Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2005
Governor Minner Announces Preservation of 145 Acres Adjacent to White Clay Creek State Park
Dover – Governor Ruth Ann Minner announced today that the state has protected from development 145 acres surrounded by White Clay Creek State Park through the state’s acquisition of Deerfield Golf and Tennis Club.
“Protecting this land is just a continuation of the conservation efforts that are part of my Livable Delaware initiative,” said Gov. Minner. “The acquisition permanently protects prime open space that was targeted for development. It moves Delaware closer to our goal of preserving as much open space as possible for current and future generations of Delawareans and visitors to enjoy.”
The newly protected lands will be added to the 3,384 acres of the adjacent White Clay Creek State Park and will be managed by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control through its Division of Parks and Recreation. The property also includes the Rankin House, a historic residence that has been restored and is used as a guesthouse. DNREC is currently developing plans for the property, which will include making the golf course fully accessible to the public for use. DNREC plans to develop a request for proposals that will be widely circulated and used to solicit bids from prospective operators for the golf course, food and beverage services and tennis operations.
“An important consideration was that it links already protected state park lands,” said DNREC Secretary John Hughes. “It fills in gaps and creates habitat corridors. When this property came on the market, we knew that extensive residential development there was not acceptable.”
The $12 million land acquisition from MBNA was authorized in the state’s bond bill. The property is just west of the intersection of Paper Mill and Thompson roads at Milford Crossroads, north of Newark. The state and MBNA settled on the property Friday.
“The leadership of MBNA worked very hard with my administration to ensure that this pristine land would be protected from development forever,” Gov. Minner said.
