New Castle County unveils draft Sustainability Plan, seeks public feedback until end of May

New Castle County releases a draft sustainability plan outlining continuing efforts and short and long-term goals for the county.

The county is seeking feedback on the plan until the end of May and will hold in-person and virtual public meetings over the next few weeks.

The plan looks at affordable and sustainable housing development, open space, recreation and waste management, along with green energy like electric vehicle infrastructure and solar farm feasibility, climate resilience, protection of natural resources, and environmental justice.

County Executive Matt Meyer says this plan is similar to the state’s Climate Action Plan with a county-specific focus.

“The goal is obviously to complement those plans and in some cases supplement them. In some cases there are goals and programs in there that we think can be expanded on and will be expanded on in the county hopefully long into the future.”

Meyer says that work is led by the county’s Land Use Department, which he says on a smaller scale can often do more than state or federal governments can.

Land Use General Manager Charuni Patibanda highlights infill development as one major goal.

“There are all kinds of parcels along Kirkwood Highway that have buildings already on them, so redevelopment or infill development is redoing those properties into projects that include mixed uses like housing and retail or office and retail or whatever it is the market is calling for,” Patibanda says.

The county’s new Sustainability Coordinator Kristie Arlotta will lead many of these efforts, including efforts to deal with one of the county’s most prevalent issues, air quality.

“Air pollution can be very localized as well and it’s so different,” Arlotta says. “Claymont might be very different than New Castle. So our goal is to increase the amount of air monitors we have and also think about how can we address those air quality issues.”

Historically, the county has received an “F” for air quality in the American Lung Association’s “State of the Air” report, but this year received its best ever rating, a “C,” which means there are still too many ozone action days.

Residents can review the plan and submit feedback online. The county’s next public information session is May 1 at the Route 9 Library.