Powell Weighs Future Of Bennett Farm Park

By 1808Delaware

The Powell Development Committee will take up the Bennett Farm Master Plan (read the plan below) tonight at 6:30 PM in Council Chambers, advancing plans to transform the historic 32-acre farmstead along Powell Road into one of the city’s most distinctive parks.

The proposal follows an eight-month planning process that included site analysis, environmental review, and two public open houses in 2025. The City purchased the property in 2024 following the death of longtime owner Marjorie Bennett, whose family history on the land stretches back generations. The farm itself dates to the mid-1800s. The master plan frames the property as a future park that blends agricultural heritage with recreation, trail connectivity, and natural preservation.

At the center of the proposal is a salvaged-barn concept. The existing circa-1901 barn is no longer structurally sound for direct reuse, but planners recommend dismantling and preserving its heavy timber frame. Those materials would be incorporated into a new 3,200-square-foot community event barn elsewhere on the site. Public engagement showed strong support for barn reuse, with 68 percent of survey respondents favoring some form of preservation or adaptive reuse.

The farmhouse, built in 1901 and renovated in 1988, is recommended for demolition due to renovation costs and building code requirements.

Beyond the barn, the plan emphasizes connectivity. Approximately 2.5 miles of trails are proposed, including paved and soft-surface paths, two pedestrian bridges over Bartholomew Run, and a half-mile loop trail. The design would extend the existing shared-use path west along Powell Road and create stronger connections to Arbor Ridge Park and nearby neighborhoods. Long-term, the path system could improve non-vehicular access between Bennett Farm and downtown Powell. Parking would be expanded to roughly 100 total spaces through a combination of new lots and head-in parking along an extended park entry drive from Bennett Parkway.

The site is organized into three zones: active amenities near the northern frontage, passive natural areas toward the south, and integration with Arbor Ridge Park to the east.

Proposed features include an event lawn, expanded playscape, community gardens, meadow overlooks, wetland boardwalks, a play hill, and potential additions such as a dog park and mountain bike trail area. Much of the southern acreage would focus on ecological restoration, including management of invasive plant species and protection of streams and wetlands. Environmental assessments identified three streams on the property, including Bartholomew Run, which flows west to east across the site. Wetland areas and utility easements also shape where development can occur.

Community feedback consistently highlighted four priorities: expanded trail connections, flexible gathering space, unique recreation not already available elsewhere in Powell, and preservation of the site’s natural character.

City leaders have emphasized that the plan is conceptual and will guide phased development and future capital investment decisions. Funding strategies and sequencing will be addressed in later stages.

If ultimately approved and implemented, Bennett Farm would become one of Powell’s largest and most distinctive park spaces, shifting the former private farmstead into a public landscape centered on trails, open meadow, and community gathering. The Development Committee’s discussion Tuesday marks the next step in determining how quickly that vision moves toward construction.

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