In these challenging economic times, purchasing and preserving land as Open-Space, is no small feat. To do it without tax dollars is even a greater achievement.
County Council announced on Nov. 9, that the tract of land known as Mineral Hill would become the County's 12th park, adding to the county's 616 acres of open space.
County Council Vice-Chairman Christine Fizzano Cannon spearheaded the three-year project on behalf of Delaware County Council. She said the purchase from Elwyn was finalized on Sept. 23 and stressed that no county tax dollars were used. Instead, the $650,000 purchase price was funded through three sources:
- A Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) grant of $358,435;
- The Natural Lands Trust contributed $60,000 in federal funds from the United States Army Corps of Engineers;
- Middletown Township contributed the remainder of the purchase price from its Park Facilities Fund, which is funded through fees paid by developers to Middletown in lieu of providing recreational facilities at their developments, and from proceeds raised through open space fund-raising events.
Mineral Hill is a scenic, wooded property on Baltimore Pike just west of Ridley Creek, near the intersection of Elwyn Road and Baltimore Pike. The preservation of Mineral Hill expands the open space along Ridley Creek, as it is adjacent to Memorial Park in Middletown Township and Scott Park and the Lavin tract in Upper Providence.
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