If you have technical difficulties, please text us at (504

If you have technical difficulties, please text us at (504) 502-7658

Welcome!

• If you have technical difficulties, please text us at (504) 502-7658 so we can assist you.

• You can post comments and questions at any time using the chat function in Facebook Live or Zoom.

• If you are on your phone, press *9 to raise your hand or *6 to unmute yourself.

• Please mute when not speaking. Unmuted guests may be muted by staff to minimize background noise.


Project Team Introductions

Public Workshop #1

Southbridge Neighborhood Plan

February 16, 2021

Welcome! If you have technical difficulties, please text us at (504) 502-7658


Public Workshop Goals

• Introduce you to the project team • Provide information on what the Neighborhood Plan is• Share what we have heard so far + hear from you • Share our findings • Have you join a Working Group!


Welcome!

• If you have technical difficulties, please text us at (504) 502-7658 so we can assist you.

• You can post comments and questions at any time using the chat function in Facebook Live or Zoom.

• If you are on your phone, press *9 to raise your hand or *6 to unmute yourself.

• Please mute when not speaking. Unmuted guests may be muted by staff to minimize background noise.

Southbridge Neighborhood Plan If you have technical difficulties, please text us at (504) 502-7658

What is the Neighborhood Plan?


What is a Neighborhood Plan?What it can do

What it can recommend

Community Members’ Role

• Communicate goals and strategies for a shared community vision• Indicates who will need to do what to accomplish the vision

• What to build, what kind of businesses to attract • Strategies to stabilize rent and home prices • Strategies to create jobs, keep existing jobs• Strategies to make Southbridge an even better place to live

• Help develop recommendations for the community• Advocate for the plan’s implementation


Update to the 2006 Neighborhood Plan“Create a Central Parklocated to the immediatewest of Southbridge.”

South Wilmington Neighborhood PlanPrepared by the South Wilmington SAMP Neighborhood Plan Work Group

With technical assistance from:

Phillips Preiss Shapiro Associates, Inc.

Planning & Real Estate Consultants

June 2006

• Housing affordability requirement• Local jobs agreement with developers • Create destinations


Building on the 2028 Comprehensive Plan“Emphasize wetland park trails as an alternative pedestrian and bicycle route between Southbridge and other destinations.”

DECEMBER 2019

• Strong Safe Neighborhoods • Robust Local Economy • Connected City and Region • Sustainable and Resilient City


The Power of Planning in Southbridge

Industrial Hub• No zoning• Houses next

to industrial sites

20% Black

early 1900s

Image from Delware Public Media



Industrial Hub White Flight• No zoning• Houses next

to industrial sites

• Great Migration from the South

• Suburbanization and cars

74% Black(1960)

early 1900s mid 1900s-

20% Black



Industrial Hub White Flight Redlining • No zoning• Houses next

to industrial sites



• Discrimination by government and banks against communities of color

• Continues to impact community wealth

mid 1900s-early 1900s mid 1900s-

20% Black 74%

Black(1960)



Industrial Hub White Flight Redlining Planning• No zoning• Houses next

to industrial sites



• Discrimination by government and banks against communities of color

• Continues to impact community wealth

• Southbridge Civic Association

• Pollution + industry• Flooding

93% Black

Todayearly 1900s mid 1900s- mid 1900s-

20% Black 74%

Black(1960)


The Neighborhood Plan and Wellness• Planning goal: to improve health and wellness • COVID-19 and exposure of health inequities • Leverage the Neighborhood Plan to strengthen the foundation of wellness

Health &Wellness

education, housing, health care, jobs, walkability, social and community cohesion


Project TimelinePhase 1: Understand (Jan-Apr)

Phase 2: Envision (Apr-May)

Phase 3: Act (May-Jul)

• Existing Conditions Report• Workshops with the SC and public• Interviews• Survey

• Working Group Meetings• Draft recommendations and action steps• Mission and Vision Statements• Survey

• Final Prioritized Recommendations and Action Steps • Workshops with the SC and public


A note about the data • South Wilmington vs. Southbridge• The Census Bureau lumps together

Southbridge with the rest of South Wilmington

• Call it out if you don’t think the data looks right!

• A survey will be distributed to collect more accurate data

Southbridge Study Area Boundary

South Wilmington

Delaware River

Port of Wilmington

Downtown Wilmington

Christina River

76ers Fieldhouse


What We Heard


Who we spoke with » Councilwoman Michelle Harlee » Councilwoman Rysheema Dixon » Rich King (resident, Southbridge Civic Association) » Haneef Salaam (resident, community advocate) » Keith Selby (resident) » Marie Reed (resident) » Travis Smith (business owner) » Alison Windle (Neighborhood House) » Ella Edwards (Henrietta Johnson Medical Center) » Ellie Ezekiel (Delaware Nature Society) » Jennifer Adkins (Christina Conservancy, American Rivers) » Kate Dupont Phillips (Healthy Communities Delaware) » Bill Swiatek (Wilmington Area Planning Council) » Victor Perez (Professor at University of Delaware)


What People Love About Southbridge • Strong sense of community and identity • Southbridge Wilmington Wetland Park • Neighborhood House • Henrietta Johnson Medical Center • Mt Joy United Methodist Church• Low crime rate

CrimeMapping.com, 1/4/21-1/10/21

What do you love about Southbridge? Zoom or Facebook Live -- Share in the comments

Phone -- Press *9 to raise your hand Or Text -- Send your response to (504) 502-7658


Biggest Challenges Facing Southbridge • Flooding, sea level rise • Getting everyone to the table and on the same page• Perceptions of crime • Development and changes to the neighborhood

What do you think are the most urgent problems facing the Southbridge community? Zoom or Facebook Live -- Share in the commentsPhone -- Press *9 to raise your hand Or Text -- Send your response to (504) 502-7658


Top Priorities • Equitable Development -- make sure Southbridge benefits from development• Affordable Living and Quality Housing • Local Entrepreneurship • Improved Mobility -- biking, walking, public transportation• Resilience to Flooding and Sea Level Rise

Health &Wellness

education, housing, health care, jobs, walkability, social and community cohesion

Are these your top priorities? What is missing? Zoom or Facebook Live -- Share in the commentsPhone -- Press *9 to raise your hand Or Text -- Send your response to (504) 502-7658


Our Findings


Equitable Development

Christina Landing

• Large underutilized industrial parcels make new development likely.

Southbridge


Equitable Development • COVID-19 has created an unstable economic environment,

while new developments have brought little in terms of job or housing benefits for local residents.


South Wilmington Wilmington County

Poverty 31% 22% 7%

Uninsured 17% 20% 13%

Source: US Census Bureau, ACS 2015-2019 data for Census Tract 19.02 in New Castle County, DE, Wilmington, DE and New Castle County, DE



31%of residents in South Wilmington are living in poverty** Most likley this figure would be higher if Christina Landing is excluded from the data* The estimate is for before the COVID-19 pandemic, so may be higher today




9%of residents in Wilmington are in unemployed

Wilmington County Delaware

Unemployment rate 8.7% 4.8% 5.1%

Unemployment rate as of November 2020

Source: Office of Occupational and Labor Market Information, State of Delaware Department of LaborSource: Office of Occupational and

Labor Market Information, State of Delaware Department of Labor

Unemployment rate, Oct 2019 - Nov 2020

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov

County

State

Wilmington


Equitable Development Things to consider for the Southbridge Neighborhood Plan: • How can we make sure employers in the surrounding area are

bringing jobs and other benefits for residents? • How can we minimize negative consequences of new

development and industry? • How can we better space out industry from residential uses? • What job opportunities are missing in the neighborhood?


Affordable Living and Quality Housing• The increasing cost of housing and the impact of COVID-19

on people’s ability to pay their monthly rents and mortgage costs is posing a challenge for the community.

South Wilmington Rents Over Time

Source: ACS 2015-2019 data for Census Tract 19.02 in New Castle County, DE

Less than $500

$500 - $999 $1,000 - $1,499

$1,500 or more0

20

40

60

40%

19%14%

25%

12%

33%

23%

34%

2010 2019

Expensive units have increased while cheap units decreased as a share of the total


Affordable Living and Quality Housing• The increasing cost of housing and the impact of COVID-19

on people’s ability to pay their monthly rents and mortgage costs is posing a challenge for the community.

Source US Census Bureau, American Community Survey, “Table DB04 Selected Housing Characteristics”, 2010 and 2019 5-year estimates data

2019

South Wilmington

City of Wilmington

Residents paying more than 30% of income on

rent49.80% 52.20%

Housing Affordability Across the Wilmington Region50%of renters in South Wilmington are paying beyond their means on housing** Most likley this figure would be higher if Christina Landing is excluded from the data


Things to consider for the Southbridge Neighborhood Plan: • What impacts have COVID-19 had on income levels and housing

availability, affordability, values, and occupancy/vacancy rates?• Does the existing housing types and prices meet the needs of

Southbridge residents (renters and owners)?• What are some ways to repurpose or redevelop vacant housing

units into more useful and needed development?• How can we try to make sure housing available is of high quality?

Affordable Living and Quality Housing


Local Entrepreneurship • Businesses have closed down in the past several decades,

and existing businesses face flooding and a shifting business climate, in part due to COVID-19.

Employees

Henrietta Johnson Medical 45

Neighborhood House 41

Fibre Processing Corp 40

Consolidated LLC 30

Dimaond Chemical & Supply 26

Non-Government Employers in South Wilmington

Source: Esri Business Analyst, Business Locator, Wilmington, 2020 forecasts.

Employees

Fresenius Medical Care 25

Delaware Humane Association 25

Flooring Solutions Inc 20

Atlantic Landscape Co 20

Chop Tank Excavation 16


Local Entrepreneurship • Businesses have closed down in the past several decades,

and existing businesses face flooding and a shifting business climate, in part due to COVID-19.

Largest Employers in Wilmington

Largest Employers in South Wilmington

Category Employees

Public Administration: Port 1,500

Public Administration: Correctional 339

Retail and Wholesale 322

Other Public Administration 311

Manufacturing 192

Category Employees

Public Administration 335

Retail and Wholesale 251

Medical 141

Manufacturing 136

Day Care 81

Source: Esri Business Analyst, Business Locator, Wilmington, 2020 forecasts.

Carry My Own Weight located at 411 New Castle Ave (image source Google Maps)

Consolidated LLC at 1216 D St (image source Google Maps)


Local Entrepreneurship Things to consider for the Southbridge Neighborhood Plan: • How can we increase locally-owned businesses so the community

can take charge of economic development in Southbridge and South Wilmington?

• How can we make sure employers in Southbridge are bringing jobs and other benefits for residents?

• What job opportunities are missing in the neighborhood?


Improved Mobility• Getting around by walking, biking, and bus is important for Southbridge

residents who have both less access to vehicles and higher transit ridership compared to the city as a whole.

WilmingtonSouth Wilmington

Vehicle Access by Household

No Vehicles 1 Vehicle 2 Vehicles 3 Vehicles0

20

40

60

27%21%

43%

26% 24%

6%

49%

5%

Source: ACS 2015-2019 data for Census Tract 19.02 in New Castle County, DE and place Wilmington, DE

27%of residents in South Wilmington do not have access to a car** Most likley this figure would be higher if Christina Landing is excluded from the data


Improved Mobility• Getting around by walking, biking, and bus is important for Southbridge

residents who have both less access to vehicles and higher transit ridership compared to the city as a whole.

Use of sidewalks to accommodate cars can block walkers and people in wheelchairs

Might indicate a lack of parking space


Improved Mobility

16%of residents in South Wilmington take the bus to work*

Commuting Characteristics in 2019

Carpool Transit Walk Other Means

Work From Home

0

20

10

12%

7%

9%8%

10%

2%3%

4%

16%

0%

• Getting around by walking, biking, and bus is important for Southbridge residents who have both less access to vehicles and higher transit ridership compared to the city as a whole.

WilmingtonSouth Wilmington

Source: ACS 2015-2019 data for Census Tract 19.02 in New Castle County, DE and place Wilmington, DE

* Most likley this figure would be higher if Christina Landing is excluded from the data


Things to consider for the Southbridge Neighborhood Plan: • How can we reallocate street space for physically distant physical

activity, such as walking and biking, and connect places?• What do we need to know to better understand on-street parking

demand and off-street parking availability to discourage parking on sidewalks?

• How do we prioritize walking and biking along existing bridges to the rest of Wilmington?

• What is the state of truck traffic in Southbridge?

Improved Mobility


Resilience to Flooding and Sea Level Rise • Southbridge is one of the most

flood prone areas in Wilmington, and it is expected to be impacted by sea level rise in the coming decades.

FLOOD RISK IN WILMINGTON

100-Year Floodplain

Water

Southbridge

Study Area Boundary

Highway

Road

Railroad

Brown Park

Wetlands Park (planned)

Downtown Wilmington

13

13

Christina River

Ch

ristina A

ve

New

Ca

stle

Ave

95

95

495

Pennsylvania Ave

4th St

Lancaster AveC

on

cord

Ave

N Market S

t

Vandever Ave

N W

alnu

t St

N C

hurc

h St

N S

pruc

e St

N K

ing

St

N U

nion

St

N L

inco

ln S

t

Maryland Ave

S Union St

Kosciuszko Park

Eden Park

M.L.K. Jr. Blvd

Sources: US Census Bureau shapefiles; South Wilmington Planning Network; New Castle County GIS Open Data; Delaware FirstMap Data; FEMA Flood Map Service Center

64%of the Study Area is in the floodplain




26%of the Study Area could be under water by 2100 if sea levels rise by 4 feet

SEA LEVEL RISE

Ch

ristina A

ve

A St

S W

alnu

t St

Garasches Ln

B St

C St

D St

Elbe

rt P

l

Townsend Pl

New

Ca

stle

Ave

Pearl St

Lobdell St

S C

laym

ont

StB

radf

ord

St

Grasches LnNew York Ave

Wilm

ingt

on A

ve

13

13

Christina River

495

2 ft sea level rise (87% chance by 2100)



Southbridge

Study Area Boundary

Highway

Road

Railroad

S H

eald

St




POLLUTING SITES

Sources: Environmental Protection Agency, data accessed Jan 8, 2021.

Dugan Park

Hicks Park

Stoney Davis Park

Millie Cannon

Park

Liberty Triangle

Eden Park

Wetlands Park (planned)

Southbridge

Study Area Boundary

Major Polluting Site

Superfund

Brownfield

Other Hazardous Site

Railroad

Christina Energy Center

Ch

ristina A

ve

A St

S W

alnu

t St

Garasches Ln

A St

B St

C St

D St

Elbe

rt P

l

Townsend Pl

New

Ca

stle

Ave

Lobdell St

S C

laym

ont

StB

radf

ord

St

Grasches LnNew York Ave

Wilm

ingt

on A

ve

Terminal Ave

13

13

Christina River

495

Elbert Playground

S H

eald

St

48 The number of brownfield contaminated sites within a 1 mile radius of Southbridge, more than half of all brownfields in the state


Things to consider for the Southbridge Neighborhood Plan: • How can we reduce or prevent flooding in Southbridge? • How can we work with industry to make sure flooding doesn’t lead

to toxic substances beings spread about the community? • How can we prepare for the health and social consequences that

are expected from climate change and flooding?• Where can we install rain gardens and other infrastructure to

reduce flooding?

Resilience to Flooding and Sea Level Rise


Your VoiceWhat about Southbridge should be highlighted in the plan? What did we miss? What are you most excited to get done?

Zoom or Facebook Live -- Share in the commentsPhone -- Press *9 to raise your hand Or Text -- Send your response to (504) 502-7658


Project TimelinePhase 1: Understand (Jan-Apr)

Phase 2: Envision (Apr-May)

Phase 3: Act (May-Jul)

• Existing Conditions Report• Workshops with the SC and public• Interviews• Survey 1

• Working Group Meetings• Draft recommendations and action steps• Mission and Vision Statements• Survey 2

• Final Prioritized Recommendations and Action Steps • Workshops with the SC and public


Working Groups! Attend a workshop to brainstorm with other community

members about ways to address challenges and uplift the best parts of Southbridge!

Text “Southbridge” to (504) 502-7658 to join.Or leave your name and email / phone number in the chat so we can contact you.


Help Administer the SurveyHelp get as many community members involved as possible by

becoming a community survey administrator!

Text “Southbridge” to (504) 502-7658 to join.Or leave your name and email / phone number in the chat so we can contact you.


Thank you for your time!

Mayu Takeda [email protected]

(504) 656-9129

Bill [email protected]

(302) 737-6205 extension 113

Documents

If you have technical difficulties, please text us at (504