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News and Articles

Below are articles, including those from our newsletter. This will be updated on an as needed basis.

Four Seasons Community Center Pedestrian Bridges Project

Summer/Fall 2025 Newsletter

In May 2025, the Four Seasons Homeowners Association, with financial support from the Honorable Cyndie Romer, State Representative of the 25th District, and New Castle Conservation District recently completed a much-needed improvement around the Four Seasons community center and pool area. Two aging pedestrian bridges that crossed the nearby ponds had become unsafe for use, prompting a need for action to be taken. With funding secured and support from local leadership, the district partnered with the structural engineering team at VanDemark & Lynch, Inc. to design two new pedestrian bridges. The district also provided construction administration and inspection services to ensure the project met the safety and quality standards. Construction began in March 2025 with Castle Construction Inc., following the completion of design and planning in September 2024. By May 2025, both new bridges were finished – delivering safer, more reliable crossings for residents and visitors alike. With the new pedestrian bridges completed, the Four Seasons community, home to nearly 200 households, can enjoy convenient and safe access around the ponds near the community center and pool.

Independence School Stream Stabilization Project

Summer/Fall 2025 Newsletter

The Independence School Stream Stabilization Project was sponsored by Senator Dave Sokola with money from the Community Reinvestment Act. Project completion was a collaborative effort between Merit Construction Engineers, Inc., ForeSite Associates, Inc., and New Castle Conservation District. The project consisted of 360 feet of restoration of an unnamed tributary of Pike Creek, which is part of the Wild and Scenic White Clay Creek watershed. The tributary stream was eroding towards one of the School’s main access roads and the bank erosion had exposed an electric cable-line posing a safety hazard. High stream flows during storm events resulted in frequent out-of-bank flooding and was also cutting into the stream bed. The project included an imbricated rock seat wall and a boulder path through the tributary stream so that it can also be used as an outdoor classroom. The project also utilized large rocks, log sills, log vanes, and recycled tree-root wads to reconfigure a more resilient, reshaped stream banks. The centerline of the stream was stabilized with cobble and scattered boulders. The stream channel was relocated away from the shoreline on the opposite side of an existing Sycamore tree to save the tree. In April 2025, at the annual Governor’s Agricultural and Urban Conservation Awards, the Independence School Stream Stabilization Project was awarded the 2025 Governor’s Urban Conservation Award for New Castle County. Each year, awards are given in the categories of agricultural and urban conservation within each of Delaware's three counties. These honorees are chosen for their ongoing commitment to improving the environment.

Windybush Pedestrian Bridge Project

Summer/Fall 2025 Newsletter

In February 2025, the Windybush Community, with financial support from Representative Larry Lambert, former Senator Sarah McBride, and New Castle Conservation District, completed the Windybush Pedestrian Bridge Project – a long-awaited improvement that enhances safety and connectivity for the community of Windybush. The project began in 2023, when concerns were raised about the deteriorating condition of the existing pedestrian bridge. Serving as a link between two sections of the neighborhood and used often by more than 100 residents, the bridge had become unsafe and in need of replacement. The District worked with the structural engineering team at VanDemark & Lynch, Inc. to assess the bridge’s condition – finding that a complete replacement of the bridge was needed. By March 2024, planning and design for the new bridge were underway. Over the following months, the district and Greggo & Ferrara, Inc. Construction worked closely to complete the project. Now complete, the new Windybush Pedestrian Bridge provides a safer, more reliable connection for residents.