Georgetown’s Planning Commission recommends against repealing the town’s cottage homes ordinance.
Georgetown leaders forwarded a recommendation to repeal the controversial cottage homes ordinance to the city’s planning commission earlier this year. That recommendation came from a working group formed solely for reconsidering the ordinance.
But members of the public and housing advocates spoke out against completely reversing the measure.
They included Springboard Delaware co-founder Judd Malone who argues cottage homes are a step in the right direction for solving affordable housing and compliance with the newly enacted SB23.
“Georgetown adopted this ordinance last December. It permits smaller homes, greater density, rental and ownership options. And it’s subject to development standards. Senate Bill 23 expressly identifies cottage housing among the housing types that local affordable housing plans must accommodate.” he said.
Committee members recommending its repeal say that the ordinance wasn't well thought out.
"I’m not opposed to the tiny cottages so to speak, I just don’t believe it should have been in that section of the code that it's in." said Committee member Eddie Wise.
With new legislation such as SB23 and HB450, the committee also said they'd like to see it removed so that the town can completely reconsider the city's plan for housing.
Malone isn't convinced that the repeal needs to happen in order for the city to do that.
And neither is Planning Commission member Jennifer Weaver.
“I feel that the ad-hoc committee from the town council has not adequately explained how our ordinance is not supported by the [House] Bill 250 and [Senate Bill] 23. I feel that they need to go back to the drawing board and figure out how our ordinance does not support this. I am not in favor of repeal.” she said.
Repealing the cottage homes ordinance was something current mayor Angie Townsend ran on as a campaign promise. She says she’s not against the housing type entirely, just the way it was implemented by a previous council.
The commission ultimately voted to recommend against repeal in a 3-2 decision, Commissioner Chris Lecates and Commission Chair Larry Rohlfing were the two votes supporting repeal.
Council is expected to take its final vote on the matter October 12th.
