By Mike Finney

DOVER — A federally protected wetland on the grounds of where the Capital School District just began building two middle schools has had some residents of the adjacent Woodcrest development up in arms for the past two decades.

In a letter by Dover City Councilman Roy Sudler Jr. sent July 14, 2020, to Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons and Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, he and 12 other signees — including Rep. Sean Lynn, D-Dover, Sen. Trey Paradee, D-Dover, Dover Mayor Robin Christiansen and other city representatives — requested permission to backfill the wetlands area.

They are still awaiting a response.

“Dated as far back as 2001, the Woodcrest community has been tormented with community enrichment and environmental problems that have exceedingly impeded upon our constituent’s freedom to enjoy their real property, hardscape, and family gatherings,” Councilman Sudler wrote in the letter. “Within the last two decades, issues centered on the federally protected wetland/water-drainage system has generated a public safety and environmental anxieties that require your approval to be eliminated from their community.

“Problems such as infectious mosquitoes, snakes, groundhogs, wild fox, snapping turtles, and chemicals used to mitigate undesirable vegetation all serve as the focal point for a reduction in the community’s satisfaction and optimal well-being.”

He added, “This predicament has diminished the opportunity for community members to enjoy a lovely evening on their patio or entertain guests in their backyard because of all the problems, as mentioned earlier, that now take habitat in the federally protected area.”

While Dover City Council members are still waiting on a response from members of the Delaware delegation, Adewunmi Kuforiji, interim assistant superintendent of the Capital School District, told members of the city’s Parks & Recreation Committee that the district has taken interim steps to address the situation at the site, which had been the home of Dover High School until 2013.

If permission is not given to backfill the wetland area, the district will be responsible for maintaining it. Plans for the new schools do not include building directly on the land in question.

“As of last year, we brought somebody on board to make sure that the grass was cut, vegetation trimmed and maintenance in that area is taken care of,” Mr. Kuforiji said. “The parking lot, behind the wetlands area, we’re making sure that somebody’s doing the grass cuts on a regular basis.

“We’ve done some planting. The same person who is managing the vegetation of the wetland itself is installing some plants and making sure that, during the growing season, between March and October, that proper vegetation is being planted and making sure that the vegetation works and the system works the way it’s supposed to work.”

Mr. Kuforiji said that pickerelweed plantings have been installed, there has been maintenance of the riprap (stone) along both sides of the stormwater conveyance system, and the riprap will be kept vegetation-free.

He added that the Capital School District has also set up spraying of the area to ensure that mosquito problems do not arise.

“We’ve installed the vinyl fencing along our property and Woodcrest and also on the Silver Lake side, so hopefully, we’re making sure that we’re good neighbors and keeping up with that,” Mr. Kuforiji said.

“Our goal is to make sure that area looks nice and the vegetation and the wetlands area are kept up to standard.”

Michael D. Yost, a biologist with the Regulatory Branch of the Department of the Army’s Philadelphia District Corps of Engineers, did respond after the Capital School District wrote to him last year seeking permission to fill in the wetland area.

“Based on current information presented for the former Dover High School wetland site, a need to fill the site, other than that of a nuisance, has not been established,” Mr. Yost wrote. “As such, there is no purpose, and a scope of analysis cannot be properly conducted to evaluate alternatives.”

That is what led Councilman Sudler to seek assistance from Delaware’s Senate and House delegates.

He said that he made contact with all three offices, and they have assured him that they would convey their concerns and get back to him. He added that he thinks a reasonable amount of time for response has passed.

“This is a time-sensitive matter that has been ongoing for (many) years, and they would continue and, hopefully, have a joint effort from the Capital School District to continue to inquire and let them know the urgency and importance of gaining approval,” the councilman said.

With the two new middle schools set to open in fall 2023, both council members and Capital School District board members say now is the time to take care of this problem.

“We are looking forward to backfilling this area in, and I just wanted to say that the improvements that (the school district) made is notable, and I like it, as well,” Councilman Sudler said. “I think we’re showing good faith with our neighbors in trying to address the issues of that Woodcrest community.

“I just don’t want to see too much of the money being spent here to beautify it when the overall objective is to fill it in.”

Councilman Ralph Taylor Jr. also thanked Mr. Kuforiji and his staff for addressing the problem.

“We really appreciate you guys being proactive. That means it’s going to reduce the amount of complaints and everything else, and the neighbors recognize that we are all in this together,” Councilman Taylor said. “Before, it kind of felt like we (City Council) were saying and doing one thing, and the district was doing something else.

“Thank you for getting in front of this, so we don’t have to keep repeating the same attempts to remediate this problem over and over again.”