|
One thing is for certain in Dewey Beach: Change is on the way. But what will replace Ruddertowne has been up in the air until now. Although developers say their plans aren’t yet concrete, Harvey, Hanna and Associates want to build a 68-foot-tall hotel/condo hybrid complex with 120 units, a few condos, chain stores, bars and restaurants. Plans for the six-story structure include a parking garage with 463 spaces, one floor dedicated to retail space, an expanded Baycenter, two pools and an outdoor boardwalk around the bay.
At least 75 people packed a standing-room-only meeting on Friday, June 15, to debate whether Dewey should allow the massive new complex. Developers say they will look for a national hotel chain to manage the properties and well-established stores to go into the retail space to ensure profitability. Objections came from all directions. Some residents want small, privately owned boutique stores like those already in Dewey. Some say the town should not bend existing laws, which prohibit building new hotels or bars.
But the biggest objection from everyone in town is the proposed height. Many people say they absolutely don’t want any building to reach even one inch taller than the current 35-foot limit.
Commissioner Dale Cooke said he doesn’t like the height of the building, but the town should be willing to negotiate and allow a tall structure. “People are worried if we change it in one area it’ll creep in other areas, and tall buildings will spread everywhere,” he said. But Cooke said the town can write laws to allow tall buildings in the dense commercial zone and nowhere else. “If we limit it to that section of town then it’ll be worth it to the town,” he said.
Planner David King said he is disappointed in the plans because the developers say they are using the comprehensive plan as a guide, but they are stretching it. He said all Dewey will get is a new hotel along with the amenities that come with it, such as bars and restaurants. “That was not in the plan and this will not be a walkable venue, as we wanted,” he said.
He said the developers are intent on a massive redevelopment rather than something he calls more in scale with the rest of Dewey Beach and more closely matched to the way of life that brought residents to town. King said, “It appears that the architectural committee is willing to make any sacrifice to ‘save’ commercial activity at Ruddertowne.”
King also said he is concerned with time limits put on the town by the developers’ business deal. The developers must complete negotiations with the town by September for the deal to go through, attorney Shawn Tucker has said. For this new development, the town must create zoning laws for a new business district, which is called for in the town’s comprehensive plan.
“They need an answer with complex zoning decisions in a short amount of time. It would be nice to spend six months thinking about this and doing it right and looking at all of the business districts rather than being forced to make decisions so quickly,” King said. Other residents are taking what they call a more practical approach and just want to see the 80,000-square-foot parcel developed into commercial use rather than be torn down for town homes.
“A lot of people said, ‘We’ll lose it all or compromise to keep some of what we have,’” Cooke said.
Commissioner Mike Eisenhauer, chair of the committee, repeatedly reminds everyone who attends meetings, “We’ve got to consider our options. It’s this or condos.”
A new member of the committee, Bernadette Hearn, said her personal experience with losing a view of the bay came when she lived in a condo at the Cove behind the Dewey Beach Club in 2000, when the Marina Suites was being built. She said she had a gorgeous view of the bay from the back deck and enjoyed watching the sunset until Marina Suites was built. She said, “Life goes on. That wasn’t my property. I had no right to tell the property owner what to build on it.”
Hearn said about the new Ruddertowne, “I thought the developer showed a great willingness to work with the town and consider what residents wanted, and the project could offer a real chance to revitalize the business district.”
Harvey, Hanna and Associates have asked for all residents and property owners to give their opinions on what they want to see in the parcel because that will ensure the structure’s success. “We want your input,” Tucker said.
The first in a planned three-series meeting will continue at 7 p.m., Friday, June 22, at the Lifesaving Street on Dagsworthy Avenue. The public is invited to attend to discuss a survey the town plans to send to property owners about what they think of the developers’ proposal and what they want for the Ruddertowne property.
Contact Molly Albertson at malbertson@capegazette.com
|
