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Events ordinance hearing set Jan. 16

Postponed hearing to resume at 10:30 a.m. in council chambers
January 12, 2018

Story Location:
2 The Circle
Georgetown, DE
United States

The ordinance regulating special events in Sussex County is on the agenda Tuesday, Jan. 16, and council hopes this time, it won’t be lights out.

The public hearing on amendments to the county's short-term special events ordinance is set to begin at 10:30 a.m. in the county administration building, 2 The Circle, Georgetown.

During a Nov. 28 hearing on the ordinance, a power failure put council chambers in the dark, forcing postponement of that hearing, which had started near sunset.

The proposed ordinance has drawn criticism, from the public and from the county planning and zoning commission, which voted unanimously to urge council to reject the ordinance and write a new one with public input. Residents have asked council to hold a workshop.

During testimony, assistant county attorney Vince Robertson said the current ordinance – dating back to the 1970s with some revisions in 2013 – is difficult to enforce. He said county officials are not trying to close down events, but the ordinance needs clarification. "We are going to end up in litigation at some point if we continue with what we have," he said.

One of the most contested issues is a provision stipulating no more than three events can be held on a parcel per year. "Is there a point where some events are not special and become a permanent use on a property where a zoning change or conditional use would be required?" Robertson asked.

Robertson also said events exceeding three days – currently rare – would require a conditional-use permit, while all others can be approved by the planning and zoning director.

Although county officials say the proposed ordinance is not aimed at Hudson Fields north of Lewes, the Hudson family has mobilized supporters to attend meetings and sign a petition against the ordinance.

Christian Hudson, president of Hudson Management, said his research shows the county has had 13 special-events applications this year and had four in 2016 when everyone knows there are many more events each year.

He said Hudson Fields has a history as an events venue dating back to the 1950s with more than 40 events held there in 2017.

The hearing is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. with a lunch break at noon.

What's in the proposed ordinance

The proposed ordinance would give the county's planning and zoning director more discretion, clarity and guidance in determining whether to approve a special-event request administratively or to require an applicant to seek a conditional use, a process that requires public hearings before the planning and zoning commission and county council.

Events requiring a conditional use may include those that occur on a regular basis or that have a signficant impact on surrounding property or roadways.

Criteria in the ordinance includes crowd size; parcel size and location; parking requirements; traffic access; hours of operation; noise; light and dust; and the number of consecutive days for an event. The director may impose conditions on the management of an event.

One of the proposed regulations would limit special events to no more than three on one parcel per year.

 

 

 

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