Development Rule Changes Needed

Jim had two meetings last week with regulatory agencies and is encouraged that development and environmental protection interests are getting closer on many issues.

• The first meeting was between the Homebuilders Association of Delaware and DNREC Water Resources.  The subject of the meeting was the Chesapeake Bay TMDL and how Delaware was going to meet its goals.  There was a clear consensus that we need a new way of developing property, higher density, narrower streets, low impact bmps, in other words, green development.  Builders and developers would love to have this as an option and the market will determine if this is a viable product.

• The second meeting was with the City of Dover and the Environmental Ordinance re-write committee.  While looking at the City of Dover ordinances for protection of floodplains, trees and wetlands it was also clear that be allowing clustered density, these resources could be more easily protected without severely impacting economic development.

If there is a market for higher density, low impact development (and many developers believe that there is), it must be allowed as a by-right option.  Developers will not put significant sums of at-risk capital into a conditional use plan in this market.

Regulators charged with environmental protection understand this and the developers understand this and hopefully they can work together to get the planning and zoning officials to understand this.

To help with this effort or to discuss further, contact Jim at jim@jcmenv.com or 302-323-9377 x143.

http://www.landmarkjcm.com/