Delaware County Council is back on track with its plans for the county’s newest park, Delco Woods in Marple Township.
County Council unanimously approved a $7.2 million payment Wednesday toward the $22 million cost to acquire the property from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and Marple Glen Development LLC, writes Kathleen E. Carey for the Daily Times.
The payment will go toward interest owed on the 213-acre property.
The council approved eminent domain proceedings four years ago to acquire the former Don Guanella property to turn it into a county park.
Previous efforts to develop the land had incurred push back from local residents and officials.
That’s when the county stepped in to purchase the land for a public park.
Toole Recreation Planning was authorized last fall to come up with a master plan for the park, at a cost not to exceed $40,000. That plan will be unveiled this year.
“This master plan is a visionary document of what the park could be and will serve as a long-term goal for the use of the property and allow us to plan for future activities and to attract funding to support that plan,” said Executive Director Barbara O’Malley last fall.
Read more about the Delco Woods in the Daily Times.
This promotional video from eight years shows the efforts underway then by Save Marple Greenspace and others to preserve the 213-acre Archdiocese property in Marple under threat of development.
