Developers in Georgetown pushed for an amendment to the town’s land use map to allow for a more diverse neighborhood of houses to be built.
Georgetown Town Council held a public hearing on the amendment April 28.
James Place on North Bedford Street is located on a nearly 22-acre parcel of land currently zoned to hold single family residential houses.
Its developers want to build 60 single-family detached houses, 28 duplexes and 20 townhomes. The Planning Commission voted 3-1 against recommending Council to pass the amendment.
Attorney David Hutt represents the applicants.
“What's proposed is to change it to mixed residential so that it can accommodate all the various housing styles that I just referenced,” Hutt said. “If the future land use map amendment is not done, then of course, all that's permitted is single family homes on this parcel.”
Sussex County hosted several expert presentations discussing land use and affordable housing. The Delaware State Housing Authority recommended mixed use developments to increase the affordable housing supply.
Hutt argued the zoning code encourages flexibility in design.
“There's a great deal more flexibility in what can be designed and accomplished through that [Residential Planned Community] Overlay than if you just have just the straight zoning classification,” Hutt explained.
The Sussex County Habitat for Humanity CEO Kevin Gilmore spoke in support of the amendment.
“We're just presenting it publicly for the first time, and I really think it speaks to their desire to have housing at different price points and have a diverse, affordable community for workforce folks in our area,” Gilmore said.
Two residents submitted letters against, saying Georgetown can’t support the traffic multi-family homes would bring in. Both residents sent in nearly identical letters.
“Apartment buildings bring transient residents… The town’s water/sewer system is already in desperate need of an upgrade,” both letters read.
“It's the financing that makes them affordable to our home buyers, so it doesn't change values in the neighborhood,” Gilmore said. “What it is is that we finance it in a way that's affordable to a workforce housing family.”
Hutt said the applicants added new conditions to their proposal since the Planning Commission voted not to recommend passing the amendment.
“As part of this, the applicant is proffering that there be $25 per unit annually through the homeowners association to be part of a restrictive covenant where each of the lots would pay in $25 annually, which would be paid to Sussex post eight for emergency services,” Hutt said. “And then each of the units would also pay $75 annually to support the Georgetown Fire Company.”
Hutt says that would add up to $10,800 in contributions annually.
Habitat for Humanity is also working with the applicants to provide up to 20 units for workforce housing at James Place.
Georgetown Town Council will make its decision on the land use amendment at its May 12 meeting.
