DEVELOPMENT
In 2011 the Auburn Valley Master Plan (AMVP) was set forth as a Development Plan for the Auburn Valley.
In 2016, things changed. While still showing the connectivity to other preserved and/or open lands, DNREC quietly re-designated an unconnected 10 acres of mature forest to brownfield status, and added it to the AVMP.
In 2021 DNREC did it again, with a smaller parcel of land, slightly closer to AVMP. No notice.
The Auburn Valley Master Plan proposal made in 2011 was based on a “need” to move quickly - they planned to accomplish this by bypassing New Castle County Planning and Unified Development Code. However, the promise DNREC made to honor Yorklyn’s historical, cultural, and community integrity is being broken by their skirting of NCC processes and policies.
Present Day
You have probably seen the construction site on Yorklyn Rd where Drake McNish Cattermole & his company, Quarry Walk LLC, cut down 10 acres of old growth trees - with no community notice - to build a subdivision of 25 townhouses (and later Mill’s Edge, bringing the total to 129 townhouses). DNREC has sidestepped New Castle County’s Unified Development Code involvement by adding Mill’s Edge to the Auburn Valley Master Plan - again, with no community notice or involvement.
“Presently, Quarry Walk is continuing to raise the ire of local residents. After Apex Engineering submitted an application to DNREC, Division of Water, to install twelve temporary 1500-gallon wastewater storage tanks at Quarry Walk, residents submitted a 100-plus signature petition requesting a hearing.”
Quarry Walk, LLC failed to build a pump house to connect the county’s sewage system to their site, insisted that it was supposed to have been NCC’s responsibility, and are now appealing to DNREC to allow for the installation of twelve 1,500-gallon sewage holding tanks (18,000 gallons in total), to be pumped every two days, while they build the sewage pumphouse. Neither Yorklyn residents nor the surrounding wetlands – which are home to many kinds of wildlife, only recently returned after the remediation of the land surrounding NVF – should have their quality of life impacted by Cattermole’s negligence.
“The conservation goals for the Red Clay Creek Valley are directed at working with the regional conservation organizations and neighbors to conserve and manage the Red Clay Creek Valley for habitat protection, viewshed preservation and appropriate rec‐ reational use.”