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A late report for a dead plan filed by the chairman of a defunct ad-hoc group was put to rest over the weekend. Obviously, this wasn’t an item located in new business on the agenda.
The Ruddertowne Architectural Committee’s final report was shot down by Dewey Beach commissioners at their Saturday, Dec. 8 meeting. Claire Walsh was the only commissioner to vote in favor of accepting the report submitted by the committee’s former chairman, Mike Eisenhauer. Commissioners against accepting the report cited the glaring errors they discovered.
“There are things in this report that I just find inaccurate,” Commissioner Rich Hanewinckel said.
The errors noticed by the dissenting council members started less than five words into the single-page report. It was addressed to Gordon Elliot, town manager, and planning and zoning Chairman Harry Wilson. Town attorney John Brady said the document should have been sent to the town council.
Commissioner Diane Hanson, who was a member of the Ruddertowne Architectural Committee, said she rejected the report because it was untimely, noting Eisenhauer is no longer an official of the town. She also felt the inaccuracies would give developers - and Ruddertowne owners, Dewey Beach Enterprises, ammunition for a lawsuit.
The developers have said the 7-2 vote in favor of their proposed 68-foot-tall luxury resort essentially gave the project a blessing to move forward.
The report says, “The proposed plan met the basic requirements of the certified comprehensive development plan and was ratified by the town commissioners and forwarded to the planning and zoning commission for development of zoning regulations as required by the town.”
Hanewinckel said the plan was never ratified by the commissioners. It was sent to the planners for review – where it was rejected -before a final rejection by the town council in October.
The committee was formed to deal with Highway One LLC when it announced plans to tear down popular stores, restaurants and bars to build townhouses on the Ruddertowne parcel. When developers Harvey, Hanna and Associates proposed building a hotel/condo hybrid resort on the property, the committee’s focus shifted. But since the committee disbanded over the summer, the proposed development has been scaled down to a 35-foot structure. The developers are now known as Dewey Beach Enterprises after purchasing the property Oct. 31.
In the report, dated Oct. 8, Eisenhauer said a vacation and brief stay in the hospital to treat a bleeding ulcer prohibited him from providing the report in a more timely manner. Eisenhauer provided a verbal report July 13.
Contact Eddie Phillipps at eddiep@capegazette.com
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