Why Is The County Refusing To Share A REPORT CARD On 2007 Comprehensive Plan Failures And Success?

Update: This meeting has been cancelled due to snow. The next meeting is Jan. 26th.

This is a reminder that the next meeting on the New Castle County Comprehensive Development Plan Update will be:

Wednesday, January 12th - "Land Use"

6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

New Castle County Government Center - Gillian Building

77 Reads Way, New Castle, DE 19720

The topic is "Land Use", with no detailed description ... or any itemized agenda posted to the website, providing no opportunity for engaged citizens to prepare meaningful information and make positive contributions to the planning efforts. We cannot comment if this is by omission, or deliberate.

To better understand what is to be included in the Comprehensive Plan, please see pages 1 and pages 7-10 of the 9 Del. Code, Chapter 14, Subpart II – The Quality of Life Act.

County refusing to share a REPORT CARD on 2007 Comprehensive Plan Failures and Success

Of critical importance is that neither New Castle County Government nor their consultants (JMT) appear to have developed nor provided the required report on the implementation failures (such as completely ignoring the promised developing a Transfer of Development rights program for balance "smart growth") or success, actual or perceived. This report is required by State Law – Please see details below!

We have a legal right to see a REPORT CARD on the 2007 NCC Comprehensive Plan Failures and Success. THIS REPORT IS REQUIRED BY LAW.

Statutory provisions of the Quality of Life Act of 1988 (9 Del. C. 2658 - Evaluation and appraisal of comprehensive plan - (c) and (d)), are that "(c) . . . The local planning agency shall prepare a report on the comprehensive plan, which shall be sent to the Governor's Advisory Council on Planning Coordination each year after adoption of the comprehensive plan. . ." and "(d) The report shall present an assessment and evaluation of the success or failure of the comprehensive plan or element or portion thereof . . ."

At a special business meeting of the New Castle County Planning Board ... on Monday, January 4, 2011, this legal requirement was specifically raised. The Planning Board requested that the New Castle County Department of Land Use submit their information and report on the "evaluation of the success or failure of the comprehensive plan or elements thereof..."

Dave Culver, the Manager of NCC Department of Landuse claimed that no report existed, and that he would seek a legal determination of whether one was required!!! Please click on the link above to 9 Del. Code, Chapter 14, Subpart II – The Quality of Life Act. The law is clear, despite the argument by Dave Culver that it may not apply to the New Castle County Government. They are mandated to produce an assessment report.

NCC Citizens Deserve Better

Please attend the January 12th meeting, so that you and other members of the public can insist on a detailed assessment and evaluation of the success or failure of elements of the 2007 comp plan. Citizens need to insist that our county government follow the laws of our State.

With this mandated assessment report in hand, we would be able to make informed decision about the NCC Comprehensive Plan that guide us to identify and keep what is good, tweak those things than need improvement, and develop new approaches to those things that we still desire that have failed.

Sincerely, Chuck Mulholland, President

Bill Dunn, Vice President

Dave Carter, Vice President

Civic League for New Castle County