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William J. Cohen papers
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Held at: University of Delaware Library Special Collections [Contact Us]181 South College Avenue, Newark, DE 19717-5267
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the University of Delaware Library Special Collections. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
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William J. Cohen (b. 1941) is a native Delawarean. At the University of Delaware he studied political science, and received a BA (1965) and MA (1976). After college he worked in commercial real estate, which laid the foundation for his life-long career in city and regional planning.
After acceptance in the University of Pennsylvania's city and regional planning Ph.D. program in 1996, he was named a Lewis Mumford Scholar. In 1999 Cohen received a Master of City Planning (MCP) from the University of Pennsylvania, and in 2001 he received a Master of Arts in City Planning (MA) from the same institution. He earned the Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 2003.
In the summer of 1967 Cohen accepted a position as research assistant at the Delaware State Planning Office in Dover, Delaware. This job was an introduction to community and state planning, which required considerable on-the-job training. Cohen and his young associates built their knowledge of land use, population, housing, community development and planning, transportation, and economic analysis.
His first significant assignment was as project planner for Lewes, Delaware. He had a variety of duties such as research, field work, analysis, project management, and writing reports. In 1968 he was promoted to Planner I, and in 1969 he became a senior planner.
In 1971 Cohen was selected Planning Director for Newark, Delaware, where he developed managerial experience and faced community-planning challenges. Newark's and the State's first flood-plain ordinance was passed under his leadership. The position required interaction with the city council, the planning commission, community groups, appointed and elected officials, and residents.
After six years he left the City of Newark and established his own consulting practice. His firm provided comprehensive services in urban planning, government affairs, research, and design. He contracted with a variety of profit and non-profit entities. As the list of clients grew, Cohen needed additional expertise. He incorporated and hired a small staff. From 1978-1990 his company produced significant reports and studies. Most of the projects were contracted with government agencies in Delaware; a small amount of work was completed for non-governmental entities.
In 1990 Cohen returned to state government as a senior resources planner for the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), where he worked for eight years. During this time he was selected to be the executive director of the Governor's Task Force on the Future of the Brandywine and Christina Rivers. Former Governor Russell W. Peterson and President Emeritus of the University of Delaware E. Arthur Trabant were co-chairs of this highly visible collaboration of the public and private sectors. Under Cohen's leadership this group engineered the successful analysis of the riverfront development that would provide the planning for revitalizing the Brandywine and Christina Rivers. This task force laid the groundwork for the subsequent development of Wilmington's riverfront. This project proved to be the most significant accomplishment of Cohen's career in Delaware.
In 1993 Cohen was selected to be a Governor's Management Fellow, which required placement in a government office. He used the experience to study the effect of the arts on Delaware's economy.
From 1978 to 2001 Cohen was an instructor for the Department of Geography at the University of Delaware. During this 23-year period he taught eleven different courses that related to public policy and urban planning.
In 1998 he resigned the position at the State to become a city and regional planning consultant and to focus his energy on the completion of a Ph.D. In 1996 he had been admitted to the graduate program at the University of Pennsylvania's Department of City and Regional Planning. Cohen completed the requirements for the Ph.D. in 2003.
Cohen held additional administrative positions (e.g., resource development director for the Historic Red Clay Valley, Inc., 1986-1988), and owned an architectural photography firm from 1987-2001. Also, he was president of the Board of Stewards of Friends of Wilmington Parks (1995-1998), senior policy advisor for the University of Delaware's Institute of Public Administration (1997), a charter member of the American Institute of Planners (1978), a charter member and president of the Delaware chapter of the American Planning Association, president of the Delaware Association for Public Administration (1976-1978), and a professional affiliate of the American Institute of Architects. Cohen authored and co-authored over sixty-five technical and professional publications, reports, and studies.
Biographical information derived from collection.
The William J. Cohen papers, spanning the dates 1967-2001, comprises 37 linear feet of materials that document Cohen's entire career as an urban and environmental planner in Delaware.
The materials include maps, correspondence, reports, photographs, slides, transparencies, reference files, professional files, reports, studies, plans, technical library, printed materials, videotapes, audiotapes, computer disks, company checks, newspaper clippings, ephemera, deeds, and business cards. The collection contains a large amount of oversized materials, especially maps. It also includes files that were tangential to his planning career.
These materials are a historical record of planning in the State of Delaware. Cohen's career as a city and regional planner started at the end of the 1960s and spanned three decades of significant and volatile legislative policies about land use, community development, environmental impact, coastal management, commercial revitalization, historic preservation, and riverfront planning and development.
Cohen's first job as a professional planner was with the Delaware State Planning Office (Boxes 1-3). This position was the genesis of his lifelong devotion to the environment, land use, and preservation. The assignments, individual contacts, and projects that he coordinated and implemented were invaluable steppingstones, and were the basis for his thirty-four-year career as an urban planner in Delaware. Cohen's legacies are numerous from the tip of Cape Henlopen in Delaware's southernmost county to the development of Wilmington's waterfront in the northernmost county.
The collection, which is housed in 37 boxes, is arranged in seven series. Series I-V, which is the bulk of the papers, show each step of Cohen's planning career from 1967-2001 (Boxes 1-18). During this time he held positions with the State of Delaware, the City of Newark, and was self-employed for sixteen of the thirty-four years. Series VI-VII covers his final years in Delaware as a consultant and contains materials that were part of his personal and professional life (Boxes 18-19). For twenty-three years he taught in the Geography Department at the University of Delaware (Box 12). From 1978-2001 Cohen developed and taught eleven courses, including some for the Honor's Program. He also worked for the Historic Red Clay Valley, Inc. (Wilmington and Western Railroad) and Cecil County Arts Council (Box 19). During his last few years in Delaware, Cohen resigned from the State, was a city and regional planning consultant, and was matriculating as a Ph.D. student at the University of Pennsylvania (Box 18). When he left Delaware in 2001 to work in Bar Harbor, Maine, he was working on his dissertation.
The collection also houses a technical library, which Cohen originally created at the Delaware State Planning Office. The library, which grew over his career, is included in Appendices A and B (Boxes 20-33).
For more than three decades Cohen worked in Delaware as a city and regional planner. He developed an expertise in natural resources and the environment, planning and the application of its theory, recreation and open space, and community development. He participated in numerous professional associations (Boxes 18-19) and watchdog groups such as the Christina Conservancy (Box 11), Friends Society of Brandywine Park (today called Friends of Wilmington Park) (Box 19), and Citizens for White Clay Creek (Boxes 10-11). This collection reflects the depth of Cohen's legacy to the citizens of Delaware.
Series I covers the years 1967-1977 and Cohen's first and second jobs as a planner. He began in 1967 at the Delaware State Planning Office. He was assigned significant projects including the development of a comprehensive plan for the City of Lewes. This project included the "great sand dune" controversy (1970) which involved Governor Russell W. Peterson and other key public officials. Many of these early contacts served as mentors and later as colleagues and employers. Another assignment was the review of educational institutions under the Capital Budget and Capital Improvements Program. He worked with the University of Delaware, Delaware Technical and Community College, Delaware State College (University), and Delaware Department of Public Instruction (Boxes 1-3). This series also contains materials about Cohen's job as planning director for the City of Newark (1971-1977). This six-year period was filled with of significant accomplishments and controversies. Under his leadership Newark's and the State's first flood-plain ordinance was passed. In addition, Delaware's first bike-path system was created. Two important and controversial issues were debated during his time: the location of the Newark Beltway and a proposed development known as Hidden Valley (Boxes 3-4).
Series II covers Cohen's career as a consultant, which spans the years 1977-2001. This series is a major portion of the collection (Boxes 5-12). Cohen was self-employed for sixteen of those years either as a sole proprietor or as president of his own corporation. In 1977 he left the City of Newark and became a planning consultant. Within a year the business had grown enough for him to incorporate as William J. Cohen and Associates, Inc. The files contain his "planner-on-call" concept, which was a creative approach to offering planning services to smaller communities. His company had contracts with an array of entities in Delaware including cities, municipalities, counties, and state agencies. He also had a few non-governmental clients (e.g., individuals, companies, nonprofit organizations, and schools). Among significant projects were the Delaware City Coastal Energy Impact Study (1981-1982), Lewes Coastal Impact Study (1979-1980), documentation of Port Mahon Lighthouse (1983), implementation of a Sussex County Community Development Grant (1977-1980), and a Feasibility Study for a Revolving Historic Preservation Fund (1978-1979). During this time he became an advocate to preserve the White Clay Creek. His effort along with many community partners resulted in 2001 with the Creek's inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic River Program.
Series III contains materials relating to Cohen's twenty-three years as an instructor for the University of Delaware's Department of Geography. The files include syllabi and a course list (Box 12).
Series IV summarizes Cohen's accomplishments as a photographer. His professional interests in photography crystallized in the years after a workshop on cyanotype and Van Dyke techniques (also called non-silver imagery). He began to exhibit his work in the early 1980s, and by the mid-1980s he began to pursue actively a tangential career in commercial photographic services. From 1987-1996 Cohen opened a photographic studio, specializing in construction progress and architecture (Boxes 12-13).
Series V is found in Boxes 13-18, and contains the years that Cohen returned to work for the State of Delaware. In 1990 he was hired as a senior resources planner at the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. The next eight years proved to be prolific and Cohen contributed vastly to land use planning, waterfront revitalization, and public policy. With the recommendation of former Governor Russell W. Peterson, Cohen was appointed executive director of the Governor's Task Force on the Future of the Brandywine and Christina Rivers (1992-1994). He worked closely with co-chairmen Peterson and the University of Delaware's President Emeritus E. Arthur Trabant. They coordinated a large task force to recommend "A Vision for the Rivers" (1994). In 1995 Cohen was part of the Governor's Brandywine and Christina Transition Team, which produced a final report, Implementing a Vision for the Rivers. This series also contains the materials that Cohen amassed as an application for the Profile in Courage Award. Cohen compiled the application and supporting materials to nominate Governor Russell W. Peterson for his dedication to the creation and implementation of Delaware's Coastal Zone Act. Other work accomplished during this time was focused on the Nanticoke Watershed and the twenty-year assessment of the Coastal Zone Act. In 1993 Cohen was selected to be a Governor's Management Fellow. All the documents from this experience are included (Box 15). This series also contains materials from conferences and workshops that Cohen attended throughout the eight years at the State. In 1998 he resigned from the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
Series VI covers Cohen's last few years in Delaware. He was matriculating as a Ph.D. student at the University of Pennsylvania and resigned from the State to complete his dissertation. At the same time he became a sole proprietor as a city and regional planner. The files contain some research papers that Cohen completed at the University of Pennsylvania. He held a MA granted in 1976 from the University of Delaware. As part of a joint degree program, the University of Pennsylvania conferred upon Cohen a Master of City Planning (MCP) in 1999, a Master of Arts in City Planning (2001), and the Ph.D. in 2003.
Series VII consists of materials from Cohen's personal and professional life, additional employment, professional affiliations, business cards, a city planning game, and his thesis as part of the Master of Arts degree granted by the University of Delaware in 1976 (Box 19). Additionally, there are newspaper clipping files that cover the years 1977-1986.
Concluding the collection is the Technical Library that Cohen created at the Delaware State Planning Office and maintained throughout his career in Delaware. The library has a guide, which includes an introduction, shelf guide, and description of the classification system (Box 4, F116). The Technical Library has been put into a database and materials can be accessed by author, title, date, call number, and publisher. Cohen developed a library classification system based on one used at the Fels Institute at the University of Pennsylvania. He adapted the system for use by subject, and his entire classification system is explained in the guide. Cohen still owns a portion of the library. He gave the University a major portion of its content in 2001; a portion housed at the White Clay Creek Preserve in 1995 is now reunited with this collection. In 1982 Cohen donated some consulting project reports to the University of Delaware's Morris Library. This list can be found with the guide in Box 4 (F116). The portion of the library housed in The Cohen Papers is listed in the Technical Library Appendices. Appendix A is a list of the publications, presented alphabetically by author. Appendix B is a list of publications in the Technical library sorted by call number in Cohen's classification system. Appendix C is a short list of titles with no call numbers, not classified in Cohen's system.
The William J. Cohen papers have been retained in their original order and reflect the provenance of their creator. There has been some minor reordering of some materials to make access easier for the user.
Cohen organized his files to reflect the progress of his career. Some materials (mostly found in Series II. A.-II.C.) span his entire career. An example is his involvement with the preservation of the White Clay Creek (Boxes 10-11). His advocacy for this area began during his job at the City of Newark. In 2001 efforts by Cohen and his colleagues were rewarded with the inclusion of the White Clay Creek and its stream valley in the National Wild and Scenic River Program. Other projects started in one phase of his career and continued into the next, such as the Delaware River Basin Commission Level B Study, which started in 1977 when he was a sole proprietor and continued into his incorporated company (Box 8). Projects and associations that began in one career often moved into another. Many colleagues and supervisors were mentors and eventually became co-workers, such as Peter Larson, who Cohen met in the 1960s (Box 18). Additionally, file dates may overlap into the next year or decade or decades, because the materials were accumulative and interrelated to future projects and contracts.
Generally, contents of a file are arranged in the order in which each item was executed, so that the most recent documents are at the beginning of a file. Folder numbering begins anew with each series.
The technical library is at the end of the collection and is listed variously in Appendices A, B, and C.
Boxes 1-43: Shelved in SPEC MSS record center cartons Boxes 44-46: Shelved in SPEC MSS manuscript boxes Removals: Shelved in SPEC MSS oversize boxes (20 inches) Removals: Shelved in SPEC MSS oversize boxes (32 inches)
Gift of William J. Cohen, 2001-2004.
Processed by Sally W. Donatello and Theresa Hessey, 2002-2004. Encoded by Thomas Pulhamus, March 2010.
- Publisher
- University of Delaware Library Special Collections
- Finding Aid Author
- University of Delaware Library, Special Collections
- Finding Aid Date
- 2010 March 22
- Access Restrictions
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The collection is open for research.
- Use Restrictions
-
Use of materials from this collection beyond theexceptions provided for in the Fair Use and Educational Use clauses of the U.S.Copyright Law may violate federal law. Permission to publish or reproduce isrequired from the copyright holder. Please contact Special CollectionsDepartment, University of Delaware Library,http://library.udel.edu/spec/askspec/
Collection Inventory
In 1967 after two years experience in commercial real estate, Cohen began a job as research assistant for the Delaware State Planning Office (DSPO) in Dover, Delaware. Commercial real estate had introduced him to land values, zoning issues, and commercial development. His first assignment as a planner was project manager to the town of Lewes, a seaside community in Sussex County. His job was to facilitate the development of a comprehensive plan for the city's growth. Other duties included coordinating and authoring background studies and research in land use, transportation, housing, historic sites, community facilities, and opinion surveys. He prepared comprehensive plans, assisted in the preparation of the state capital budget, and supervised research and preparation of planimetric maps. During this ten-year period at DSPO, Cohen was promoted annually from research assistant (1967-1968) to planner I (1968-1969) to senior planner (1969-1971).
Includes assignments, correspondence, personal documents, newsletters, and other materials from Cohen's first job at the Delaware State Planning Office (DSPO).
Correspondence related to the University of Delaware's College of Marine Studies, to be located in Lewes.
Monthly newsletters from the State Planning Office.
Correspondence related to obtaining a position with the State Planning Office.
Cohen compiled these files as documentation of assignments and projects while employed at the DSPO. Noted projects and events were the Comprehensive Development Plan for the City of Lewes and the Cape Henlopen "Great Sand Dune" Controversy.
"Preliminary Capital Budget Requests and Recommendations Fiscal Year 1971, Including Analysis and Considerations" and capital budget reports.
Capital projects schedule for 1970, capital improvements program alternatives, and capital budgets. Also includes research notes and correspondence.
Enrollment figures, reports on funding, and research notes.
"Preliminary Comprehensive Development Plan" and both a final copy and draft of "Strengthening the Planning Process."
Final and draft copies of "Community Development Controls-Survey-December 1967."
Various drafts of Cohen's address, event programs, and copies of Delaware Day Addresses from previous years.
Requests for funding by Delaware State College.
Request for funding.
Copy of a sketch for the proposed center.
Assorted research materials gathered relating to ecology and environmental issues.
Printed materials such as brochures on historic Ontario, Department of Housing and Urban Development Historic Preservation Program, and a journal of the National Trust for Historic Preservation (Volume 16, Number 1, 1964).
Publication from the Urban Land Institute (Volume 27, February 1968), a reprinted article from Jersey Plans (Volume XVII, Number 2, September 1968) on Hackensack Meadows, a publication of The National Urban Coalition entitled
Agenda for Positive Action: State Programs in Housing and Community Development, a newsletter from the American Society of Planning Officials (Volume 35, Number 1, January 1969), and a publication of the U.S. Department of Commerce entitled Consumer Buying Indicators.Publication from the National Industrial Committee entitled
Planning for Industrial Parks and other information gathered regarding planning for industrial parks.Oversized drawing of "Sussex County Land Use Inventory Code," a report "Area of Towns and Roads in Delaware," a copy of Land Use Inventory Code lists, "Instructions for Land-Use Intensity Forms," and other materials gathered related to land use.
Copies of laws pertaining to planning as well as a copy of the "Delaware State Planning Act."
"General Statement of Goal Intention, City of Newark, Delaware" and other materials related to planning in Newark.
Report entitled "New Jersey's Future: Goals and Plans."
Population figures from the Chamber of Commerce, Wilmington, a list of population for all cities and towns in Delaware, and various reports related to population in the state.
Various drafts of a report entitled "Rehoboth Beach: Historical Analysis" as well as research materials.
Information pertaining to the planning and construction of the Downtown Plaza in Salisbury.
Guide and related materials about publications, reports, journals, newsletters, books, and studies; established by Cohen at the Delaware State Planning Office. Cohen developed his own library classification system, which was based on a system at the Fels Institute at the University of Pennsylvania. Throughout his career he added to the library (See Box 4 and Appendices A and B). Also contains materials related to Cohen's work with the Delaware State Planning Office that have been removed and added to the technical library.
Various materials gathered relating to transportation and its planning as well as research notes.
"Preliminary Review of the Pedestrian Way, Elkton Road and Amstel Avenue" (June 15, 1970), a proposal for program development for the Department of Music (1969-1970), and a brochure of the Music Building (later named the Amy du Pont Music Building), Vincent G. Kling and Associates, Architects as well as data sheets for the Capital Program.
"Community Design Plan for the College of Marine Studies, University of Delaware," maps, and documents related to the University's establishment of the Marine Studies Program in Lewes.
Summary of projects and their estimates.
Contains the first analysis of new towns in Delaware; published in 1972 by the DSPO.
Research notes, a copy of a report on Design Elements, and news clippings.
"New Towns: Concept, Definition, and History" and related research materials and notes.
Research materials and notes.
Population growth charts for each county and a copy of a report.
Copy of report.
Research notes, "Summary of Water Conditions in Delaware for October, 1967-March, 1968," and other printed materials related to water treatment.
Contains files used by Cohen for research during his assignment as project director for the town of Lewes, Delaware.
Aerial photographs of the Delaware coastline with descriptive note by Cohen.
Articles and correspondence related to Cohen's efforts to have a manuscript published on the early settlement of Lewes.
Report and materials prepared for legal action.
Correspondence, news clippings, maps, and House bills.
Includes letters, memorandum, and news clippings that show Governor Russell W. Peterson's involvement in the controversy, and its effect on the development of the Lewes Comprehensive Plan.
News clippings and correspondence.
News clippings, correspondence, and maps related to the use of Cape Henlopen State Park as a possible industrial area.
Correspondence and news clippings.
Correspondence and news clippings.
Charter for the town of Lewes.
Draft of the proposed new Charter.
Information related to the University of Delaware's College of Marine Studies, Beebe Hospital, and Zwaanendael Museum, in addition to other research materials and notes.
Additional research materials and notes as well as "Community Facilities and Services: a Background Study for Lewes, Delaware."
Copies of the surveys, an analysis of the responses, and a copy of "Lewes Community Opinion Survey: a Background Report for Lewes, Delaware."
Copy of
Delaware Coast Press, Thursday, January 7, 1971.Copy of "Proposed Development Plan" including one with corrections.
Study presented to Governor Peterson which may be the first environmental study of the bays. Also includes information and maps regarding the College of Marine Studies, University of Delaware, located in Lewes.
News clippings, research notes, and a draft of a report.
Draft and a final copy of a fiscal analysis study for the town of Lewes.
Final draft of "History, Historic Sites, and Buildings of Lewes, Delaware" written by Cohen as well as correspondence regarding the work and news clippings.
Draft of "History, Historic Sites, and Buildings of Lewes, Delaware," in addition to other archaeological and bibliographic information.
Largely handwritten draft of "History, Historic Sites, and Buildings of Lewes, Delaware."
Handwritten draft, a first typewritten draft, and a final draft of a background study regarding housing in Lewes completed by Cohen.
Surveys completed as research for the Lewes housing study.
Various drafts of a land use study for Lewes completed by Cohen.
Various drafts of a land use study for Lewes completed by Cohen.
Final draft of a land use study completed in 1968.
Background study of economic characteristics of Lewes as well as a background study for community facilities and services.
Final draft of background study.
Meeting minutes.
Copy of "Preliminary Plan Lewes, Delaware" and memorandums.
Research notes and materials as well as a draft of a population study for Lewes.
Memorandum related to residential density and working notes.
Article published in the Evening Journal, July 29, 1969.
Copy of "Recommendations for Subdivision Regulations" and a memorandum.
Research materials and notes in addition to a report on transportation in Lewes.
Additional research materials, notes, and maps.
Additional research materials and notes and an initial draft of a report on transportation in Lewes.
"Preliminary Report Town of Lewes Zoning Commission," maps, and ordinances to amend zoning codes.
"Recommended Basis for a Zoning Code for Lewes, Delaware."
Draft of "Recommended Basis for a Zoning Code for Lewes, Delaware."
Contains files about the final Comprehensive Development Plan for Lewes, Delaware.
"Recommended Capital Improvements Program," a budget for fiscal year 1970-1971; and "Fiscal Analysis: a Background Study for Lewes, Delaware."
News clippings and a project completion report.
Materials that did not appear in the "Comprehensive Development Plan."
Copy with corrections from September 1970 and the final published copy (December).
Draft of the "Comprehensive Development Plan."
Additional draft of "Comprehensive Development Plan."
Additional draft of "Comprehensive Development Plan."
News clippings, a report "Suggested Comprehensive Development Plan Work Program," research notes, and correspondence.
Both a draft and final draft of "Discussion Memorandum No. 6: Lewes Planning Commission June 25, 1969, Recommended Goals and Objectives."
Correspondence.
Copy of the building code for Lewes in 1966, an ordinance to amend zoning ordinances, research notes, and a Senate Bill.
Copy of "Preliminary Plan" and various drafts of the report.
Research notes and a draft of "Preliminary Plan."
Final draft of "Preliminary Plan" and a copy of "The Lewes Planning Program—a One Year Assessment."
News clippings, correspondence, memorandums, a report on "Delaware Coast, Beach Erosion Control and Hurricane Protection" by the Chief of Engineers, maps, and research notes.
Copies of "Preliminary Recommendations for the Development of Lewes Beach."
Progress report on Urban Planning Project, research notes, and news clippings.
Two copies of "Suggested Comprehensive Development Plan Work Program," one dated October 27, 1967 and the second dated December 7, 1967.
In 1971 Cohen was appointed the Planning Director of Newark, the second largest city in Delaware. After six years of service to a small city, his legacy included the first bike path system in the State as well as Newark's and the State's first flood-plain ordinance. These papers also contain documentation about some controversies that developed during his tenure. Examples are the Newark Beltway Project, KRAVCO Rezoning and Annexation, the Fader Building, and the development of Hidden Valley.
Promotional materials and a curriculum vitae for James R. Nelson, FAIA
List of individuals on the Bicycle Task Force, correspondence, and a memorandum.
Copies of a report on "Guidelines for Acquisition and Financing," prepared by Cohen.
Correspondence, as well as an article "Public Administrator: Government Agent or Community Advocate?" that Cohen attempted to have published in
Public Administration Review.Copy of "1971 Newark Festival of Arts Opinion Survey," a program for the festival which was a predecessor to "Community Day," and "1971 Newark Festival of Arts Plan."
Correspondence and its attachments and a map.
Contains materials about this land development project that caused various reactions from public officials and residents; this project was never approved; today the property is developed as Christiansted, which is located off of Nottingham Road, Newark
Legal documents related to a civil suit filed against the City of Newark by residents, memorandums, and information regarding a presentation of the Hidden Valley Development Plan.
Legal documents related to a suit filed against the Department of Transportation by the developers of Hidden Valley, site plans, agenda for New Castle County Council meeting, and news clippings.
Copy of "Hidden Valley-Diversified Planned-Unit Development Narrative Description," research notes, a copy of "Fairfield Civic Association Traffic Survey," memorandums, and correspondence.
Final copy of "The Newark Management Information System" as well as drafts and correspondence. Also includes a "1976 Update Report on the Newark Management Information System."
Correspondence and research notes.
Documentation on KRAVCO and their petition for Newark's first regional shopping center, which was denied by the City of Newark. Includes the opinions of Cohen's staff at the City Planning Department as well as opinions of members of city government
Clippings that mention Cohen and his planning activities.
Plans, correspondence, and other information gathered.
List of planning events that took place during the decade as well as other events significant to Newark city government.
"A Feasibility Study for Newark Local Bus Service" and a study by the Public Transportation Committee of Newark.
Correspondence, plans, and reports on various projects.
Project evaluation for a subdivision of office buildings located at Barksdale and Hillside Roads.
Correspondence and information related to a visit to Salisbury by Cohen and other members of Newark city government to examine Salisbury's downtown area.
Reports, city council resolutions, and correspondence.
Cohen used the same system that he adapted at the State. He added to the library over the course of his career. Includes items pertaining to Newark that were removed and added to Appendices A and B.
Summary report.
Memorandums, City Council and Planning Commission meeting agendas, and City Council resolutions and meeting minutes.
Cohen's last project with the City of Newark; documents a proposal to demolish the Main Street historic Fader Building and be replaced by a Gino's Restaurant; Cohen was the only department head against this project, which was approved. Contains information regarding this project as well as an additional study "Demographic, Capacity, Cost Analysis for Blair Village" and maps.
Cohen called this issue the "most significant transportation issue of the 1970s."
Information gathered by Cohen while a member of the Varrin Committee regarding the proposed Newark Beltway.
Planning information regarding the Beltway.
"Exhibits and Correspondence Pertaining to State of Delaware Department of Highways Plans for Newark Ring Arterial as They Relate to the Development of Hidden Valley." Item removed to technical library Appendix A.
Memorandums from both Cohen and City Manager Peter Marshall involving Cohen's controversial vote on a segment of the Newark Beltway. Also included are notes and letters from various supporters of Cohen.
Minutes from a special meeting of the Newark City Council.
Minutes from a City Council meeting held on March 10, 1975 in which Cohen was questioned regarding his vote on the Newark Beltway.
News clippings from a three part series related to the Beltway.
In 1977 Cohen left the employment of the City of Newark to pursue his planning career as a consultant. He used the moniker William J. Cohen, AIP, Planning Consultant (1977-1978). By 1978 his contacts and contracts had enabled him to incorporate as William J. Cohen and Associates, Inc. (1978-1990). The next twelve years brought substantial governmental contracts with some additional work in the private and non-governmental sectors. During this phase of his career he established a strong reputation in the area of environmental planning. In 1998 after serving a second time in state government, he left the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, and simultaneously pursued a Ph.D. while working again as an independent city and regional planning consultant. His services included research, analysis, public presentations, and expert witness testimony on town, city, county, state, and regional issues and projects.
Financial records, technical library guide, corporate seal, and other administrative files for both of Cohen's consulting businesses. Included are a certificate of incorporation, corporate seal, record book, and company checks.
Receipts, invoices, and business ledgers.
Detailed guide to Cohen's library system, which was prepared by a summer intern, Jay R. Lund. Includes items removed and added to Appendices A and B.
Bibliography of Cohen's works.
Certificate of incorporation, by-laws, minutes, stock certificates, transfer ledger, dissolution of corporation, information regarding possible merger, and a report on a "Presentation to Farmers Bank for the Establishment of Business Accounts."
William J. Cohen and Associates, Inc. request for certification and information regarding recertification.
Résumés of both Cohen and his employees.
Introduction to the company, correspondence, a list of company projects, and other information related to projects completed by the company.
Financial calculations, an inventory of office equipment, a copy of lease, correspondence, and memorandums.
Drafts of brochure, copyright application, and trademark information
Draft of brochure.
Bibliography of reports written by William J. Cohen and Associates, Inc
Brochures of local areas of interest and copies of "Planner-on-Call."
"Preliminary Information on Property to be Auctioned on Elk River Known as 'The Curragh'," "Development Prospectus: the Welsh Tract Site," correspondence, and research notes.
Correspondence, samples of publicity for William J. Cohen and Associates, Inc. including news clippings.
Both drafts and final drafts of proposals for potential projects.
Letters of reference written by Cohen
List of certified consultants in the state of Delaware for 1990.
These files contain governmental and non-governmental projects implemented by Cohen as a single entrepreneur and then with a team of professionals as a corporation.
Although similar to Cohen's study that he coordinated for Lewes from 1978-1980, this one initiated greater public interest and concern. This study disclosed health, land use, and social issues associated with the Getty Refinery location in Delaware City.
Correspondence, research notes, and a scope of services to be performed by William J. Cohen and Associates, Inc.
News clippings, research materials and notes, legal documents related to a civil suit filed by Getty Oil Company against the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Correspondence, research materials and notes, maps, and reports.
Correspondence, research materials and notes, and reports on issues such as health and financial matters.
Correspondence and research materials, notes, maps, and transparencies.
Proposal and research notes.
This publication documents Delaware City's Coastal Energy Impact Program (CEIP). Contains information regarding reprint and copyright, research notes, order forms, and invoices.
Draft of manuscript.
Draft of manuscript.
Correspondence, a work proposal, and research notes.
Photographs, negatives, billing hours for Kidde Consultants, Inc., subcontracted by Cohen, receipts, invoices, expense reports, and monthly progress reports.
Surveys for residents and their responses regarding air quality.
Grant information, correspondence, and reports.
Research notes, photographs, correspondence, and a brochure for Delaware City.
Monthly progress reports.
Responses for surveys regarding business growth and tourist interests.
Grant information, correspondence, invoices, Cohen's research notes, maps, and transparencies.
Correspondence as well as information regarding waterfront development in other cities and information gathered from the "Five State Commercial Revitalization Workshop" in Annapolis, Maryland.
Contract between Kent County and William J. Cohen and Associates, Inc., correspondence, fee information, and other information regarding the program.
Research materials collected, notes, and maps.
Initial research, maps, and working notes.
Information regarding the Coastal Zone Act and other research materials.
Land Use Management Information System (LUMIS) Program
Progress Reports, Memos, Expenses
Copy of Working Paper #1, "Coastal Energy Activities Management Plan."
Working Paper #2.
Working Paper #3, Part I, including original manuscript maps and report.
Working Paper #3, Part II and Coastal Energy Activities Management Plan.
Contract negotiations between the City of Lewes and both William J. Cohen and Associates, Inc. and Kidde Consultants, Inc., in addition to related correspondence.
Correspondence, a progress report,and other information gathered.
Population information, an energy impact plan, maps, and impact scales for various facilities.
Various research materials including articles and reports and a benefit analysis of proposed dredging in Lewes.
Progress reports and correspondence.
Two copies of drafts of "Phase I: Work Elements," including one largely hand-written draft.
Documents a working partnership between Cohen's consulting business and Shirley Jarrell, mayor of Magnolia, which is one of Delaware's smallest communities.
Notes and correspondence, in addition to a copy of the zoning code and maps.
Projects, maps, and questions answered by Cohen in his capacity as Planner-on-Call for the town of Magnolia.
Copy of the community plan, a copy of the town charter, and a zoning code outline, as well as correspondence and research notes.
Correspondence, a copy of the application, research notes, reports, and a copy of "Community Development Preapplication: Small Cities Grant."
Copy of "Community Development Application: Town of Magnolia, Delaware," a copy of "Delaware Community Development Plan," and correspondence.
Copy of the application, "Town of Magnolia: Energy Audit," research notes, and energy statistics.
Correspondence, a copy of the application, "Proposed Policies and Procedures of the Delaware Community Development Block Grant Program for FY 1984," "Policies and Procedures of the Delaware Community Development Block Grant Program for FY 1984," and invoices.
Correspondence, a copy of "Policies and Procedures of the Delaware Community Development Block Grant Program," survey responses, notes from town meetings, and a "Proposed Citizen Participation Plan."
Resident survey responses.
Index of zoning district uses, various drafts of "Subdivision Regulations," map, and a zoning and subdivision committee survey.
Correspondence, labor and expense reports, maps, a work proposal, minutes for a zoning commission meeting, and research materials and notes.
Final draft of "Subdivision Regulations."
Work proposal, correspondence, research materials and notes, maps, and meeting minutes.
Research materials and notes, correspondence, and maps.
Correspondence, meeting minutes, billing summaries, and a copy of "Zoning Ordinance: City of Milford, Delaware."
Contains two studies for the Trustees of New Castle Commons, a revitalization plan for Dobbinsville and development choices for the lands of the Trustees.
"Letter of Interest and Proposal: Dobbinsville Area Master Plan and Revitalization Plan," billing summaries, research materials and notes, maps, and exploratory sketches.
Survey responses, research materials and notes, and maps.
List of persons to be interviewed, notes, and a map of the area.
Maps and transparencies of the New Castle area and a copy of "Development Options: Lands of the Trustees of New Castle Commons (1986)."
Cohen's proposal to undertake work on development options, invoices, correspondence, and research notes and materials.
Work proposal, correspondence, labor and expense reports, and a news clipping.
Research materials and notes, a bibliography, and a "Draft of Recreation Survey Model."
Research materials, notes, aerial photographs, and maps.
Research materials, notes, and maps.
Estimates of cost, correspondence, progress reports, a brochure, transparencies of brochure, a proposal, and research notes.
Work proposal, research materials, and notes.
Documents one of Delaware's last standing lighthouses and contains historic research and photographs for the Historic American Buildings Survey. The lighthouse no longer exists.
Correspondence, photographs, contact sheets, a copy of "Historic American Buildings Survey: Port Mahon Lighthouse, Kent County, Delaware," drawings, a nomination form for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places Inventory, a partial copy of "Marine Technology Center: Port Mahon, Delaware, Feasibility Study," research materials, and notes.
Photographs, an audio recording of a field trip to the lighthouse, research materials, maps, and notes.
Drafts of city employee handbooks and correspondence related to revisions.
Correspondence, proposals for a planning and zoning workshop, and the workshop workbook.
Copies of the House and Senate bills that abolished the Office of Management, Budget, and Planning
List of tasks, a contract between William J. Cohen and Associates, Inc. and the OMBP, and information solicited from other states.
Progress reports, trip reports, correspondence, and research notes.
Copy of "A Survey and Analysis of Impact Methodologies for Coastal Zone Land Use."
Original manuscript and final copy of "Site Suitability and Master Plan, Barlow Tract," completed by William J. Cohen and Associates, Inc.
Maps, contact sheets, negatives, and research related to the project.
"Land Use Study and Alternative Land Use Plans, Dameron Tract" and a copy of "Analysis and Chronology: Annexation, Planning and Zoning Policies Affecting the Dameron Tract" both completed by William J. Cohen and Associates, Inc
Site analysis data.
Cohen was appointed state coordinator to manage Delaware's participation in a regional plan. This appointment began while he was still a sole proprietor.
"Plan of Study," "Amendments to the Plan of Study," correspondence, and other information gathered.
Memorandum of Agreement between the state of Delaware and the Delaware River Basin Commission.
List of files to be created, a project proposal, correspondence, maps, and working notes.
Signed contract, correspondence, purchase orders, list of fees, and contract negotiations.
Personnel on each work group.
Drafts of the directive, as well as research notes and news clippings.
Correspondence and work group notes on re-evaluation.
"Inventory of the Use of Water in Delaware for 1974," "Report on a Water Reserve Policy for the Delaware River Basin," meeting notes, and correspondence.
Notes, list of attendees, and an invitation for the workshops on basin resource management.
Estimated population statistics, a report on Delaware population growth prepared by the Division of Urban Affairs at the University of Delaware, and correspondence.
Project proposal, a request for proposals, and work notes.
Cost and benefit methodologies and correspondence.
Correspondence and a transmittal of comments.
Research notes, correspondence, and statistics.
Recreation study and a comprehensive study, in addition to various research materials, and correspondence.
Correspondence, meeting minutes, press releases, and meeting agendas.
Correspondence, time accounting sheets, news clippings, meeting minutes, and a status report.
Correspondence, a bibliography of documents submitted to the commission, a status report, a project proposal, and research notes.
Correspondence, research notes, and memoranda.
Cohen was hired to implement a community development grant, which was awarded to Sussex County. This project was the impetus for Cohen to form the corporation William J. Cohen and Associates, Inc., hire a staff (Frank Selby, Andrew Zimmerman, and Laura Newmarker), and establish an office at 177 E. Delaware Avenue in Newark.
Correspondence, Cohen's work proposal, and various drafts of the proposal.
Correspondence and reports related to community needs to be included in a grant proposal to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Report on "Proposed Projects for HUD Community Development Funds," meeting minutes, notices of meetings, and correspondence.
Correspondence, reports, resolutions, and research notes.
"Community Development Program, Sussex County, Delaware," correspondence, research, and research notes.
Research notes, notice of a public hearing, correspondence, maps, and research materials.
Correspondence, fee estimates, and scope of services.
Research materials, a copy of the pre-application, and resolutions for various communities needs.
Copy of the pre-application and resolutions for various communities' needs, as well as correspondence.
Correspondence and materials gathered for the application.
Copy of the completed application as well as a copy of "Needs Assessment and Strategy Statement, Project Summaries, Cost Summary."
Research materials and notes.
Correspondence regarding Cohen's contract, a schedule, and scope of services, in addition to a copy of "Parking/Parking Structure Study Approaches for University of Delaware," completed by Cohen.
Research notes and a request for various publications.
Surveys of University of Delaware parking lot users, maps, transparencies, research notes, and outlines and drafts.
"Working Paper #2: Parking Users Survey."
"Working Paper #3: Parking Demand Indicators."
"Ad Hoc Committee Report-Parking Study," as well as correspondence and memorandums.
Parking study final report.
Proposal submitted to the University, "Master Plan and Rezoning Documentation 219-Acre University of Delaware Tract" and correspondence regarding the proposal.
Documents the first effort in Delaware to create a revolving fund for the preservation of endangered historic buildings.
Correspondence, a copy of "Interim Report: the Feasibility of a Historic Preservation Fund for the State of Delaware," and "Historic Preservation Revolving Fund Activities in Localities."
Research notes and materials, maps, drafts of "Proto-Type/Experimental Projects: Historic Preservation Fund of Delaware," a copy of "Historic Preservation Fund of Delaware, Inc.: Preliminary Organizational Model," and a copy of "Preliminary Financial Analysis: Proto-type/Experimental Projects, Historic Preservation Fund of Delaware."
Lists of historic Delaware buildings.
Information regarding funding including a "Proposal for First Year Operations Funding for Historic Preservation Fund of Delaware, Inc."; "A Proposal to Study the Feasibility of, and Develop, a Historic Preservation Fund for the State of Delaware"; research notes and materials, and correspondence.
"Preliminary Organizational Model," meeting agendas, correspondence, historic preservation survey responses, research notes and materials, maps, and drafts of "Historic Preservation Programs in Delaware."
Promotional materials and correspondence.
Charter membership information and promotional materials.
Focus was on Wilmington, Newport, New Castle, and Delaware City
Correspondence, memorandums, research materials, maps, publicity, and notes.
Progress and financial reports in addition to working notes, correspondence, and copies of "Composite Final Report: Delaware Urban Waterfront Project."
Work contract, work program presentation, research notes and materials, and correspondence.
Contract revisions, "Delaware River Urban Waterfront Planning and Management Project: Work Program Presentation," The Coastal Society Bulletin, July 1979, and correspondence.
Working notes, research materials, maps, and correspondence.
"Proposal for Redevelopment of Wilmington's Waterfront," news clippings, and additional reports.
"Preliminary Assessment of Potential Recreational Use," maps, and correspondence.
Campaign materials and correspondence.
Contains materials about the State's application to create a "foreign trade" zone in the small community of Wyoming, Delaware. Residents, the mayor, the town council, and the city solicitor chose Cohen's company to do the master plan (1982-1983).
Research materials and maps.
Notes and correspondence.
Additional research materials, maps, and photographs of the town seal.
Various drafts and maps.
Working notes for a final zoning ordinance.
Cohen dedicated much of his personal and professional life to the preservation of the White Clay Creek and its stream valley. This pursuit began in the 1970s when he was employed by the City of Newark. The Newark Beltway was the project that began this involvement. The culmination of his effort and other advocates was the inclusion of the White Clay Creek Preserve in the National Wild and Scenic River Program in 2001.
Research and working notes and maps.
Minutes from Newark Planning Commission meetings and maps.
Correspondence and news clippings.
Information regarding the Storm Water Management Project as well as information related to legal and administrative committees.
National Wild and Scenic River Study and maps.
Announcement of DuPont gift of land to White Clay Creek Preserve and a drawing of the area.
Correspondence, development plan, and exploratory sketch for Curtis Mill Farm.
Proposal, correspondence, research materials, and notes.
Pertains to the rezoning potential of 711 S. College Avenue, Newark.
Pertains to annexation of property on W. Chestnut Hill Road to the city of Newark.
City Council meeting minutes and correspondence.
Research notes and maps.
Materials about this nonprofit, private watchdog group, which Cohen joined. Led by Edward W. Cooch, they advocate for the conservation and preservation of the Christina River and its basin. Their activities have focused on clean up.
Certificate of incorporation, correspondence, and other materials related to the group.
Minutes from City Council and Newark Planning Commission meetings, correspondence, maps, and reports related to this former industrial complex.
Research notes, maps, and correspondence.
Related to Fennemore Farm annexation to Middletown and includes research notes, maps, and correspondence.
Pertains to Cleveland Avenue, Newark.
Pertains to a housing analysis.
Included is a 1973 survey of National Vulcanized Fiber property in Newark.
Correspondence, maps, and sketches of the area involved.
City Council minutes, correspondence, research notes, maps, and receipts concerning a connecting road in Windy Hills.
Progress reports, research notes, maps, and a draft of a survey report.
Drafts, notes, research materials, and drawings for brochure.
Research materials, notes, and correspondence regarding rezoning for a private citizen.
Research notes, correspondence, and fliers related to the organization.
Research notes, correspondence, maps, and invoices.
Draft of a market analysis, research notes, maps, and correspondence.
Maps of Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland, and Pennsylvania as well as maps of the Newark, Delaware, area.
Zoning maps for various portions of the state of Delaware.
In 1998 Cohen resigned from Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. He became a city and regional planning consultant and, at the same time, worked toward the completion of requirements for a Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania. During his last years in Delaware, before moving to Maine in 2002, he worked for Delaware Greenways, WILMAPCO, Bancroft Greenway and Museum, and the Riverfront Development Corporation. Cohen was also hired by the State of Delaware's Department of Transportation as an expert witness. His final project as a planner in Delaware was the coordination and implementation of the Delaware Institute of Planning and Design, which produced a work program called "Planning 2001: A Public Agenda for State Planning."
Copy of Cohen's deposition as an expert witness in the case.
Final report prepared by Cohen, correspondence, and maps.
Correspondence, maps, and transparencies.
Articles, brochures, maps, and meeting minutes.
Progress reports and a report regarding the scope of work to be done by Cohen as consultant.
Brochures, a newsletter, notes, and meeting agendas.
Notes, maps, nomination forms for the National Register of Historic Places, and correspondence.
Draft and a final report, correspondence, and research notes.
Maps, correspondence, research notes, and meeting minutes.
Draft of map.
Correspondence, research notes, and a list of Open Space Council members.
Research notes, maps, and correspondence.
Notes, correspondence, a "Strategic Plan," and information regarding the possibility of the resumption of trolley services in Wilmington.
Research notes, maps, computer generated photos of the area involved, and meeting agendas and minutes.
Draft of "Influences that Shape Delaware's Communities: Past, Present, and Future," e-mail correspondence, articles used for research, and research notes.
Agendas and minutes for a Planning and Design Colloquium and journal articles used for research.
Memorandum of Agreement for the Delaware Institute for Planning and Design, a copy of the by-laws, a draft of "Livable Delaware," copies of "Planning 2001: a Public Agenda for State Planning" and "An Overview of State Planning in Delaware, 1959-2000" by Cohen.
Cohen was asked to partner with the nationally-recognized urban design firm, Brown & Keener, to develop a proposal to update the zoning code and comprehensive plan for the City of New Castle. This job was the last consulting proposal Cohen did before his move to Maine in the winter of 2002. Contains the city's request for proposals and a copy of a proposal completed by Cohen and the firm of Brown and Keener Urban Design.
Cohen designed and taught courses for the University's Department of Geography. The courses ranged in topic from coastal planning and management issues to land ethics and ecological planning to principles of urban planning. He also taught three courses in the Honors Program and an urban planning practicum.
Course list and syllabi for the courses that Cohen taught.
Letters from faculty thanking Cohen for presentations to various classes.
After 1977 Cohen began to photograph sites for his company's projects. These early works were the beginning of a black and white and color transparency file, which later became a resource for lectures, presentations, and teaching. From 1985-1987 he attended three photographic workshops in Maine that added to his knowledge and skill as a photographer. From 1985 until 1996, Cohen ran a commercial photography business, specializing in architecture and construction progress. These files contain slides, prints, and contact sheets. Each image has an inventory code, which matches a negative file owned by Cohen. Slides have a separate coding system with an inventory list. An example of a code used for a contact sheet and a print is 92-35c-67-31. This sequence means the image was made in 1992, is a 35 mm color print (black and white would not have the "c"), found on roll 67, and negative #31. In addition, Cohen exhibited prints in the medium of heliography that used cyanotype and Van Dyke techniques.
Inventory list of Cohen's first work in cyanotype and Van Dyke imagery (1977-1981) and some of the individuals who purchased his art as well as announcements for exhibitions.
Contains materials about the commercial photographic and non-silver processes workshops Cohen attended. He attended three workshops during consecutive summers.
Reading list, various publications, and research notes.
Information related to and correspondence with Michael A. Smith, a Bucks County, Pennsylvania, landscape photographer.
Publications from the workshop.
Photographs and contact sheets taken during various stages of construction.
Photographs and contact sheets taken during various stages of construction.
Photographs and contact sheets taken during various stages of construction.
Slides and correspondence.
Sketches, photographs, negatives, and research materials.
Photographs, negatives, and contact sheets.
Photographs taken during various stages of construction.
Photographs taken during various stages of construction.
Photographs taken during various stages of construction.
Negatives and a brochure.
Contact sheets.
Proposal.
Photographs, negatives, and contact sheets.
These slides were taken as part of planning projects, and each has an inventory code.
Slides of the Chesapeake Bay, Curragh, Curtis Mill Farm, Delaware Shoreline—Getty-Delaware City, Delaware City (miscellaneous), Magnolia Town Hall, Newark, Queen Anne's County Maryland, University of Delaware, White Clay Creek, and Fort Christina.
Slides of Historic Houses and Buildings, Historic Preservation Fund Project Prototype Buildings, and Wyoming, Delaware.
Slides of Office and Site Plan.
Slides for "A Vision for the Rivers, 1994," the Christina River, and the Wilmington waterfront.
Slides of the Christina River, the Wilmington waterfront, the Brandywine and Christina Rivers Task Force, Kentlands, the Nanticoke River, and Brandywine Creek Stabilization.
Inventory codes for Christina River Study, Port Mahon, and University of Delaware Parking Study.
Inventory code for Delaware Urban Waterfront Project, 1978-1979. These include categories for miscellaneous, New Castle, Delaware City, Newport, other sites such as Penns Landing, Camden, and Detroit, and Wilmington.
Additional slides for the Delaware Urban Waterfront Project.
Cohen was rehired by the State of Delaware in 1990 as a senior resources planner for Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC). He provided advice, analysis, and coordination of policy and planning projects about land use and natural resources as well as watershed planning. The project files include the Nanticoke Watershed; a twenty-year assessment of the Coastal Zone Act; documents submitted for a Profile in Courage Award on behalf of former Governor Russell W. Peterson and his work as an environmentalist; the Governor's Management Fellow Program (Cohen was selected for the program in 1993); working files on various projects; and materials from conferences and workshops. The bulk of this section is the Governor's Task Force of the Future of the Brandywine and Christina Rivers (1992-1994), which Cohen calls the "single most important project of my career as a city and regional planner in Delaware."
Governor Michael Castle created the task force by Executive Order on October 30, 1992. Governor Thomas Carper re-issued the Order in June 14, 1993. Forty-three appointed members were led by former Governor Russell W. Peterson and Dr. E. Arthur Trabant, President Emeritus of the University of Delaware. Cohen was appointed executive director of this task force. They brought together the expertise of state, county, and municipal administrators, planners, architects, and public officials. The Task Force evaluated the Brandywine and Christina Rivers, and made recommendations to protect and improve these waterways. On October 11, 1994, the Final Report of the Task Force was submitted by seven working committees: Water and Stream Bank Quality; Wetlands and Wildlands; Land Acquisition; River Clean-Up; Waterfront Development; Funding; and Legislation, Regulation, and Zoning.
Information regarding the purpose, goals, organization, and funding of the Task Force.
Research notes, memoranda, and a draft of the executive order that established the Task Force.
List of members, correspondence, and memoranda.
News clippings and other information related to the Delaware Architects Waterfront Design Team.
Photographs of the rivers and photocopies of contact sheets.
Original final copy.
Copy of the text of a presentation to Wilmington Mayor James H. Sills, Jr. regarding Wilmington Intermodal Transportation Center and Riverview Plaza.
Handwritten notes of Russell W. Peterson related to the task force.
Official proclamation.
Correspondence, research notes, meeting agendas, and sign-up sheets.
Research notes, certificate of incorporation, by-laws, financial statements of the Christina Gateway Corporation, and news clippings.
Memoranda.
Fact sheet, memoranda, correspondence, and a copy of the "Wetland and Watershed Enhancement Proposal."
Correspondence, draft minutes, research notes, a meeting notice, and research materials.
Funding proposals, correspondence, and project reports.
Contains land acquisition recommendations, correspondence, a final report, and memoranda.
Correspondence, a final report, a report on Riverview Plaza, meeting minutes, a summary of waterfront studies, and research notes.
Meeting notices, agendas, and notes.
Maps, a list of Task Force members, meeting minutes, correspondence, and report covers.
Resolutions and a funding proposal.
Senate resolutions and executive orders.
Summary of studies prepared by the task force, correspondence, memoranda, and research materials.
Final draft of script, information related to cost of production, and correspondence.
Correspondence, maps, and news clippings.
Memorandum and research notes.
Chronology of the restoration project, poster, and research notes
Press releases.
Negatives and a photograph of proposed riverfront.
Correspondence, a program, and information related to the planning of the presentation reception.
Invitation List
Correspondence, lists of individuals to receive copies of the report, maps used in the report, and invoices.
Memorandum, a proposal for shoreline restoration, research notes, and correspondence.
One of seven copies of report signed by Governor Peterson, Dr. E. Arthur Trabant, and Governor Carper, as well as copies of executive summary.
Copy of committee reports.
Photographs of the presentation to the Governor and the reception.
Maps and copies of executive summary.
News and magazine clippings.
Correspondence, project strategies, a survey, and meeting minutes.
Contains an article written by Cohen.
Correspondence and memorandum.
Invoices, receipts, and bills
Invoices, reports, and correspondence regarding payment of invoices.
The transition team was established by Governor Tom Carper to recommend a specific implementation strategy for "A Vision for the Rivers."
Research notes, correspondence, and meeting agendas.
News clippings, reports, correspondence, memoranda, and research notes and materials.
Invoices and correspondence.
Addresses of members, meeting notice, proposed committee membership, correspondence, and working notes.
Meeting announcements, agendas, correspondence, notes, and draft and certificate of incorporation for the Riverfront Development Corporation.
Correspondence, minutes, committee member information, and research notes.
Research notes and information re development projects in other locations.
Subcommittee members and goals of each subcommittee.
Correspondence with Delmarva Power and Light Company (Conectiv), regarding a monetary contribution toward the establishment of the Wilmington Wildlife Refuge.
Correspondence, meeting minutes, maps, memorandums, and research materials related to the establishment of the Wilmington Wildlife Refuge that was later named the Russell W. Peterson Wildlife Refuge.
Copy of Senate Bill 260, a list of proposed projects, costs and funding sources, and correspondence.
Charrette with an encapsulated drawing. The Governor's Task Force on the Future of the Brandywine and Christina Rivers decided that the Boulevard must be redesigned to make it easier to meld the waterfront and downtown Wilmington. Cohen participated in a planning and design charrette to develop concepts for that redesign. Cohen's concept was met with surprise and after Cohen wrinkled his design, Alex Taft, executive director of WILMAPCO, had the tracing "entombed" in a plastic box.
List of committee members, a list of subcommittees and their members, real estate information, meeting minutes, maps, and memorandums.
Memoranda, meeting minutes, agendas, maps, and research notes.
Memorandum.
Meeting minutes, agendas, correspondence, and maps.
Copy of criteria and goals.
Working notes.
Cost analysis, correspondence, research notes, and budgets.
Memoranda, correspondence, and map.
Draft of work plan for field activities and maps.
Draft and information regarding the printing of the report.
Contains the materials that Cohen, with the assistance of Daniel B. Hurley, amassed toward an application for the Profile in Courage Award. Cohen completed the application and supporting materials to nominate Governor Russell W. Peterson for his dedication to the creation and implementation of Delaware's Coastal Zone Act.
Biographical information, news clippings, a complete nomination form, and other research materials.
News clippings and correspondence.
News clippings, writings by Peterson, a transcript of an interview, and research notes.
Research notes, news clippings, and correspondence.
News clippings, research materials and supporting documentation for the nomination.
This project included interviewing a number of public officials throughout the state of Delaware, as well as private sector representatives to gather information regarding opinions on the Act. The interview with Governor Russell W. Peterson includes an unedited tape of the interview.
Copies of "The Delaware Coastal Zone Act: A Twenty Year Retrospective Assessment," "The Regulatory Definition of the Port of Wilmington Under the Delaware Coastal Zone Act," drafts of both reports, and research materials.
Memorandum, correspondence, and audio tapes of an interview with Governor Russell W. Peterson in 1991.
Questionnaires used by Cohen when interviewing individuals regarding the Coastal Zone Act.
Correspondence and information related to the program.
Packet of information distributed to program fellows.
Cohen's project proposal and correspondence.
Research notes, news clippings, and a report on "Creating a Government that Works Better and Costs Less."
Photographs, a certificate, and a directory.
Includes information and materials gathered from conferences and workshops that Cohen attended throughout his eight years with the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
Contains information and materials gathered during Cohen's eight year employment with the Department.
Materials related to Tom Carper's inauguration as governor.
Promotional materials.
Correspondence and a publication by the Environmental Protection Agency.
History of the area, correspondence, research notes, and completed registration form for the National Register of Historic Places.
Correspondence, maps, and research notes.
Copy of "The Delaware Coastal Zone Act: A Twenty Year Retrospective Assessment" and "The Regulatory Definition of the Port of Wilmington Under the Delaware Coastal Zone Act" both written by Cohen. (see also F79)
Copy of symposium program, a copy of "Taking Stock and Looking Ahead," a paper presented at the symposium, and other materials gathered.
Correspondence, memoranda, and other materials.
Copy of the report presented to the governor.
Workshop materials packet.
Package of material related to the workshop.
Copy of "Restructuring the Development Advisory Service Draft Plan" by Cohen and additional materials.
Memoranda, meeting agendas, meeting minutes, and reports.
Cohen's letter of resignation from DNREC.
News clippings.
Copy of zoning code, correspondence, and research materials.
Copy of zoning code, correspondence, and research materials.
Memorandum with attachments, correspondence, and meeting minutes.
Presentation materials and research notes.
Memorandum, a copy of the Land Use Protection Act, and material from Greenways for Delaware.
Correspondence, remarks and outlines of address presented by Cohen, transparencies and other presentation materials.
Summary and status of legislative proposals and copies of various Senate Bills.
Memoranda, a copy of House Bill No. 506, and copies of executive orders.
Correspondence and information related to activities and projects in Laurel.
Memoranda, information on laws related to the work of the Brandywine-Christina Task Force, meeting notes, and research notes.
Thank you letters received by Cohen for various appearances and lectures.
Statement of the American Planning Association regarding the case.
Delaware Main Street Initiative application form, information from the National Main Street Center, and news clippings.
Copy of portions of the Annotated Code of Maryland.
A request for Cohen's services by the Department of Transportation.
Memoranda, reports, a "Site Suitability Workbook" prepared by Cohen, a 1992 annual report of the Nanticoke Watershed Preservation Committee, research materials, and aerial photographs of the river.
Important documentation of the status of the watershed and DNREC work to organize a citizen effort of watershed conservation.
Memoranda, correspondence, research notes, and a draft of the plan.
Research notes, meeting agendas, correspondence, memoranda, and news clippings.
Impact assessment and a press release.
News clippings.
Final draft and printed copy of Cohen's article "Delaware's 'Forgotten River'-Rediscovered" as well as photograph proofs.
Copies of departmental performance plan and planning structure and information on the department's strategic planning process.
Information related to Cohen's position, its requirements and objectives.
Evaluations of Cohen's performance with DNREC for 1991 and 1992.
Newsletter of the Cabinet Committee on State Planning Issues, a preliminary assessment of the Piedmont Basin Study, research notes, and correspondence.
Various maps of the basin area.
Memoranda and correspondence related to the structure of the department.
News clippings regarding the planning concerns of voters.
Various drafts of a paper prepared and revised by Cohen.
Correspondence and Cohen's "The Regulatory Definition of the Port Wilmington Under the Delaware Coastal Zone Act." See also F79, F130
Newsletters, correspondence, and meeting agendas and minutes.
Legal documents related to the case of Oceanport Industries, Inc. v. the State of Delaware and DNREC, information on the Public Trust Doctrine, and research notes.
Clippings from
Delaware Lawyer, copies of related legislation, and a copy of "A Committee of Citizens Report on the Quality of Life Initiatives of 1987 and Legislation."Package of information regarding the ordinance, correspondence, and a "Final Report of the Riparian Forest Buffer Panel."
Newsletters and brochure.
Memoranda, correspondence, news clippings, and research materials.
Correspondence, map, and research notes.
A background on state planning, legislative material, and Cohen's opinions on various pieces of legislation.
Copy of "Briefing: Land Use," a Planning Task Force report, a copy of "State Planning in Delaware" by John A. Bivens, Jr., and a copy of "Restructuring the Development Advisory Service Draft Plan" by Cohen.
News clippings and a copy of "Delaware State Assistance Handbook for Municipalities and Local Governments."
News clippings and other printed materials.
Information on the establishment of the Development Advisory Service and a copy of "Final Report on the Status of Inland Bays Task Force Recommendations Relating to Land Use."
Cohen's proposal for the establishment of a partnership and working notes.
Draft of report.
Draft of "Land Use Fact Sheet," research notes, meeting agendas, and a final draft of the preliminary assessment.
In 1998 Cohen left the State and once again became a consultant (see II.C.) Simultaneously he worked on his Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania.
Articles written by Cohen published in
Planning magazine of the American Planning AssociationCopy of Cohen's dissertation, "A Critical Assessment of Ian McHarg's Human Ecological Planning Curriculum at the University of Pennsylvania."
Contains documents related to his personal and professional life. Included are materials about Cohen's professional affiliations with the American Planning Association, American Institute of Planners, and the Delaware Association for of Public Administrators.
Information regarding Cohen's membership.
Information on planning conferences.
General information regarding membership.
Meeting minutes and membership information.
Membership lists and information regarding the appointment of Roy Lopata as Newark Planning Director.
Membership lists, amended by-laws, and information regarding the association's affiliation with the Delaware Society of Architects.
Larson was Wilmington's first city planner (1962). Appointed by Mayor John Babiarz, Larson and Alan Chase (his assistant director) were Cohen's first mentors in city and regional planning. Many of Cohen's colleagues called Larson the "Dean of Delaware Planners." Cohen was asked by the president of the Delaware Chapter of the American Planning Association to establish an award in honor of Larson. His tribute was presented on December 13, 2000.
Grant proposal, membership lists, and election information.
Information and materials gathered during Cohen's tenure as president of the association.
Meeting minutes, agendas, and reports.
Newsletters and lectures.
Lectures, membership lists, conference materials, and agendas.
Financial, legal, business, and research documents about Cohen's residence in Newark. He did considerable research on his bungalow-style home to record its history and determine its historic significance.
Original copy of Cohen's thesis, "The Role of the Urban Planner in the Decision Making Process: The Political Dimension." Included is a handwritten annotated outline of the thesis, an abstract, and departmental guidelines for theses.
taken at Dover Air Force Base after the tour: Dan Keifer (director), William J. Cohen, Mino Carchetti, John Sherman (Cohen's supervisor), Jack Williams, Unidentified Lt. Col., S. Michael Thompson, Kenneth Bessinger
Physical Description3 prints and one digital image file
Copyright Bradford L. Glazier
Photographs taken by Peggy Schultz
WJC, Laura Newmarker Bonner, Frank R. Selby, Andrew D. Zimmerman / photographs taken by Rebecca Bedford
Edward Cairns, Robert Varrin, Dorothy Miller, WJC (36 years after this group—among others—met during initial discussions of the proposed Newark Beltway, 1971-1977)
Materials about the position Cohen held at the Wilmington & Western Railroad. His duties included raising funds to support the operation of the railroad. Consists of an employee rulebook, correspondence, and research notes.
Correspondence, news clippings, and railroad newsletters.
Job description, correspondence, news clippings, and railroad newsletters.
Newsletters, news clippings, announcements, and workshops. Cohen planned many of the exhibits and programs in addition to designing printed materials.
Game created by Cohen.
Report that Cohen did when he worked for Arnold Goldsborough's real estate company. In 1967 he produced this research, which became a "springboard" for him into city planning.
Materials about this citizen group that advocated the preservation and protection of Brandywine Park, Wilmington. Cohen was invited to join the Board of Stewards in 1994. He served as president from 1995-1998.
Unpublished manuscript by Cohen including research notes and drafts.
Please follow this link to a PDF of the text.
Please follow this link to a PDF of the text.
Available in UD Library only.
Available in UD Library only.