|
A proposed 68-foot hotel/hybrid condo sent the Dewey Beach planning and zoning commissioners into a rapid series of meetings last month. The planners hope to return to a normal pace - without the interruption of incoming projects - with their Nov. 3 recommendation the town council enact a moratorium.
The moratorium would affect minor and major subdivision applications, conditional-use site plan applications and residential or commercial land development requiring review or approval by the board of adjustment, the planners or the council. The vote to recommend the moratorium to the council, which has a meeting scheduled Saturday, Nov. 10, was unanimous. The proposed moratorium would last until May 10, 2008.
New and established restaurants seeking conditional use to expand or serve alcohol would be excluded from the moratorium. Applications filed before the effective date and applications for a single-family residential dwelling on a lot of 5,000 square feet or greater would also be excluded.
Opinions on exactly how valuable the moratorium would be differed among the planners. George Metz said it would help speed up the process and allow the planners to make decisions without proposed ordinances hanging over their heads. David King did not seem to think it would prove to be much of a benefit.
“I don’t see a moratorium speeding things up,” he said.
A copy of the ordinance states the moratorium, “is necessary and appropriate to protect the integrity of the rule-making and comprehensive plan development process.”
The office of state planning approved the Dewey Beach comprehensive plan July 29. The town then had 18 months to enact new zoning ordinances consistent with the comprehensive plan. Developer Harvey Hanna and Associates proposed a 68-foot luxury resort and drew up the ordinances it would require. That made the planners’ job difficult because they were trying to decide what fits the town best, yet were constantly being reminded of Harvey Hanna’s proposed ordinances through emails and public comment at meetings. Those ordinances were dashed, however, when the planners decided to keep the town’s height limit at 35 feet.
Contact Eddie Phillipps at eddiep@capegazette.com
|
