Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Dozens of Delawareans sent me ideas, edited my words and greatly improved the final product. I’m grateful
to all of them.
There are four in particular who deserve special mention, because the project started with them many
months ago, seated around my kitchen table.
Susan Swan, Ann Marie Johnson Ianni, Nancy Charron and Stephanie McClellan were simply amazing in
terms of their wisdom, tenacity and patience with me. Any mistakes in these pages are, of course, mine
alone. But the four of them rightfully get credit for that which is good. I simply can’t thank them enough.
I’m also grateful to the folks at Brain Storm, a firm focused on developing policy ideas for public servants.
They were very helpful in terms of making sure I was up to speed on initiatives across the country – for
better and for worse.
I would also like to thank Joe Rogalsky, Molly Keresztury, Jed Weeks, Douglas Marshall-Steele, and Sheila
Grant amongst others who made important editorial contributions at different times in the process.
Finally, I thank my family for their love and support, not just during the writing of this book, but during my
entire career serving the people of Delaware. My kids, Molly and Michael, as well as my wife, Carla, remind
me all the time that government and policy are not supposed to be about fancy speeches and ideas, but
rather about actions that make a difference in the lives of real people. I love them and am grateful for their
love in return.
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 75
All too often state agencies are stuck in their silos, focusing regulations and building codes can hinder the protect these areas now can save millions of dollars Brownfields ought to be considered within the broader
on their narrow policy areas, without stopping to consider development of these communities because developers for water quality improvements later and provide context of how our communities wish to use and preserve
the bigger picture and their small but potentially find that buying land outside of designated growth zones the aesthetic and recreational benefits of clean land, and not simply as an isolated program, as often is the
important contribution to broader state issues like is cheaper and comes with fewer strings attached than water. case. To protect public health while maximizing
growth. In the mid-1990s the Delaware General Assembly property inside designated growth zones, which is where opportunities for effective land use and beneficial
we should be encouraging new construction. • Developing a model statewide approach to economic and community development, Delaware
passed legislation creating a Cabinet Committee on State
developing new schools. should pursue the following strategies concerning
Planning Issues. The purpose of the committee is to The state can encourage compact community It is time for the state and developers to create a brownfields:
advise the governor on orderly growth and development development, as well as give Delawareans more diverse partnership and agree upon the financing of new
of the state, but I believe this committee has been housing choices, by encouraging local governments to • Develop a brownfield redevelopment
schools. Rather than continue with an approach
tremendously underutilized. promote infill development and adopt parallel zoning inventory.
that relies on different developer fees in different
To better coordinate growth issues at the state level, I will regulations and building codes that level the regulatory areas throughout Delaware, the state ought to An inventory of this sort was pilot tested in South
ensure that the Cabinet Committee on State Planning is an playing field. work with the counties and local governments to Wilmington, and would be a useful tool statewide.
active, forward-thinking body which coordinates efforts to develop one formula for financing new schools in Such an inventory would allow redevelopment to be
Recent studies have found that these efficient
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roads, sewers, parks, schools, and other infrastructure on open spaces, including: • Transitioning farms to produce high 9 percent, while the amount of time we spend in our cars
their own. • Enhancing the conservation options for demand agricultural products. will grow by almost half (48 percent).16
Delaware landowners who want to protect The most obvious way to preserve farmland is to
By the year 2025 our elderly population will have grown
Locating State Government Offices in their land, especially those in designated preserve farms by helping to make farming
three times faster than the non-elderly.17 Many of these
profitable. Commodity crops such as corn and
Downtown Areas rural areas.
soybeans may not always be profitable to produce,
older Delawareans will prefer not to drive but to use
This starts with improving the financial literacy of public transportation.
Our state government should lead by example when it landowners about their options and how best to although the recent use of corn and soybeans in
comes to making forward-thinking growth management the production of ethanol and biodiesel fuel With increases in travel distances and in the number of
structure their estate for the most financial gain and
decisions. Since our government controls the leasing and around the country may prove otherwise. But the elderly, the demands upon our transportation
best conservation of land. Just as I helped
construction of its own office space, it should abide by the state also ought to work with farmers to consider infrastructure will be significant. Most of the responsibility
champion the development of Delaware’s
same Smart Growth principles that it encourages local growing consumer-oriented crops. For example, will fall upon our state government. While states on
nationally-recognized Money School, I will support
governments and the private sector to adopt. barley and hops can supply microbreweries up and average maintain about 20 percent of the roadways within
the development of a similar financial literacy and
down the East Coast, while organic vegetables their borders, Delaware’s Department of Transportation
Delaware should select new state office leases and land conservation program to help Delaware’s
increasingly are in demand in restaurants and (DelDOT) is responsible for about 90 percent of the
building construction based on responsible growth farmers and landowners benefit from and preserve
grocery stores. Education and outreach regarding state’s 12,000 lane miles.18
criteria that include: access to downtown areas, access to the land they love.
these market opportunities and investments by the
public transportation, use of redeveloped brownfield • Encouraging the use of Transfer of Most metropolitan areas across the country are
state will be important. But if today’s commodity
properties, and potential job creation through Development Rights (TDR) to protect experiencing the same congestion we are in Delaware.19
farmers choose to transition to these sorts of
neighborhood revitalization. greenspaces while allowing for future We can learn from other states and communities that are
emerging agricultural opportunities, or at least to
development. beginning to implement new approaches to
Other states already have taken similar action. In 2000, sell out to smaller value-added growers, horse
TDR programs allow for future growth within transportation planning: increasing the availability of high
for example, former Gov. Tom Ridge of Pennsylvania farmers, and other agriculture-related farmers
designated areas of a community, while maintaining quality transit service, and ensuring connectivity between
signed the Downtown Location Law, which encourages instead of developers, this could diversify our
rural greenspaces. This helps avert residential pedestrian, bike, transit, and road facilities. In short, our
state agencies to locate new offices in central business agricultural base in Delaware while preserving the
sprawl by directing development to areas that are peers across the country are using a multi-model
districts. The law requires the Pennsylvania Department land.
more appropriate, such as near urban areas where approach to transportation to create a variety of
of General Services to establish guidelines for state
infrastructure is readily accessible. TDRs protect transportation options and take pressure off our
agencies that facilitate downtown location. The law Transportation Ideas to Get
open space at no expense to taxpayers and ensure congested roadways. It is incumbent upon state
allows flexibility in considering factors such as the
availability of public transportation, public safety, and that landowners do not suffer a reduction in Delaware Moving government to plan wisely for our future transportation
property value that can accompany other zoning needs, particularly in the following areas:
local economic impact. California also has enacted In large part, migration trends over the past several
similar state building location guidelines through mechanisms. They also provide conservation- decades within Delaware have reflected those throughout
executive order. minded landowners with a financial alternative to the United States. While Delawareans were concentrated Reducing Congestion
development. And TDRs also can facilitate the in Wilmington for much of our state’s history, the post- To reduce congestion on our roads, I believe Delaware
construction of more affordable housing because World War II boom in automobile sales – along with the
Preserving Farmland and Open they promote compact development. As governor I
should:
development of the interstate highway system –
Spaces would work to establish a statewide TDR program, contributed to the rise of suburbs and outward expansion. • Make congestion reduction the primary goal of
As a member of the state’s Agricultural Land Preservation which would provide more opportunities statewide state investments in our transportation
while overcoming the challenges posed by the That trend continues today. Delawareans continue to infrastructure.
Foundation Board, I have seen firsthand the value of our
limitations of local governments for land move away from the city centers and spread out to less Congestion impacts our quality of life and harms
state’s efforts to protect our farms. The state’s Agricultural
acquisition and transfers. My administration’s TDR dense areas. However, most of our jobs remain in the the bottom line of our businesses. Small
Lands Preservation Program has permanently protected
program will coordinate with county officials so cities – Wilmington, Newark, and Dover – and along the improvements in reducing traffic congestion
more than 80,000 acres.14 We must continue to fight
that development rights from a farm in Sussex or major corridors like U.S.13, 40, and Delaware 1, 2, and improve worker productivity and make businesses
sprawl by purchasing as many preservation easements
Kent can be used in a high-growth area of New 141.15 more apt to remain in an area because they can
from additional landowners as possible. Recent decreases
in real estate values may provide a good opportunity to Castle County. As you would expect, this increases both the distance and operate more efficiently. As part of a broader effort
acquire additional easements at reasonable prices. time of our commutes. Between 2000 and 2025, the to make DelDOT work more effectively, I believe
average trip length in Delaware is projected to increase by the state ought to make congestion reduction the
But there is more we can do to preserve farmland and primary goal of state investments in transportation.
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In doing so, DelDOT would be required to invest in Similarly, the state needs to look for more efficient Delaware’s state government is a large consumer of
strategies to reduce congestion on our highways ways to streamline school and public transportation. energy and one of the biggest customers for new cars and
and roads, focusing on such major sources of With school buses visiting nearly every area of the trucks. Our state government should lead by example in
congestion as identifying and removing accidents state twice a day, we should be looking at ways to use the way it consumes energy and foreign imported oil.
more quickly, eliminating known bottlenecks, this important resource to help more Delawareans
Within six years, every car in Delaware’s fleet should be a
coordinating traffic signals to improve traffic flow, get where they need to go.
hybrid or an alternative fuel vehicle. State government
and designating truck- and bus-only lanes. • Explore improvements to Delaware’s rail also should continue to champion the installation of
• Invest in Integrated Transportation systems. alternative fuel pumps (like E-85 ethanol) by encouraging
Management Systems. Rail is one of the best ways to get Delawareans the purchase of fuel from suppliers that install alternative
It is extremely costly to build new roads or add moving and encourage smarter development. fuel pumps at their service stations. By leveraging the
lanes to existing roads. But a more cost-effective Delaware should explore options like speeding the state’s fuel purchasing power, we can increase the
way to reduce congestion is to invest in Integrated connection of the Septa and MARC systems to allow availability of alternative fuels in Delaware and encourage
Transportation Management Systems. These more people to travel by rail and bring workers and Delawareans to help reduce our dependence on oil.
systems rely on diverse technologies to improve businesses into Delaware. We must focus on
traffic flow, communicate traffic conditions in real extending rail service where it makes the most
time to drivers to enable them to plan their routes economic sense. Northern New Castle County
to avoid congestion, adjust traffic signals, and could benefit, for example, from new rail service
coordinate incident management to identify, connecting it to Aberdeen, Md., where thousands
respond to, and clear accidents more quickly, of new federal jobs are going to be placed in the
among other strategies. Due to budget limitations, coming years as part of the military’s base-
the state has implemented ITMS technologies realignment process.
covering only 250 out of the state’s 4,000 miles of • Encourage infrastructure development for
roadways, focusing on the I-95 corridor, Dover, and walking and biking.
Sussex County resort areas. I would propose We should be doing everything we can as a state to
funding the deployment of ITMS technologies that encourage pedestrians and cyclists. Getting more
reduce congestion on the next highest priority 250 people out of their cars not only benefits the
miles of roadways, based on DelDOT assessments environment and reduces traffic, it is great exercise.
of congestion, traffic volumes, commercial As governor, I will make it a priority for Delaware to
importance, and other factors. enhance existing trails and walkways and to
encourage developers to include cycling and
Promoting Alternatives to Driving walking paths in new developments. It is my goal to
• Improve DART bus routes to ensure that make Delaware the friendliest state in the country
people can get to where they work. for pedestrians and cyclists.
We need to systematically and continuously evaluate
whether DART bus routes are serving their ridership Demonstrate Leadership by Using
adequately. The state needs to use rider surveys and Alternative Fuel State Vehicles
gather feedback from employers and community
organizations to ensure that DART routes are getting The days of cheap gasoline are over. In my chapter on
workers to their places of employment as directly as energy, I discuss why it is important for Delaware’s
possible. As needs evolve and are identified, the state economic and environmental security to reduce our
may need to invest in new buses and routes and re- dependence on oil and other fossil fuels. State
adjust routes that no longer are meeting the needs of government can and should do its part and lead the way
riders. (For example, I recently announced my by transitioning its fleet of vehicles to hybrids and
support for implementing bus service on Sundays.) alternative fuel vehicles.
We have some great institutions of higher learning and the I believe that if we can make Delaware Number One in a
University of Delaware even has a $1 billion endowment – category in which it recently ranked dead last, then we can
but our high school graduation rate ranks about 40th in make Delaware Number One in every category. And we
the country, and half of our African-American and Hispanic should.
kids drop out of high school before graduating. And that’s why I’ve worked so hard over the last eight
We have a fantastic court system and a wonderful legal years to reduce the cost of government by tens of millions
industry – but our state ranks among the very lowest in of dollars by negotiating better deals from vendors doing
creating new businesses. business with the state.
I’m not satisfied with any of that – and I bet you’re not That’s why I worked hard to increase the number of
either. And that’s what this election is all about. families participating in the Delaware College Investment
Plan by more than 20,000. Together, those 20,000 families
We can either settle for the way things are – or we can try have saved $300 million.
to do better. For our state. Our schools. Our families. Our
children. That’s why I started a nationally-recognized initiative to
help state employees get physicals and learn how to
We can either vote for more of the same – or we can improve their health. That brought down the cost of their
choose to move forward. healthcare – which saved them and the state money – and
We can either accept that Delaware is good enough – or improved their health.
we can aim to make it the best. That’s why, when I learned that 10% of the people in this
I believe that we can make the First State first again. state didn’t have a checking account – and that even more