Why Should Delaware Care?
Housing affordability has become a dramatic problem in Delaware with prices rising more than 50% in the last decade and new studies finding that the state needs thousands of cheaper home options. But proposals for new types of homes often conflict with desires of existing residents to keep the character of their areas unchanged.
A three-story apartment complex off U.S. Route 13 is likely coming to Middletown’s suburbs, an area characterized by big houses on bigger tracts of land.
The New Castle County Council on Tuesday will vote on the development plan for The Plaza at Boyds, a 288-unit apartment complex with retail and commercial space on the ground floor. The county land use department has previously stated the proposal complies with the county code, meaning it’s unlikely the council would reject it.
The plan would develop the first dense, multifamily residential complex built in the unincorporated Middletown-Odessa-Townsend area in many years. The area has been among the fastest growing in Delaware in recent decades as developers have primarily transformed dozens of farm fields into single-family-home subdivisions.
The Plaza at Boyds Corner plan also represents a popular, new urbanism trend that has taken hold across the country. Advocates of the design say it brings to communities more affordable housing and more walkable spaces.
Although the project is not expected to include any units officially designated as “affordable,” County Councilman David Carter said more apartments could lessen what he said was a “brain drain” in the southern part of the county.
“My hope is that this will help take some of the pressure off the limited number of rental units that we have, to allow some of those talented young staff both in the trades and in college to come back to our area,” Carter said.
Other council members echoed that sentiment, including Councilman Kevin Caneco, whose district borders Carter’s.
Asked if the development could become a trend toward density in the area, Caneco said he would like to see more affordable housing in areas that already have required public infrastructure.
The project includes 288 units with a mix of one, two, and some three-bedroom apartments, as well as around 30,000 square feet of retail and office space.
The proposed development area is one of a handful in the area, including an 814-unit subdivision planned in St. Georges just up Route 13 from the Plaza at Boyds.
The massive St. Georges subdivision likely remains out of reach for many first-time buyers – as do most big developments built in recent years in the area. The current median listed home price in Delaware is $420,000 – a 6% increase over last year, according to the Delaware Association of Realtors.
The property where Plaza at Boyds Corner will be built was one of dozens that were part of a controversial comprehensive rezoning plan two years ago that featured residents pushing back against rezoning efforts across northern Delaware.
Community sentiment around the project is not immediately clear. A year ago, Carter said in a Facebook post that some residents had expressed concern about the development. Two commenters replied to his post expressing support for the project, with one asserting it could ease traffic on the east-west highway leading to downtown Middletown.
More recently, a Facebook user posted opposition to the plans, saying the plan does not conform with the area.
Make Your Voice Heard
The New Castle County Council will meet at the Louis Redding City/County Building in Wilmington at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday to vote on the Plaza at Boyds Corner plan, among other ordinances.
For those wishing to participate virtually, the meeting will also be broadcast on Zoom here.