Lewes planners discuss future growth

The growth and redevelopment of Lewes was the topic du jour for the Lewes Planning Commission Oct. 1, as it continued its discussions about the 2015 comprehensive plan update.

Planners talked about properties within the city that could be prime for redevelopment in the next 20 to 30 years. Commission member Nina Cannata opened a dialogue on the future land use of Shields Elementary and the former Lewes High School on Savannah Road. With a new elementary school planned for Route 24 and continued growth in the Long Neck area, commission members speculated about the potential for the school facilities and properties if the school district ever moved out.

“We need to make the school administration or school district aware that we have concerns and we're trying to look toward the future, and who knows what that holds,” Cannata said. “I think it's really important because that is one of the biggest open spaces left in the city of Lewes. It is used by a lot of people.”

Vice Chair Kay Carnahan suggested including a recommendation in the comp plan that mayor and city council have an open line of communication with the school district about its needs and the needs of Lewes.

The topic of open space again surfaced when commission member Bob Dillman inquired about the amount of vacant land and properties left in Lewes. According to Lori Athey, a consultant working with Lewes on its comp plan, the city has about 317 vacant parcels equaling about 353 acres, or about 13 percent of the city's total land.

Many of the vacant lots are small individual lots. Carnahan said it might be wise for mayor and city council to consider converting the unbuildable lots into small pocket parks. Commission member Barbara Vaughan liked the idea but was concerned about associated costs.

“Parks and maintenance of parks are two different things,” she said. “I think we should be very cautious about saying let's do something that will increase the budget.”

Commission member Joe Hoechner had another idea for empty lots. Even if most of a lot is unbuildable, he said, neighbors may be interested in expanding the footprint of their property and possibly adding on to their home.

“When I see undeveloped parcels, I see this as expanding our tax base,” he said. “Pocket parks are nice, but increasing our tax base is also nice.”

With so many ideas being thrown into the mix, Dillman said, he is concerned about how they will be implemented. The city made a good first step when it hired Environmental Resources Management as its part-time planning consultant earlier this year, he said. But if the city wants to get more accomplished over the next 10 years, he said, the city needs to consider hiring a full-time planner.

“Some of these things are important and can't be carried out unless you have someone minding the store and carrying through all the different pieces that need to be done,” he said.

Carnahan said the city accomplished many tasks from its 2005 plan, but admitted most of them did not cost the city money. That won't be the case in this plan, she said.

From his perspective, Commission Chairman Mike Mahaffie said, the city is moving in the direction of hiring a planner.

“The hiring of a planning consultant, I think, is the first step toward eventually expanding the city hall staff, and that is a recommendation that could easily be put into the implementation of the comp plan,” he said.

The responsibility for putting into motion recommendations from the comp plan falls not just on the shoulders of the planning commission, he said.

“The responsibility for implementing this plan is not just ours; it's the city's as a whole,” he said. “We put more into the 2005 plan than could reasonably be accomplished, but a lot was accomplished, and not just by us.”

The planning commission's November comprehensive plan meeting will cover a land use and annexation plan and a community design plan.