When Milford City Council approved Deep Branch Park in May 2025, one of the frequent comments by those who opposed the park was the cost. At the time, the total cost of the park was $3.4 million with the first phase estimated to cost $1.5 million. The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) took some of the pressure off the city for the park with a recent announcement.
“The Department of Environmental Resources and Environmental Control has awarded 18 matching grants totaling nearly $2.2 million, the largest in the program’s history, to help local and county governments acquire parkland, design and build parks and trails, and construct outdoor recreational facilities,” an announcement from DNREC read.
The fund, known as the Outdoor Recreation Parks and Trails Program, formerly known as the Delaware Land and Water Conservation Trust, is a matching program for local, county and municipal park and recreation systems. The program was established in 1986 with annual deposits from real estate transfer tax revenue and continues using trust-generated income.
“As part of this distribution, the City of Milford is receiving $190,000 to improve Deep Branch Park,” the announcement read. “This money will be used for an entrance road, parking lot, trail construction, fencing and a gate.”
Because this is a matching grant, the city will need to pay $190,000, something that was known when the park was designed several years ago. This is not the first grant the city has received form this fund. In fact, the city has received over $5.6 million over the last 33 years, including funds for the Mispillion Riverwalk, a project that took almost 30 years to complete. They also received funds for Memorial Park, Tony Silicato Memorial Park, Goat Island and other projects.
This reduces the amount that will need to be transferred from general fund reserves which, in May, totaled just over $567,000 to complete the first phase.
There has been no announcement when ground will be broken for the new park which will be located on Rehoboth Boulevard.
