Why Should Delaware Care?
New Castle County residents have pushed back against large-scale development projects in recent years, with many complaining that the county’s land-use process is not transparent. Now, some council members want to give the neighbors earlier notice of development proposals.
It’s no secret that many New Castle County residents do not pay close attention to the goings on of their local government. Some may not even hear about a county land-use approval for a large development near their house until shovels are in the ground.
Now, three New Castle County Council members want to change how residents learn about land-use plans — just as increasingly controversial proposals for big commercial developments creep closer to isolated neighborhoods.
During a meeting on Tuesday, Councilmembers Brandon Toole, Dave Tackett and Dee Durham will introduce an ordinance that proposes to widen the circle of who gets advance notice when a developer first proposes a building project.
This move comes after the County Council faced citizen backlash in recent years to several large-scale building projects, such as the proposed data center near Delaware City and a massive warehousing complex near Middletown.
Under current rules, county officials must mail land-use meeting notices to all owners of property that sit within 300 feet of a new building project. In an email, Durham said she thinks that radius – which is about the length of a football field – is too small.
“That is simply not sufficient public notice about major projects being proposed,” she said.
The new ordinance would increase the radius to 1,000 feet. It would also require developers to update yellow notice signs posted at properties with the dates of upcoming hearings if the plan for the development changes.
Tackett said he hopes the ordinance will encourage more people to get involved with the public hearing process.
“The changes are really about transparency and accountability,” he said.
Though the ordinance will be introduced on Tuesday, the County Council won’t discuss it until the following week, or perhaps later, Durham said.
Proposal is not a new idea
Three years ago, then-New Castle County Council President Karen Hartley-Nagle proposed a similar public notice ordinance amid the controversy surrounding a comprehensive rezoning of more than 80 different properties across New Castle County.
The rezoning plan at that time faced fierce pushback, largely from suburban residents who feared it would accommodate plans for distribution warehouses and other large developments.
Among those criticising the comprehensive rezoning plan then was Dale Swain, a local land-use activist. On Monday, he said the idea for the increased radius came as part of a larger conversation in the past surrounding how to better notify the public about developments.
“Not that you’re going to stop the development, but it would at least be nice to know about it,” Swain said.
Hartley-Nagle said the council did not pass her ordinance three years ago, partially because New Castle County staff said it would cost too much to send notices to more people. Her original proposal would have required residents to sign the mail to show they received it.
But, she said, it would be a worthy use of public funds because it would directly help people.
“We spend a lot of money for things [constituents] never see,” Hartley-Nagle said.
Tackett said New Castle County staff wrote the ordinance at his direction and did not raise any concerns about cost.
Swain said he and others residents have also discussed cheaper ways to notify residents of developments proposed nearby, such as emails or clearer posts on the county website.
