The Pilot School site in Brandywine Hundred could be home to a new 55-plus community.
The property sits on Garden of Eden Road adjacent to the community of Tavistock, just west of Concord Pike.
The school, which is planning a move to a larger location, would sell the 15.4 acre site to the Reybold Group, which would build the subdivision.
But first, New Castle County must grant a rezoning to allow for the age-restricted community. That rezoning, and the initial plans for the site, will be the subject of a New Castle County Planning Board hearing on Tues., July 7.
Public testimony is welcome at the meeting, but the Planning Board will not issue a recommendation.
Reybold says the 150-unit community will have a combination of single-family homes, town homes and apartments/condominiums, as well as a clubhouse area.
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NCCo Planning Board Public Hearing Tues., July 7, 7 p.m. Gilliam Bldg., 77 Reads Way, New Castle For complete agenda: www.nccde.org. |
Councilman Robert Weiner (R-Chatham), said he and Reybold's Jerome Heisler have already met with Frank Maderich, who chairs the Pilot School Working Group, a group comprised of civic leaders from Tavistock and nearby Edenridge.
The Pilot School itself, which has roughly 150 students, is planning a move to a state-of-the-art 75,000-square-foot building on Woodlawn Road, and is awaiting county approval to begin construction on the new building.
The population in New Castle County, like in most parts of the country, is aging, and age-restricted communities are likely to be in greater demand as a result. There are currently 15 55+ communities in the county.
| Total NCCo Pop. | Ages 45-55 | Ages 65+ | |
| 2000 | 500,265 | 108,574 | 57,903 |
| 2008 | 523,194 | 136,548 | 60,764 |
| 2010 (proj.) | 529,641 | 144,070 | 63,371 |
