450-acre Community Development Under Construction in Delaware With Emphasis on ‘Dark Sky’

A new master-planned community 40 minutes from the Delaware coast will focus on “conscious community.”

If you’re wondering what that actually means, think travel, third-party spaces, microbreweries, and more stargazing.

The project, called The Granary at Draper Farm, located in Milton, will almost double the historic town’s 3,500 population.

Engineer Colby Coxof Convergence Communities, is especially ready to reimagine the 450-acre former farmland site of the $180 million project—his family owned it. In fact, he bought the property from his mother.

“Many families do not have the choice to have someone like me in the family who has been in organized social business for 24 years,” he adds. “It’s exciting.”

But he insists that his mother did not decide for him any kind of lover.

“It was a natural conversation to say, ‘Look, I’ve been wanting to develop this land for 20 years, and it should be developed, so I’d like to buy it from you,” he said, noting that the family farm was no longer being used.

He had suggested buying the property several decades ago, but his grandfather, who owned it at the time, was not ready to sell it. Now, Cox sees that as a blessing in disguise.

“I wouldn’t have had that kind of experience at that time, or had the journey to learn what makes a great community,” he admits.

Inspiration

While traveling in South Korea and Bali last year for his 20th anniversary with his wife, Cox kept noticing how contented all the locals seemed to be, and how there was a “real sense of community” — one he felt was lacking in much of the US today, with its urban sprawl and “epidemic of loneliness.”

“In the suburbs, you can literally leave your office in your car, go into your garage, go to your house, go to bed, wake up, go back to your car, repeat, and never talk to another person in your neighborhood for years,” he says.

Determined to find out what made the locals seem so happy, he asked them questions until a hotel worker in Bali summed it up like this: connecting with nature, connecting with other people, and connecting with God.

Cox decided that these three pillars would be the foundation of his latest project: The Granary at Draper Farm.

Inside the Granary

In a 10-phase plan spanning 15 years, MPC will eventually have 1,350 residential units, including approximately 900 single-family homes in addition to 450 specialty residences such as townhouses and condos, all while preserving 110 acres of open space.

The first phase of homes, built by DRB Homes and DR Horton, with custom homes by Kimmel Studio, hit the market in February with approximately 20 sales.

Starting at $420,000, homes are a typical price point in the area. Currently, the median listing in Milton is $571,475, a 70% increase over the same month in 2019, according to Realtor.com® data.

Guided by the three principles of “community awareness” as defined by the Bali area, MPC plans to offer a multitude of ways to connect with nature and neighbors-shared parks, event spaces, recreation areas, etc.-but also ways to connect spiritually, if that’s your style.

And while Cox said his previous projects were careful to integrate nature and community, he realized they missed the spiritual connection.

“My version of what it means to be spiritually connected is really about being quiet and avoiding things that disturb us spiritually,” he says. “That’s what it seems like to you in a non-religious way—the idea that there’s something bigger than you.”

To that end, there are planned contemplative gardens sprinkled around the complex, as well as quiet spaces full of nature where people sit and reflect.

The dotted artwork throughout will encourage people to stop and “get off their phones, out of their minds, into their hearts,” he said.

Keeping the sky dark

And what could be more spiritually awakening than looking at the universe?

“For thousands of years, the stars in the sky have been a very important part of our understanding of our connection to the earth and the universe,” notes Cox.

To ensure that citizens can actually see the stars, a key feature of the MPC will include Dark Sky principles, which aim to reduce or even eliminate light pollution. There are currently around 270 Dark Sky certified locations in the world.

Public lighting will include movable lights (so they are only used when necessary), downlights, and lumens limits.

“If you stand in the area now, you have a good view of the sky as there is not much pollution,” he said. “I want to keep that as much as possible.”

Access to nature is paramount, so there are 50 acres of parks, including the 20-acre Granary Greens central park, all within walking distance.

“After a long day at work, you can come home, put on your jacket, and in three minutes, be in the woods,” he said.

The parks will be open to the public as Cox doesn’t want his project to be a “small piece” but an integrated extension of the town where he spent a lot of time as a child, visiting family in nearby Lewes, and where he lived for a few years in the early 2000s.

To enhance the community feel, there are a number of shared spaces such as multiple recreational areas with an 800-foot pool, rock and skate park, theater, farmers market, food truck park, and access to nearby Diamond Pond. There won’t be more than a two-block walk to get to a green space or recreation area.

A unique feature of MPC—the common mail room—was inspired by Cox’s adopted hometown of Jackson Hole, WY, where locals used the post office instead of home delivery.

“People voted to keep it that way,” he said. “They enjoy getting their email and seeing people they know.”

And the 60,000 square foot retail space means residents won’t have to constantly hop in their cars to pick up the basics. Cox is hunting for a grocery store tenant.

“I will give them good money for rent,” he said.

But he insists The Granary’s retailers will not compete directly with Milton’s high street.

“I want to add things that may be missing and some that can be used commercially,” he said.

And he built a path from the community to the city of Milton, so that in 10 minutes, residents can walk or bike to the center of the city—children will be able to use it without supervision.

“Many things in this community are designed to bring back some of those things that we have lost, such as playgrounds and places where you can send your children and feel safe that they will not be hit by a car,” he said.

Microbrews and community

Then there’s the planned feature closest to Cox’s heart: the microbrewery incubator.

As the owner of two popular Jackson Hole craft breweries (Roadhouse and Melvin), Cox is an advocate for the taproom’s ability to foster fun camaraderie.

His other Milton complex—unit 511, the Cannery Village mixed-use complex—includes the Dogfish Head brewery. Cox hopes the future Granary Brew incubator will serve as a launch pad for 20 to 30 independent companies.

“It’s a 15-year plan,” he said of The Granary. “My ideas will change over time, but I am dedicated to fulfilling those three pillars: connection with nature, neighbors, and spirituality.

“I want to send a message that people are close to youthere isyour people—that’s what a community is.”