Comstock-Gay: Del. 9 neighborhoods need continued support
Last month, President Joe Biden recognized the “Route 9 communities” of Delaware in his Democratic National Convention speech. It was thrilling to hear about the Del. 9 corridor referenced from such an enormous platform.
The corridor is comprised of “fence line communities” — those directly affected by a polluting facility or facilities nearby — that are combating impact created by haphazard zoning, sprawl and racially segregated social structures. These factors have allowed industries to be situated perilously close to residential homes, impacting the air, water and health of generations of residents.
Last winter, the Route 9 Community Development Corp. received a grant from the Bezos Earth Fund to help move critical remediation and rebuilding work forward. That grant also funded a “Bezos Fellow” — a community organizer who works directly with the development corporation and is hosted by the Delaware Community Foundation.
The Route 9 CDC, with support from the Bezos Earth Fund and the DCF, is working for environmental justice. It encourages the growth of resilient and self-sustaining communities, investing in environmentally restorative projects that repair, remediate and rebuild the environment and the local economy.
There is much work to do. Stormwater infrastructure and wetlands preservation, brownfield remediation and increased efforts in carbon mitigation and abatement strategies are all greatly needed.
The Delaware Community Foundation calls upon our local and state elected officials to continue this momentum, with additional investment in the Del. 9 communities. The investment will change the physical and mental health of the generations of residents to come, and all of us will be better when these communities succeed.
Stuart Comstock-Gay
President and CEO, Delaware Community Foundation
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
