Opinion ID: 1438955
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Site Preparation

Text: TVSBC is the developer of a residential community known as Raintree Village (Raintree). The Raintree property, located in White Clay Hundred, New Castle County, Delaware, was purchased by TVSBC and Concord 2 Associates, Inc., in 1985. The following year, TVSBC employed various subcontractors to prepare the Raintree property for the construction phase of development. In particular, TVSBC retained DiSabatino Brothers, Inc. (DiSabatino), to clear trees, brush, vegetation and other organic matter (pre-construction debris) from the building site. DiSabatino was also responsible for disposing of the pre-construction debris and for grading the site. A pre-construction meeting attended by the staff of TVSBC (but not Spano personally), DiSabatino, and the New Castle County Department of Public Works (County) was held on April 4, 1986. At that time the developers proposed to dispose of the pre-construction debris in trenches located in the right-of-way owned by Delmarva Power & Light Company (DP & L), which right-of-way ran through the middle of the development. Preparation of the site commenced following the County's approval of the plan. Pursuant to the plan, tree stumps, tree limbs, and other vegetation were cleared from the site and buried in the trenches. A small quantity of construction debris, including wood, plywood, empty paint cans, and joint compound containers was also buried in the trenches. The debris was then covered with a layer of earth primarily consisting of clay. Spano visited the Raintree site at least once or twice each week throughout this phase of the project and he personally viewed the disposal trenches and their contents. Although Spano was a corporate officer who had broad authority for the Raintree project and direct knowledge of the disposal trenches, he had no direct control or involvement in the actual decision to dispose of the pre-construction debris, and there is no evidence in the record which suggests that Spano ratified or otherwise approved of the disposal plan. That decision was made by TVSBC's attorneys, DiSabatino, [1] the County, and members of TVSBC's staff, excluding Spano.