Lewes begins tackling comp plan rewrite

“We are kicking off a process that is going to have real-world implications for our community and beyond.”

With that statement, Lewes Planning Commission Chair Rich Innes waved the green flag to begin an update of the city’s comprehensive plan.

A meeting was held April 7 to introduce two consultants from Michael Baker International, Evelyn Kasongo and Nicole Rodi. They will guide the commission through five stages: kickoff, engagement and listening, drafting, review and adoption.

The comprehensive plan, known as the comp plan for short, is a state-mandated, long-range policy document stating the city’s vision for the next decade. It sets direction for growth, redevelopment and investment.

The LPC has set June 2027 as its deadline to complete the plan. That will give Lewes Mayor and City Council time to read it and take action before next October, the deadline for submitting the final version to the state for approval.

The current comp plan was written in 2015 and updated in 2017.

Commissioners will be tasked with changing the document to reflect the evolving community. They will consider impacts of development, traffic, resiliency, annexation and housing, to name a few topics.

“There are parts that just aren’t relevant anymore, so we need to go back and distill all the information that was created then, and determine what we can take from that and move it forward. We’re not starting from scratch,” Kasongo said.

Planning commissioners want Lewes residents to know they can have a major voice regarding what goes into the comp plan.

The next step for the LPC is to form an advisory committee with eight to 12 members, which could include representatives form the Lewes Board of Public Works, Lewes Chamber of Commerce and other partners.

The LPC is seeking volunteers with expertise in a variety of areas to serve on the committee.

In June, Kasongo and Rodi will roll out a three-month public outreach campaign, including a dedicated comp plan website, social media, community webinars and in-person events.

“We’ll have a lot of information to analyze, then we’ll work with the planning commission to really understand what those recommendations are,” Rodi said. “There will be a public comment period. The public can read what we’ve written to ensure we’ve properly addressed their concerns or [see] opportunities we may have missed.”

Kasongo said the worst thing that could go wrong with the process is that they don’t get enough public input.

“We cannot craft a plan based on five or six voices. We need collective input. We need to cast the net very wide in order for this to be a successful outcome,” Kasongo said.

“Comp plans need to send bold messages. So you have to be compliant, but boldness is what engages people,” said Mayor Amy Marasco.

The LPC will next discuss the comp plan during its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 15, at the Rollins Center.