Group rolls out social media artillery, wins victory in rezoning fight

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A group opposed to rezoning an area adjacent to new national monument land on the Delaware line has rolled out a sophisticated online and social media effort aimed at stopping the project.

Their effort contributed to a decision by developers to withdraw proposals at a meeting on Tuesday, according to WDEL.

Known as Save The  Valley, the group hopes to stop development of an area known as Beaver Valley on the Pennsylvania-Delaware line. It has also rolled out a Facebook page with 2,500 likes  and a video that has gained 9,000 views.  (see above). The zoning issues has drawn no attention in Delaware, where the focus has been on the the former DuPont Barley Mill property. That office property would be converted to retail and by long-time developer Stoltz.

The plan from Woodlawn Trustees, that now goes by the name of the Rockford Woodlawn Fund, is going before the Concord Township board in Pennsylvania next week.

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Woodlawn has been active in Delaware and a small sliver of Pennsylvania over the decades in efforts to develop some of its properties and setting other land aside for preservation. Its mission comes from mill owner William Bancroft who owned the properties, but wanted to find ways to provide housing for residents.

The active adult homes will have some support in the area, which has an aging population. However, the group claimed that such homes end up being single family residences.

On the other hand, Woodlawn, over the years,  has  acquired properties in the area that were in danger of development.

Save the Valley also claims the development will clear the way for bigger projects.

“The only thing stopping the development is the current zoning. However, these developers are trying to change the zoning so that they may bulldoze the land and build almost a thousand houses and a big box retail store,” the group claimed on its website.

We are a group of concerned citizens who understand the value of preserving Beaver Valley. We aim to put a stop to the development plans on the remaining land held by the Woodlawn Trustees and to preserve the land permanently for recreational use. We want it to be known that we will not stand for development on this land. Join us in the fight for saving this precious land before it is too late,” the group wrote.

The group is also quibbling with Woodlawn over designating a 26-acre vineyard as open space, noting that it is a commercial enterprise. It also notes that a fuel pipeline, as currently routed would pass under the store.

Save the Valley won its first victory with supervisors changing the meeting site to the Garnet Valley Middle School in Concord Township.

The site asks those wishing to attend the meeting to arrive at 5:30 p.m. for  music, tailgating, petition signing and activities. “There will be media coverage,” the site says. Indeed, that is what happened, after the rezoning request  received little early attention.

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