Home development proposal at Brandywine County Club on way to state planners

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A plan to convert the Brandywine County Club property to a development with nearly 500 homes and apartments is on its way to state planners for comment.

The proposal is from Shipley Road Investments, which lists the same address as Capano Residential, the family-owned development company’s home and apartment development arm. The proposal project has been in the works for some time, with residents concerned about the density of the development and its impact on adjacent areas.

A plan submitted with New Castle County calls for a rezoning of
111.33 acres and development of a subdivision consisting of 138 single family attached and detached homes and 360 apartments. Some units would be age restricted.

Plans call for constructing the boulevard between Shipley Road and Concord Pike that would pass through Capano’s Concord Square shopping center, home of a Giant supermarket and Steinmart fashion discount store.

The shopping center would be a drawing card for residents of the proposed development, due to the presence of the grocery store.

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According to the county the plan also calls for about 7,000 square feet of the shopping center to be demolished with two pad sites developed as part of the development.

Robert Weiner, the County Councilman for the district at the  site of the proposed rezoning stated in a Facebook post that he has concerns regarding the proposed development. He is also asked the county Land Use Department to meet with community representatives in the affected areas around the proposed development.

Weiner said the developer has other options that would not require rezoning if the project was confined to land already zoned suburban.

The country club site sits on a prime piece of property on the Route 202 corridor.

The Brandywine Country Club closed a few years ago, with the Capano interests acquiring the property. Private country clubs have been struggling with changing lifestyles, fewer golfers and aging membership rosters.

To the south, the county approved a residential development at the site of the Cavalier’s County Club near Christiana Mall.

Residents have called for governments to buy golf courses and indeed that happened many years ago when the state acquired courses near Newark and Smyrna. However, owners of property can make far more money through residential and commercial developments.

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