Millington moves toward acquiring Quaker burial ground

“These are the things they are going to do for the Friends to prepare the property in order for them to donate the property to us,” Manning said in summarizing the document signed by John Carr, principal conservator.

The work includes repairing about eight markers in the Vansant family plot, including reattaching headstones and bases, and repair and realignment of the metal fence; excavating, righting and resetting six to eight sunken or fallen markers located in the open area of the burial ground; relocating markers in an area to be determined by the Friends; and cleaning the markers and improving legibility.

“If they do this and the property lines are defined, I think we’re OK,” said Mayor C.J. Morales.

“That sounds good to me,” said Councilman Kevin Hemstock, who has done extensive research on the property.

No official action was taken. This was for information only.

Once the conservation/restoration work is complete, Manning said she would seek grant funding to pay for benches and signage “so we can really make it a nice quiet space.”

Manning said there is no time frame for transfer of property ownership.

The town and the Friends have been talking for about 18 months.

Linell McCurry, associate secretary for business and finance for the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, attended a council meeting in November 2016. She acknowledged that the Millington property, what had once been known as the Head of Chester Burial Ground, “has effectively been neglected for more than 100 years.”

She said it was very difficult to be managed and maintained from Philadelphia, and there are not enough Quakers locally to be stewards.

McCurry said the property includes a grouping of Vansant family headstones, all inside a wrought iron fence, that borders Back Street.

There are a handful of other headstones that date from the last quarter of the 19th century, she said. All other burial sites are unmarked.

She estimated that there were 120 to 150 burials, but none since the 1930s.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Hemstock estimated there could be as many as 200 burial sites.

There were two action items on Tuesday night’s agenda.

The vote was unanimous to reduce the number of Equivalent Dwelling Units (for water and wastewater capacity) from six to three at 200 Sassafras St., per the request of the property owner.

The property houses the Millington Pharmacy on the first floor and apartments on the second floor.

Manning said the property owner intends to use the second-floor space for storage.

Before the vote, Hemstock asked for assurance that the owner “is not going to rent one of the apartments six months from now.”

Manning said that if that were to happen, “we would see that in the increase in water usage.”

The vote also was unanimous to award the trash contract to Chesapeake Waste, the current vendor. Chesapeake Waste submitted the low bid of $4.97 per unit per month.

Republic Services’ bid was $12 per unit per month. Charlie’s Waste Services bid a flat fee of $4,250 per month.

Manning said the town provides trash pickup for 197 residential properties, 21 commercial properties, seven apartment buildings and the firehouse.

As part of her report, Manning told the council there were numerous instances of “overusage” of water due to frozen and broken pipes during the harsh winter. She said the most extreme case was a leak that resulted in 58,000 gallons more than permitted for the quarter.

The senior housing project is moving apace, “faster than I imagined,” Manning said. She told the council that Frank Hodgetts of Home Partnership Inc. already has acquired grant money to do the preliminary engineering study.

In February, the town signed an agreement with Home Partnership to perform services related to development, construction and financing of about 24 senior affordable housing units to be known as Millington Senior Village.

Sgt. Stuart Lodge of the Kent County Sheriff’s Office presented the monthly report for March. Deputies responded to eight non-criminal calls as part of their regular patrol; they conducted 43 speed assignments, resulting in 57 warnings and 36 citations being written.

The sheriff’s office billed the town $518.80 in overtime, which included four calls for service as part of the foot patrol and eight hours of vehicle patrol. The town budgeted $3,000 for the current fiscal year for law enforcement because it does not have a municipal police force.

Council members Shelly Holland and Eli Manning did not attend Tuesday’s meeting.