Final Public Meeting on Mineral Hill Area Master Plan is January 14

The public is invited to hear a presentation on the final plan

A final public meeting for the Mineral Hill Area Park Master Plan will be held 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14, in the County Council Meeting Room in the Delaware County Government Center in Media.

Delaware County Council and the County Planning and Parks and Recreation departments invite residents to attend the meeting to see a presentation on the plan for recreational facilities and amenities proposed for the Mineral Hill Area. Following the presentation, attendees will be given an opportunity to ask questions about the final draft plan.

At a meeting on Sept. 25, 2012, the public provided information and ideas on park experiences, amenities, and facilities. At a second meeting on April 23, 2013, the draft plan was presented, and the public provided comments that helped refine the draft report. Both meetings were very well attended.

In 2010, Delaware County Council purchased “Mineral Hill,” a 46.2-acre tract that is part of the study area and famous among rock buffs for its wealth of stone specimens and crystals.

Delaware County and the three municipalities with property in the Mineral Hill Area have been undertaking a cooperative effort to plan for future recreational use of the County’s Mineral Hill property and adjoining municipal open spaces.

The 123-acre Mineral Hill Area is located on both sides of Ridley Creek on the north side of Baltimore Pike just west of Media. It is comprised of the County-owned Mineral Hill property and Middletown Township’s Memorial Park on the west side of the creek, and Scott Park and township-owned Lavin Tract in Upper Providence on the east side of the creek.

Natural Lands Trust (NLT), a local organization with extensive experience in land conservation, was hired to serve as consultant on the project. Funding for the plan was provided by a 50 percent matching grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), with a financial contribution provided by Aqua PA, and additional in-kind services donated by Natural Lands Trust and Delaware County. 

A project Steering Committee made up of County staff, municipal officials, the Chester-Ridley Crum Watersheds Association, and representatives from adjacent landowners Elwyn Inc., PECO, and Aqua PA, has been participating in development of the plan.

The study area has a number of unique and important environmental features, and is a source of drinking water for Aqua PA’s Media water treatment plant located on the south side of Baltimore Pike across from Memorial Park.

For these reasons, the plan has identified and mapped important natural resources, including geology, soils, topography, hydrology, vegetation, and other special characteristics.

Although the open spaces have been evaluated as one ecosystem to ensure environmental quality, increase public benefit, and limit redundancy, the planning process allowed each of the municipalities and the County to recommend improvements most suited to their specific needs and desires.

The Master Plan provides recommendations concerning stewardship of natural resources, appropriate park uses, trail system layout, site amenities, and possible pedestrian connections beyond the site. The amenities could include, but would not be limited to parking, signage, and recreational facilities. The final written product is expected to be published this winter.

For information about the public meeting on the Mineral Hill Area Master Plan, contact the Delaware County Planning Department at 610-891-5200. More information is also available at the Planning Department website: http://www.co.delaware.pa.us/planning