said, describing an “outpouring of support. A lot of people believed in the project but we still had a ways to go until then.” She said there were donations of every level, from $5 to $100 to six figures.
The plan to save the Beaver Valley tract was first announced in November by members of the Delaware County Council, the conservancy, the Mt. Cuba Center, and other organizations. Delaware County Council Vice Chairman Colleen Morrone, a Concord resident, said that the proposal would keep the land from a planned housing development.
“Township and county residents will be able to continue to enjoy the pastures, winding trails and wildlife of the scenic and historic Beaver Valley property,” she said. “This serves as a model for future open space initiatives.”
The land is owned by Woodlawn Trustees, Eastern States Development Co. and McKee-Concord Homes and the latter two received
preliminary land development/subdivision approval from the board in 2015 for a 160-home development to be known as Vineyard Commons.
A favorite spot for hikers, bikers, horseback riders and runners throughout the region, “the valley,” as it is known, was originally acquired by William Penn from the Duke of York in 1682. Nearly a century later, General George Washington’s troops fought the British on nearby land, and the scenic property has inspired generations of artists, including Andrew Wyeth.
The more recent history began in 2011, when the developers approached the supervisors to change the zoning. Following a series of public hearings, the board chose not to alter the zoning and the applicants returned with a by-right plan that complied with township code. The purchase of the land will effectively eliminate the housing development.