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Long story in the News Journal about the Lewes forest effort:

A Lewes forest may honor Beau Biden
James Fisher <http://www.delawareonline.com/staff/7649/james-fisher/>, The
News Journal 6:05 a.m. EST November 26, 2015

The script for disputes over undeveloped land in Sussex County usually goes
like this: Landowner and developer make plans to build homes; neighbors,
who like the land the way it is, raise objections; developer makes some
tweaks, gets approval, and starts turning dirt.

The Highland Heights development in Lewes may yet return to that script,
but so far, it's taking a somewhat different path.

A coalition of resourceful homeowners in Lewes has announced plans to try
to purchase the 19 acres where a developer proposes to build the 34 homes
of Highland Heights. By buying the land outright, they say, they can
preserve it as an urban forest, in perpetuity. What's more, they want to
name the forest in memory of Beau Biden, the late attorney general and
vice president's son who won durable gratitude in the Lewes area for
prosecuting a serial child abuser and pediatrician, Earl Bradley.

"We could approach this in a negative way and say, 'No, no, no, stop, stop,
stop,'" said Frankie Bradshaw, a member of the Save a Lewes Legacy group
that is organizing the preservation effort. "Or we could put our money
where our mouth is and take a positive approach."

The focus of SALL's efforts is a 19-acre forested parcel of land surrounded
by residential neighborhoods in Lewes. The land is owned by a corporation,
Highland Estates LP, and its owner has linked with a local real estate
development firm, Jack Lingo Asset Management, to propose a subdivision
plan to the Lewes government.

On the rectangular parcel, two cul-de-sacs comprise the proposed
development, connected to each other by a pedestrian and bike path but not
linked by roads. Drivers would see them as two small neighborhoods, one
accessed from W. Fourth Street and the other from Seagull Drive. Much of
the forest would be preserved, according to preliminary plans filed with
the town, although two stormwater ponds would be added.
[image: A developer's sketch of the proposed Highland Heights]

*A developer's sketch of the proposed Highland Heights development in
Lewes. Some residents want to buy the land from the owner and preserve it
as a forest named for the late Beau Biden. (Photo: JACK LINGO ASSET
MANAGEMENT)*

All 34 lots proposed for the subdivision would have single-family homes.
The development would rise amidst some of the most valuable coastal
properties in Sussex County. Existing homes on the market nearby have price
tags from $450,000 to $1.1 million, and most cost more than $600,000.

"In-town Lewes is a desirable place to be," said Nick Hammonds, a principal
with Lingo Asset Management. "It's within walking distance of a number of
amenities, not the least of which is Second Street," a lane of boutique
shops and popular restaurants like Half Full and Agave.

The developer approached Lewes about the plan in 2013, and since then has
seen the design progress through many of the needed steps to get
subdivision approval. In September 2014, the city's Planning Commission
gave preliminary consent to the plans, subject to 12 conditions, including
changes to the drainage systems on the low-lying land and asking that the
developer "strongly consider" adding a road to link the two cul-de-sacs.

Lingo Asset Management has not yet come back to the city with a complete
and final application, responding to those conditions, but Hammonds said
that would happen soon, by December or earlier. Whatever the Planning
Commission recommends, final subdivision approval is up to the Lewes City
Council, which can choose to place required conditions on it.

Lewes does not lack for retirees of means — people who have stepped down
from oversight and leadership positions with governments or large
organizations and are eager to put their skills to use some other way in
retirement. As Highland Heights went through public hearings, many such
people made comments about it, many of them warning the city to be careful
about allowing homebuilding in one of the few forested patches of land it
has left.

Three such residents — Bradshaw, Carolyn Jones and Leslie Ledogar — said
they came to believe the project was not the best use of the land. "Urban
forests are a gem," Ledogar said. "As we got to studying all the paperwork
that came along with the application, we started realizing this is really
precious. If we don’t do something about acquiring it we’re going to lose
it. Because we can’t put it back."

The three women, along with others interested in the cause, have encouraged
residents to put lawn signs out imploring city leaders to "save the Fourth
Street forest" and "save a Lewes legacy." But they have also talked with
the developer about possibly purchasing the land, they said.

"We're not naive. It's not going to be a couple hundred grand. It's going
to be seven figures," Bradshaw said. "It's 19 acres; it's manageable, from
a funding perspective." The organization, she said, is registering to be an
IRS-approved nonprofit corporation, to make fundraising easier.

"We're pragmatists. We don't want to deprive anyone of their
(property) rights," Bradshaw said. "What we want to do is help preserve the
fabric of Lewes."

Hammonds said he's had discussions with SALL about the property, albeit
no "recent conversations" about the idea. "The position of the landowner
is, once final approval is secured, the property will be put on the
market," Hammonds said. "They would have every opportunity to submit a bid
just like any other purchaser would."

The SALL leaders said they have also met with people who worked with Biden
in the Delaware Department of Justice, inquiring about the propriety of
naming the forest for him. After Biden died in May of brain cancer, Jones
said, it occurred to her and others that what he did for dozens of affected
families in the Bradley case merited permanent recognition in Lewes.

"We owe him, big time," Jones said. "It struck a nerve. People have rallied
around this."

Bradley, a pediatrician with a home in downtown Lewes and a practice on
Del. 1, was indicted in 2010 on charges of molesting and raping 103
children — his patients, nearly all of them girls, whom he would abuse at
his doctor's office while their unknowing parents waited in the lobby.
Bradley was convicted of all counts in 2011 and was sentenced to serve 14
consecutive life terms plus 165 years in prison, without parole. He
appealed to the state Supreme Court, but the high court affirmed his
conviction and sentence.

The case attracted national attention and came to define Biden's career as
attorney general; he was personally involved in investigating and
prosecuting Bradley. "It altered the whole course of the issue, here in
Lewes and the surrounding area," Ledogar said of Biden's direct involvement
in the Bradley case. "He reached out to every single family, personally,
and came down two to three times a week to meet with families personally
and make sure they were cared for."

A person familiar with the Beau Biden Foundation for the Protection of
Children confirmed they've been in touch with the Lewes group. If the land
is purchased, the Biden family will consider the opportunity, the person
said.

Biden's widow, Hallie Biden, has publicly endorsed just one effort to name
a prominent place after her husband: renaming
<http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/11/10/delaware-national-guard-hq-named-beau-biden/75517420/>
a
new National Guard headquarters in New Castle the Maj. Joseph R. (Beau)
Biden III Armed Forces Reserve Center. Biden served in Iraq with the
Delaware Army National Guard.

If the effort to buy the land succeeds, the SALL leaders said, they would
build an endowment to pay for its upkeep as a managed forest. It's possible
a few primitive trails could be used by teachers taking students through
the forest, they said, but in the main, they want to preserve it just as it
is: an undisturbed spot of woods.

"The beauty of this is, we want to leave it like it is," Jones said.

*Contact James Fisher at (302) 983-6772, on Twitter @JamesFisherTNJ or
jfisher@delawareonline.com <jfisher@delawareonline.com>.*


On Sat, Oct 31, 2015 at 2:57 PM, <hbiden@rosemontseneca.com> wrote:

> Manus is a good friend. I'll call him Monday.
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Oct 31, 2015, at 11:58 AM, Patty AOL <pdl3560@aol.com> wrote:
>
> Very exciting!!
>
> Patty
>
> Patricia Dailey Lewis
> Deputy Attorney General
> Director- Family Division
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Oct 31, 2015, at 11:21 AM, Alexander S. Mackler <smacklera@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> Patty,
>
> A DC lawyer (former Judiciary staffer, knows the VP a long time) named
> Manus Cooney is going to be taking over as Chair of the National Center for
> Missing and Exploited Children in 2016. He is going to reach out to you
> about a few things:
>
> -potential partnership opportunities with the Foundation (he has lots of
> ideas)
> -naming opportunities for Beau; NCMEC has a few unnamed programs (that
> Beau had DOJ use often) and NCMEC wants to name one after Beau
> -fundraising/grants
>
> Let me know if you don't hear from him soon, though I bet you will. We
> spoke to him yesterday, with our Chief of Staff, and Manus seems eager on
> this.
>
> ASM
>
>
> On Wed, Sep 30, 2015 at 9:40 AM, Patty AOL <pdl3560@aol.com> wrote:
>
>> Good morning. I am hoping we could schedule a teleconference soon to
>> catch up.
>> In the meantime...
>> Yesterday I met with Charlotte over at FIT. As you may know she reached
>> out to me after speaking to someone in the family. Charlotte and Denise
>> (from the massage business located at FIT) want to spearhead a Beau Biden
>> run. They have already contacted Jim Walsh, a local run organizer. The plan
>> is for June 4, 2016, but permits need to be obtained. They are reaching out
>> to some folks to be on the committee; I suggested Lisa Borin Ogden and
>> Maureen Monagle. I also plan to talk to Lorin Hochman Hurst and someone
>> from DNG.
>> We talked about the importance of making the event family and child
>> friendly. Denise is involved in CYM running, so that is one of the groups
>> we will reach out to.
>>
>> I am meeting with the Forest committee in Lewes on Sunday night. I have
>> their CVs, they certainly appear to be great people.
>>
>> A young man named Lee Zweiacher, from Middletown, working on becoming an
>> Eagle scout had to build a memorial project. He built a park bench and
>> dedicated it to Major Beau Biden. I will send you the pictures he sent me
>> and the letters he sent for Hallie and the Vice-President and Dr. Biden.
>> The bench will be installed and dedicated at the Victory Village, a
>> wonderful new residence for Veterans in Delaware. The benches will be
>> placed along a therapeutic path. Beau's bench will be one of the 10 in the
>> project. Lee specially chose Beau--an anonymous donor is sponsoring the
>> bench.
>> The dedication and flag ceremony will be on November 8, 2015 at 4pm. I
>> will get you his letter and invitation. I hope one or all of you can attend
>> the ceremony. I will certainly attend.
>> Finally, Delaware Lawyer magazine contacted me about writing an article
>> for the February 2016 edition about the legislation, the foundation and my
>> impression of the years of Beaus's service at the Department of Justice.
>> (They tell me that I will be the first woman to write for this "Of
>> Counsel" section of the magazine. )
>>
>> Please let me know when you think we might be able to get together, or at
>> least have a t/c.
>> Have a great day.
>> Patty
>>
>>
>> Patricia Dailey Lewis
>> Deputy Attorney General
>> Director- Family Division
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>
>
>
> --
>
> Alexander Snyder Mackler
> (302) 598-8678
>
>


--

Alexander Snyder Mackler
(302) 598-867