10/12/2009
Delaware Greenways will inspire smart growth; encourage pedestrian/cyclist-friendly streets; preserve open spaces & vistas - News Journal

New Castle County Councilman Bob Weiner said Delaware Greenways will inspire "smart growth," encouraging pedestrian and cyclist-friendly streets and preserving open spaces and vistas.

Brandywine Valley byway guide released
Scenic route packed with beauty, history
BY APRIL ABEL • THE NEWS JOURNAL • OCTOBER 12, 2009

The Brandywine Valley National Scenic Byway was born out of the philosophy: "Change is inevitable. Ugliness is not."

It's all about conservation, preservation and responsible growth along Del. 52 and Del. 100 from Delaware  into Pennsylvania.

Byway leaders hope to draw more attention to the scenic route and preservation efforts through the release of a new visitors guide and a Scenic America/Delaware Greenways workshop held last week in the Brandywine Valley.

"This is the result of several years of work, from the initial state designation as a scenic byway which began in 2000, to the national designation in 2005," said spokeswoman Sandra James.

The Brandywine Valley National Scenic Byway begins in downtown Wilmington and continues through Montchanin, Winterthur and Centreville, and then Fairville, Mendenhall and up into the Chadds Ford  area in Pennsylvania.

The just-released visitors guide has 19 pages detailing some of the valley's popular vistas, gardens and attractions.

More importantly, it will educate the public about the byway, the first of its kind in Delaware and one of only 126 in the nation.

"Delaware has no national park . We have national wildlife refuges, like Prime Hook and Bombay Hook. The byway is different. It's part of a tapestry of publicly and privately owned lands," said Mark Chura, executive director of the Delaware Greenways.

"We are seeking to encourage families to set aside land and preserve it for the future," he said.

Last week's planning workshop introduced the Delaware Greenways Byway Management Committee, co-chaired by Chura and Twin Lakes Brewery owner Sam Hobbs.

New Castle County Councilman Bob Weiner said Delaware Greenways will inspire "smart growth," encouraging pedestrian and cyclist-friendly streets and preserving open spaces and vistas.

Hobbs, who grew up in the area, remembers bicycling to school.

"We have to get back to a place where the sight of bicyclists and pedestrians doesn't make us wonder why they are there," he said.

The visitors guide is available through the Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau or can be viewed online at www.delawaregreenways.org.

Contact April Abel at 324-2894 or aabel@delawareonline.com.

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