12 - CAPE GAZETTE, Friday, June 7 - June 13, 1996
Guinea Creek marina plan stirs strong feelings on both sides
By Michael Short
Environmental quality took
center stage at a controversial
hearing last week for a marina
proposed for Guinea Creek.
Both the developers and the op-
ponents claimed to be on the side
of the environment during a pub-
lic hearing on the proposed mari-
na near the headwaters of Guinea
Creek.
The 24-slip marina would be
built by George "Dick" Harrison
for the development Creek's End,
formerly Seafarer's Village East.
No decision was made at the May
30 hearing and Department of
Natural Resources and Environ-
mental Control Hearing Officer
Rod Thompson is expected to lake
at least afew weeks to make a de-
cision.
The hearing revolved around
environmental quality. The devel-
oper said he plans to create wet-
lands and plant marsh grasses
which will actually enhance the
environment.
Critics said the creek's shallow
headwaters just are not deep
enough to support a marina. "This
particular stretch of shoreline is
almost the last bit of undisturbed
nursery area on Guinea Creek and
as such, is extremely important as
well as extremely delicate," said
Henry Glowiak, president of Save
Wetlands and Bays Inc.
Guinea Creek is a tributary of
Rehoboth Bay. More specifically,
it is a tributary of Herring Creek
which dead ends near Road 298.
The developers said the mean low
water (low tide) level is two feet at
the site of the marina.
Critics disputed that and wor-
ried that the area is not suited for a
marina project. But the developer
called Dr. Evelyn Maurmeyer to
speak about the merits of the ma-
rina. Maurmeyer, the president of
the Lewes firm Coastal and Estu-
arine Reseach, said that the mari-
na owners do not plan to do any
dredging at the site and that the
marina would not cause any shell-
fish bed closures.
She said that a rock sill would
be placed behind the marina and
that marsh plants would be plant-
ed behind the sill, in effect creat-
ing an artificial wetland area.
The rock or rip-rap sill is con-
sidered a more environmentally
sound way of protecting property
than using bulkheading because
the rock provides habitat for fish
and other animals. There are also
no plans for fish cleaning or gaso-
line sales.
The plants would be flooded by
the fide and would create 14,000
square feet of wetlands, according
to Maurmeyer. "It would be envi-
ronmentally sensitive and sound,"
Maurmeyer said.
She said the project would be
esthetically pleasing and would
restore marsh areas and added that
the open water area of the marina
location would increase tidal
flushing.
But critics took exception to the
argument that the site would not
hurt the inland bays, especially to
the characterization that there was
enough water to site a marina
without dredging. "At low tide, it
is next to impossible to get out of
the creek," said George Merrick.
Attorney Robert Witsil repre-
sented several neighbors. He ham-
mered away at the developer's
testimony, challenging assertions
about the width of the creek and
water depth.
The map above shows the location of the proposed marina on
Harrison said he has not thought
about whether he would like to
eventually expand the 24-slip ma-
rina. But he said he felt good
about trying to build an environ-
mentally sound project.
"It seems like I am going
through a lot of hoops tO lessen
the impact...I live in Guinea
Creek. I plan on staying there. I
am committed to protecting the
environment."
But most of the people at the
hearing opposed the project. Mer-
rick said he has had the area noted
as a striped bass spawning area.
Glowiak said, "the marina regula-
tions specifically mention the ad-
visability of constructing marinas
only in or near the mouths of
creeks and rivers where there is
the possibility, at least, of some
increase in flushing capability.
This marina is very far upstream,
indeed, nearly at the very headwa-
ters of Guinea Creek and is ex-
tremely poorly flushed. The west-
ern winds [most of our summer
winds are southeast] can leave the
creek bottom nearly dry for days
at a time, especially at times of
low tide."
The project drew concern from
residents, the Delaware Audubon
Society and the Inland Bays Estu-
ary Program Citizen Advisory
Committee.
Local resident Tim Buckmaster,
who plans to live in Creeks End,
• supported the project. Buckmaster
said he only want to be able to go
boating like most of the project's
critics. "I want nothing more than
what you already have."
But he was outnumbered by
critics. Merrick said that if "you
build a boat ramp, there's no wa-
ter there to launch a boat."
Guinea Creel
Til Purnell, speaking on behalf
of the Friends of Herring Creek,
said "the two major problems
have been defined as loss of water
quality and habitat destruction,
both of which will be augmented
by the construction of this mari-
na."
She called for the developers to
only build a boat ramp and not a
planned marina. "This way, the
residents will have access to the
creek but will damage the re-
source, so valuable to all of us, far
less," Purnell said.
A letter from the Delaware
Audubon Society read by Larry
Wonderlin said "major tributaries
such as Guinea Creek provide sig-
nificant habitat and sanctuary for
wildlife and marine life. It is vital
that the quality of these waters re-
main immutable-safe and
healthy."
Del Tech installs Orlando George as its fourth president
By Dennis Forney
Amidst full pomp and circum-
stance, music by Dvorak, Pachel-
bel, and Copeland, teachers and
professors garbed in colorful aca-
demic gowns and caps, and
flanked by Gov. Tom Carper and
Trustees Chairman Richard
Stokes, Dr. Orlando J. George ac-
cepted installation as the fourth
president of Delaware Technical
and Community College last Fri-
day, May 31 at the Owens Cam-
pus in Georgetown.
A full house of state and com-
munity leaders, family and
friends, and Del Tech staff and
faculty from the college's three
campuses stood and applauded as
Stokes put the official medallion
of office around George's neck,
making his designation official.
Though he has been serving in
the position for a year now, the
Friday ceremony provided an op-
portunity for the educational com-
munity to come together to honor
the multi-talented George and the
institution he now leads.
"Ceremonies are important to
communities," Dr. James R.
Soles, Alumni Distinguished Pro-
fessor at University of Delaware,
told the gathered crowd. "They
are important to reaffirm and rec-
ognize the community's values.
In this case the values we are rec-
ognizing are education and leader-
ship. Dr. George embodies both."
Del Tech is an institution that
serves more than 35,000 students
at its New Castle, Kent and Sus-
sex county campuses each year.
Dr. George brings many leader-
ship and education accomplish-
merits to his position. An alumnus
of University of Delaware, Dr.
George received a bachelor's de-
gree in mathematics, a master's
degree in education, and a doctor-
ate in education. He began his ser-
vice at the college in 1969 as a
mathematics instructor, later
chaired the mathematics depart-
ment, served as assistant to the
campus director at the Stanton
Campus, dean of instruction, as-
sistant campus director, and vice
president and campus director.
20 years a legislator
He also served on the Wilming-
ton City Council from 1972 to
1974 and in Delaware's House of
Representatives from 1974 to
1995. During his tenure in the
House, he held various leadership
positions including Speaker of the
House, chairman of the Joint Fi-
nance Committee, and Minority
Leader.
In his comments, Gov. Carper
praised George's accomplish-
merits as a legislator. "I've known
Lonnie George since I was trea-
surer-elect for the state of
Delaware at the tender age of 29,"
said Carper. "The state's credit
rating was one of the worst in the
country. Twenty years later when
Lonnie left the legislature, the
state's credit rating turned around
to become one of the best in the
country. Delaware's finances
have a national reputation for their
soundness. And though many
contributed to that turnaround,
Lonnie George can lay a greater
claim to the many reforms that
have helped this state's finances
than any other single legislator.
Now Lonnie's working for Del
Tech and Delaware's never need-
ed Del Tech more than now. I've
learned that the state that will do
the best - provide the best quality
Dr. Orlando George, president of Del Tech, acknowledges
the applause of the crowd at his inauguration ceremony last
Friday at the Owens Campus in Georgetown. Sharing the
stage with him were (l-r) University of Delaware Alumni Dis-
tinguished Professor Dr. James Soles, Gov. Tom Carper, and
Del Tech Trustees Chairman Richard Stokes.
of life and the best standard of liv-
ing - is the state that educates the
best. That's what I think Lonnie
George will help us accomplish
with Del Tech."
Carper waxed poetic
"When I was driving down to-
day [to Georgetown] I had never
seen our state lovelier. The winter
wheat and barley are as green as
this Governor's ever seen. The
first of 100,000 people were be-
ginning to arrive at Dover Downs
[for the Miller 500] and with a
forecast for such a great weekend,
I could feel the anticipation of
people wanting to get to the
beach. One week ago, one of the
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