One year in, open space campaigns have momentum

Two fundraising campaigns aimed at preserving open space in and just outside Lewes are marking their one-year anniversaries.

They started out united, but they are now taking different paths toward the same goal.

“This is still a cooperative effort, but as a practical matter, it’s not the same,” said Mark Chura, executive director of the Sussex County Land Trust.

Chura’s organization is now solely focused on raising $9 million to buy and save the 89-acre Ard na Greine tract, just outside city boundaries between New Road and Savannah Road.

The Open Space Alliance, which is an initiative of the Greater Lewes Foundation, is now concentrating only on raising $8.3 million to buy the Fourth Street Preserve, a 29-acre parcel in the city.

Alliance Chair Jim Ford said his campaign is seeking support from Lewes businesses and raising money at grassroots community events.

The campaign has raised about $2.3 million so far.

Its biggest spring fundraiser is just around the corner. The alliance has teamed with the city and the Seashore Striders for the Race for Open Space, a 5K race and one-mile walk Saturday, April 20. The event will start and finish at George H.P. Smith Park and take participants past the Fourth Street Preserve.

Campaign Manager Pam Costanzi, said they expect to have 150 participants.

“We’re looking at it as a nice community event, not just a 5K run,” Ford said at the March 14 Lewes Finance Committee meeting, where he gave an update on the campaign’s progress.

Ford said the alliance is running an Earth Day poster competition for third-, fourth- and fifth-graders at Lewes Elementary School. The winners will be announced at the race event.

Costanzi said a Lewes couple just donated $50,000 to the Fourth Street Preserve. She said the Alliance now has 360 individual donors, some whom have made multiple contributions.

Local businesses are also chipping in to help. R&L Liquors in Lewes recently raised $1,075 by raffling off a pricey bottle of rye.

Ford said the alliance will be holding fundraisers at Children’s Beach House in June and an art show in July. He said two fundraisers at private homes are also on the calendar.

The alliance campaign seems simple, but behind the scenes, there are a lot of moving pieces. The campaign received a $1 million grant from the Longwood Foundation last November. But it must raise $2 million of its own, before it can collect the $1 million. The deadline is June 1, 2025.

On March 25, Lewes Mayor and City Council pledged an additional $250,000 for acquisition and future costs. Costanzi said that money can be applied toward the Longwood grant, so they have now surpassed $1 million, halfway to the matching goal.

Mayor and city council said it would revisit the alliance request for an additional $250,000 during next year’s budget process.

Ford revealed that new research found the Fourth Street Preserve was the first deeded land in the State of Delaware in 1670. What is now 29 acres once stretched from Pilottown Road to Canary Creek. Ford said they hope to use that fact as a selling point to secure state historical and cultural grants.

He said they have also inquired about a possible $500,000 grant from the state Community Reinvestment Fund.

Meanwhile, the campaign to buy and save Ard na Greine is taking a different fundraising tack. The Sussex County Land Trust is concentrating on securing large federal grants, rather than hosting local events.

“The nature of the projects – one being a local park preserve, the other a larger open space corridor – lend themselves to applying different funding sources,” Chura said.

Chura said the Ard na Greine campaign received a $575,000 state open space grant at the end of last year. He said the campaign has raised about $2 million overall.

“It’s critical that we keep momentum going. I’m optimistic the fundraising efforts will come through,” Chura said.

Chura said the land trust does not have any fundraising events planned.

He said the plan is to preserve Ard na Greine for public access and passive recreation. He said they will diversify the habitat and possibly do some reforestation in the long term.

Chura said the sellers are open to extending the April 2025 deadline.