|
There’s a new plan for the face of Dewey Beach. Ruddertowne, which sits on a huge, bay-front land parcel, has been the source of a yearlong tug-of-war between property owners and the town.
That conflict may be over. With prospective buyers and a renewed commitment to compromise, both sides may drop the rope of animosity and leave townhouse site plans in the mud.
A redeveloping team has made a due-diligence deposit on the businesses and land, town officials said. Harvey, Hanna and Associates of New Castle will take over where current owners, Highway One, are leaving off.
But they don’t see townhouses in the future of the land. “I certainly see a significant commercial future for it,” said co-owner Tom Harvey.
After Dewey’s comprehensive plan called for a business district, Ruddertowne owners filed plans to knock down its restaurants and shops to build townhouses, saying the town was threatening its property rights with zoning changes. But town commissioners said they want to retain the businesses at Ruddertowne, part of what makes the town a destination.
Both sides came together to plan a new district. Highway One offered to sell the land to the town, but the multi-million dollar price tag was too high for the town to consider. Instead, officials set out on a hunt for someone to buy the land, keep some of the existing business and develop a commercial district spanning three land parcels from Van Dyke Street to Dickinson Street along the bay – a parcel that does not include the Rusty Rudder Restaurant. Harvey said he’s not certain about specific plans because the company has only been involved in the deal for about two weeks. “A project of this magnitude can’t have plans drawn up in a few weeks,” he said. The company is a commercial redevelopment firm with industrial parks and large office spaces in Mid-Atlantic region. “We readapt property to more contemporary usages,” Harvey said.
Town Manager Gordon Elliott said Highway One has not withdrawn permits to build townhouses on the property. “That land is under contract, but the Rusty Rudder property still remains up in the air,” he said. Original plans slated the restaurant as the last to be redeveloped, with plans for townhouses in about four years. Throughout discussions, Highway One has insisted plans to tear down Venus on the Half Shell will move forward after the summer season.
Representatives of Highway One also could not be reached for comment. Town officials say the Lighthouse and the Baycenter will probably remain, but other restaurants and stores will be replaced with new commercial operations.
“To be able to develop it, they have to make a deal with the town,” said Commissioner Mike Eisenhauer. To build a new center, Dewey will change existing zoning laws, but town officials want something in return. The town is looking for parking, retail space, a storefront for the chamber of commerce and public restrooms, said Eisenhauer, who is also the chair of the committee charged with compromising to keep business on this property.
“We’re going to create a new district with its own zoning regulations that will meet the developers’ needs,” Eisenhauer said. He said the new regulations will require a lot of work from planners, but they comply with the comprehensive plan. “It’s in our plan to create a town center or district,” he said.
The comprehensive plan relaxes certain standards, such as setbacks, lot coverage or parking easements, for plots of at least 80,000 square feet, if the property is commercial or mixed-use.
Controversy may arise over at least one easement - height. At several town meetings, residents have argued against tall buildings in Dewey, saying they would create a canyon effect. Some residents say buildings should remain one or two stories. But Eisenhauer said he is certain developers will ask to build taller than existing code allows. “For them to make a return on their money there’s going to have to be height adjustments,” he said. He recommends using the existing lighthouse structure as a gauge. “If they come in inches below the lighthouse, I think we’ll be OK,” he said.
Eisenhauer said he expects the developers to present a plan to the architectural committee at its meeting 6 p.m., Thursday, May 24, at the Lifesaving Station on Dagsworthy Avenue. If they do not have a plan established by then, he said the committee will meet again in June.
Although she has not seen plans yet, Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce President Carol Everhart said she is thrilled with the progress. “I can’t stress enough the importance of keeping the vitality of Dewey Beach as a destination,” she said. Everhart, who is on the architectural committee, said Ruddertowne is a landmark and anchor of Dewey Beach that keeps the town a drive-to spot. “We’re concerned if that is gone, Dewey will become a drive-through,” she said.
Although a new town center is beginning to bud, there are still many meetings and questions ahead. Developers must first present a plan to the Ruddertowne Architectural Committee and get a majority recommendation. Town Council will then need to approve the plan and send it to planners. The Planning and Zoning Committee will need to establish recommendations for a town-center district, including a new set of zoning laws. Town council then must approve those new laws before building can begin. All this must be completed by Oct. 31, 2007, according to the business deal, Eisenhauer said.
Contact Molly Albertson at malbertson@capegazette.com
|
