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The Dewey Beach Planning and Zoning Commission held the first in a trio of scheduled meetings about possible changes in the zoning ordinances to match proposed uses in each area of the town. Sort of.
There were no votes cast and no major decisions were made at the Thursday, Aug. 23 meeting, but the height issue hanging over the resort led citizens to speak their minds about a 68-foot building proposed by Harvey, Hanna and Associates.
The complaints forced planning and zoning Chairman Harry Wilson to suspend the meeting, which will resume at 6 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 12, at the Lifesaving Station on Dagsworthy Ave.
When the zoning requirements for a proposed resort business zone (RB-1) were brought up near the end of the meeting, a heated debate began. The proposal says that in the RB-1 district, the height of buildings would be restricted to 35 feet in no more than three stories.
Building inspector Bill Mears noted that homes in Dewey Beach must be elevated at least 6 feet to meet flood plain requirements. In order to receive federal money in case of a disaster, Federal Emergency Management Agency guidelines stipulate that 7 feet is the minimum height. Mears went on to say that an average space between floors of a house would be between nine and 10 feet, making it nearly impossible to squeeze a three-story building under the height limitations.
Members of the committee as well as the audience brought up examples of buildings that already exist that are well over the height limit, such as the Best Western on Route 1, which is listed at more than 40 feet tall.
Some residents attending the meeting scoffed at the notion of relaxing the height standards, saying it would just lead to larger buildings. Others supported the Harvey, Hanna and Associates project, saying its proposed 68-foot hotel/condo hybrid is better than the alternative of 48 townhouses proposed by Highway One, which have already been approved.
Several citizens worried that too many townhouses would go unrented. Former Commissioner Alice Walsh said that if a tastefully built structure can bring tourists and families to Dewey Beach, the height should not matter.
The meeting began with a review of ordinances for the resort business district to be rezoned as RB-1. That area covers the space between Dickinson and Van Dyke streets on the Rehoboth Bay side of Route 1.
The planners did not support allowing a septic-treatment facility in the area, nor did they support townhouses, duplexes or other single-family dwellings. Instead, they like the idea of a town center composed of mixed-use buildings that could contain businesses on the ground floor and dwellings on the upper floors, creating a town center in the area that currently houses the Rusty Rudder.
And then, the issue of height was discussed for RB-1. The 68-foot structure proposed by Harvey, Hanna and Associates would fall into the RB-1 overlay district, closest to Van Dyke St., which was not discussed at the meeting. If it were discussed, planner David King would not have been allowed to participate, as he has been asked to recuse himself from issues concerning Ruddertowne by the state Public Integrity Commission. King has appealed that ruling to the commission; the appeal will be heard in September.
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