Pocopson Township Supervisor Ricki Stumpo with an award recently presented to the township by the Brandywine Valley Association for its efforts in open space preservation.
POCOPSON — At a recent Board of Supervisor’s meeting township officials showed off an award the township received for its open space preservation efforts.
Supervisors’ Chair, Steve Conary proudly displayed the 2012 Brandywine Valley Association (BVA) Stewardship award bestowed upon the township at the BVA’s annual dinner. Conary thanked township residents “for making this happen.”
The BVA is located at the Myrick Conservation Center in Pocopson Township. At the end of 2012, Pocopson Township purchased the development rights to four parcels of land, which included most of the BVA property, to make up a 470-acre corridor beginning at Wawaset Road and ending at Route 842.
According to its website, the BVA conducts its watershed conservation programs as well as an expanding watershed education program for local school districts and the general public from this Pocopson township site. Find out more at http://www.brandywinewatershed.org/.
—Kelli Siehl
After reading the article, I had to comment. While I am supportive of preserving open space, this situation just raises too many questions. When I spoke with the head of the BVA, he informed me that the organization has never sold any property for development. Therefore, why did the township pay the BVA a small fortune for development rights when the BVA has never developed anything. That seems like a terrible waste of taxpayer monies. It would have been better to purchase development rights from someone who was actually going to develop their land. At this point we have to pay back a loan for development rights that would never have be developed anyway.