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Dewey Beach’s first comprehensive development plan (CDP) is finished. It has been approved by its writers but not by town council. Commissioners say they want more time to study it and get more input from residents. Residents say they’d like to see a concise summary of what the plan means to property owners.
In the previous 25 years commissioners developed policies based on the desires from property owners but had no official framework outlining its goals. Mayor Dell Tush said the council must consider the comprehensive plan carefully, because it will affect what happens for the next five years.
A working group has spent more than two years writing the current version of the plan, with help from the University of Delaware. An earlier group spent several years drafting a plan that failed to win approval from the state.
Council must first approve the plan before it can go before General Assembly, but that’s not likely for a few more months. “If it’s not presented until February or March, I’ll be very disappointed,” said David King, co-chairman of the planning and zoning commission and member of the working group. He said the original intent was to present it to the state in January. That could still be accomplished if commissioners approve it during the December town meeting. Tush said she expects the plan to be approved in January, which she said was the town’s original goal. “Rather than just push this through, it’s very important to know what the public wants,” she said. Tush said university officials advised her it wouldn’t do much good to present the plan during the holidays and it would be more appropriate to wait until February.
Once approved, the plan will guide growth in Dewey for the next five to 10 years, providing a framework for new projects, zoning law changes and possible annexations.
More town input
“This is the working group’s recommendation. We’ll have a vote in 60 to 90 days, but only if we achieve better communication,” said Commissioner Bob Fitzgerald. He said council should keep working with the comprehensive plan group and other residents before approving the plan.
“I’ve heard suggestions of public forums, but I’m not sure how that will work as we’re driving toward the winter months,” Fitzgerald said.
David Main, president of the Dewey Beach Civic League suggested using the league’s website to publicize information. He offered to poll members on certain issues, but he said he needed a synopsis of the plan first. Copies of the 50-page plan, including maps, were handed out at the Nov. 11 town meeting and are also available at town hall. It is expected to be posted on the town and the civic league websites.
Picking apart the plan
For months planning and zoning members met with town officials to work on the plan. Chairman of planning and zoning Harry Wilson publicly begged for more participation. While Tush says council wants more public input, some planners say there has been enough. “In terms of public input there was a huge amount of participation,” King said.
He said meetings were standing room only in the beginning of the process. “There was a lot of data collection and surveying,” King said. The University of Delaware sent out a 56-question survey to property owners before drafting the plan. “We opened our arms to anyone who wanted to voice their opinion or roll up their sleeves and work,” King said of the 12-member group.
Still, now that the plan is complete, residents are finding problems with it.
“There’s not enough information on infrastructure. Flooding is the largest problem with the town and I’d like to see a study done and it put into the plan,” said Albert Genemans, a roads committee member.
But specific details should not be included in the plan, King said. He said the plan is a framework for future change in the town, not a list of detailed projects.
Resident Anna Legates said, “I want a summary that includes changes and shows the old Dewey and the new Dewey – a before and after – because it’s a lot to digest.” She said getting public input would be easier if people didn’t have to read the large document.
Enforcing changes
“It’s worth taking time because parts of the plan will change what can be done in zoning,” Tush said. Planners are expected to begin work on changing zoning codes to match the plan after it is approved. The plan also includes several large town projects and legal changes that could take place in the next few years.
While the plan includes possible changes, it’s not up to the planners to implement those projects. King said the plan should be approved as it is without adding more details. “This provides commissioners a specific set of issues that will define success in their jobs, and it’s up to them to prioritize,” King said.
In 1998, Delaware required all municipalities with a population of more than 2,000 to develop a comprehensive plan. The law states, “the comprehensive plan will carry the force of law. It will provide the basis for zoning decisions and any development that takes place must be consistent with the Plan.” It also says the town must file an annual report that describes all efforts toward implementing the plan.
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