Concord Pike Visioning Workshop - 6PM Wednesday, November 14th At Concord High School

From the Wilmington Area Planning Council‎ ~

Concord Pike Visioning Workshop

6 - 8:30 p.m. tonight

Concord High School 

2501 Ebright Rd., Wilmington, DE 19810

You are invited to a Community Visioning Workshop! 

New Castle County Department of Land Use, DelDOT, and WILMAPCO have been working on a Master Plan for the Concord Pike Corridor, encompassing an area between the City of Wilmington and the Pennsylvania state line. 

The Master Plan will provide a 20-year vision that identifies cohesive land use and transportation strategies to ensure that Concord Pike will continue to be a safe, accessible, and economically thriving place for all.  

Your input will help guide the future of the corridor. 
Please join us for a Public Visioning Workshop on Wednesday, November 14 from 6 to 8:30pm, at Concord High School, cafeteria2501 Ebright Road, Wilmington. 

Workshop Agenda:Sign-in: 6pmPresentation: 6:15pmRoundtable Discussion: 7pmReport out and Next Steps: 7:45pm 

To learn more or sign up for project updates, please visit www.wilmapco.org/202

Civic League for NCC is participating in focus groups for input into the plan.

Please Vote On Tuesday! Plus, Civic League Survey Questions For County Council Candidates

CLNCC submitted these eight questions for the NCC Council District 2 Candidate Forum hosted by CCOBH and EB 100 civic umbrella groups: 

• Traffic impact from land development is controlled by UDC requirements for concurrency and adequate facility. Do you agree that level of service and traffic impact studies are fair measures in limiting development and why?

• Comprehensive planning is currently done in silos across the state separating unincorporated county lands from municipalities. Is this a sensible practice?

• School capacity is currently prohibited from consideration during the county land use application process. Do you support an effort to reverse this situation?

• Do you agree that growth of residential development is mostly responsible for increasing costs of county services and raising of property taxes?

• What can the county do to raise revenue other than increasing taxes?

• Affordable housing is a challenge in our county. Do you believe we are meeting our targets? Is NCC working directly with municipalities to meet goals?

• In a recent NCC survey, residents along the Route 9 corridor were asked if they would like to relocate given the opportunity. Do you support NCC taxpayers funding buyouts and relocation of entire communities?

• Do you believe residential communities should be paying to maintain their own storm water facilities or should the county continue its amnesty program? 

The forum moderators got in a few of the questions asked, but not all (Click HERE to view the forum). 

I also sent the Survey to council candidates Dave Carter and Dawn Lentz who are vying for the NCC Council 6th District seat. Ms. Lentz answered. Read her responses below.

Civic League for New Castle County Survey:

• Traffic impact from land development is controlled by UDC requirements for concurrency and adequate facility. Do you agree that level of service and traffic impact studies are fair measures in limiting development and why? - I'm very concerned about the development and lack of forethought into the traffic congestion that seems to be happening in lower NCC. It appears as if infrastructure is an after thought. How can our district (district 6) be able to handle the massive amounts of new residents when we build houses faster than roads?

• Comprehensive planning is currently done in silos across the state separating unincorporated county lands from municipalities. Is this a sensible practice?-I am having difficulty understanding this ambiguous nomenclature. Please clarify?

• School capacity is currently prohibited from consideration during the county land use application process. Do you support an effort to reverse this situation?-I support any efforts to make life better for our citizens and our environment. Our children are very important to me,  as well as our wildlife; it's integral to our future to know that we leave a better Delaware for future generations.

• Do you agree that growth of residential development is mostly responsible for increasing costs of county services and raising of property taxes?  - I'm not knowledgeable enough to clearly assign the blame of our property taxes being increased on new homes being built. That being said, the county needs property tax to fund our schools, police, and infrastructure, etc. In theory, new homes should ease taxpayers burden right? Why then, is it increasing? If elected, this would be high priority on my list of things I'd like to help correct.

• What can the county do to raise revenue other than increasing taxes?-This is a question I've spent quite a bit of time considering. How do we continue to fund the services we need while easing individual financial burdens? I'm a member of the Green party. We don't take corporate donations. We're the little guy. We have to get creative when it comes to raising funds. Every year, there are dozens of fairs and festivals. Why not invest more into these fun activities? The revenue from charging a nominal parking fee, vendor fees, plot rentals from businesses, etc. could ease the strain on individuals. How much revenue does firefly pull in yearly? Why not create our own music festival, complete with camping at one of New Castle's parks? 4 fairs/festivals a year could definitely help.

• Affordable housing is a challenge in our county. Do you believe we are meeting our targets? Is NCC working directly with municipalities to meet goals? - I feel that affordable housing in New Castle County can be obtained by the diligent. What I would like to see is more options opening up for homeless shelters that would educate residents to become financially independent. I am not aware whether or not New Castle county is working with municipalities to meet goals.

• In a recent NCC survey, residents along the Route 9 corridor were asked if they would like to relocate given the opportunity. Do you support NCC taxpayers funding buyouts and relocation of entire communities?- I am unaware of this survey, but it does raise questions in my mind. Without knowing why the survey was sent, I don't know that I would support relocating entire communities.

• Do you believe residential communities should be paying to maintain their own storm water facilities or should the county continue to amnesty program? - Part of the green party platform is decentralization, as it pertains to our government. Applying a similar principle to this question, I think it may be a better option for communities to oversee their own storm water facilities. In a more hands-on perspective, and also as it may ease individual tax burdens.

Please Consider Attending A Coastal Zone Conversion Permit Act (CZCPA) Work Group Meeting This Month

DNREC Coastal Zone Conversion Permit Act (CZCPA) Regulatory Advisory Committee 

Remaining October Work Group Meetings: 

·         Risk Evaluation and Financial Assurance, 1 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 16, DNREC’s Grantham Lane Office, West Wing Conference Room, 715 Grantham Lane, New Castle, DE 19720.

·         Offsets, 9 a.m.-noon, Tuesday, Oct. 23, Blackbird DNERR, 801 Blackbird Landing Road, Townsend, DE 19734.

·         Economic Effect, 9 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 23, New Castle County Government Center, Executive Office Conference Room, 87 Reads Way, New Castle, DE 19720.

·         Environmental Impact: 1 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 25, location TBD.

·         Risk Evaluation and Financial Assurance, 1 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 30, DNREC’s Grantham Lane Office, West Wing Conference Room, 715 Grantham Lane, New Castle, DE 19720.

CZCPA RAC Meeting Information and Documents

From DNREC:

Upcoming monthly CZCPA RAC meetings, each starting at 9 a.m., are scheduled for the following dates and locations, locations and times: 

• Wednesday, Nov. 7, DNREC Lukens Drive Office, 391 Lukens Drive, New Castle DE 19720 

• Tuesday, Dec. 11, Bellevue Community Center, 510 Duncan Road, Wilmington, DE 19809

All RAC meetings and related CZCPA Work Group meetings are open to the public. Information about future meetings also can be found on the Coastal Zone Conversion Permits webpage. 

For more information, the public can sign up for the Coastal Zone Conservation Permit Act listserv by sending a blank email to join-dnrec_coastal_zone@lists.state.de.us

And Bill Dunn writes:

I have attended the 2nd, 3rd and 4th meetings of the [CZCPA] RAC.  I have MANY issues with what is going on, but the single most concerning is that there is no one on the committee who has identified themselves as having a technical background or education in Process Engineering.  The only person I have discovered, and I haven't looked to deeply, is Robert Whetzel (B.S. Chem Eng) from Richards, Layton and Finger.

What I have emphasized at the meetings, is that the Community and Environmental representatives on the RAC have little, if any, technical background to competently argue for responsible regulations or question specifics presented by consultants that come before the RAC.  

The last 15 years of my career at Dupont I worked in the Engineering division and spent time at, at least, a dozen sites discussing the possible benefit of new instrumentation or participated in the installation of new instrumentation.  In my role, I needed to have a basic understanding of the process we were discussing/modifying at a very minimum, which was far less than any number of people I was working with.  In comparison to the members of the RAC, I have a PhD in Civil/Chemical/Process Engineering. 

The only person appointed to the RAC with an adequate background was Eugene McCoy who regrettably pass away recently.  McCoy was replaced with Larry Lambert who has no technical background.  

At the last meeting they received presentations on Sea-Level Rise and Bulk Transfer. Both presentations seemed to me, to be very obtuse and non-specific.  

During the Bulk Transfer presentation and discussion, they kept referring to "grain transfer".  To the best of my knowledge, if you keep the oxygen level down in the transfer line (i.e. explosion potential), it's a pretty benign situation.  What was not discussed was, RCRA reporting (accounting for pound in/out and produced any compound that has a CAS#), Continuous Monitoring, VOC transfer (LNG, ethanol, methanol, crude oil, etc.) or quantities of materials.  

And what I have seen after attending 3 of the 4 work group meetings - where they are laying the groundwork for what they'll present to the RAC, - there are few if any people appointed to these work groups who have a technical background.

WE MUST have more people attend these meetings. I have been pretty much the only person from the public in attendance to observe how Delaware is developing the regulations that will govern how these coastal properties will be used.

P.S.  After I spoke at the last meeting, Judge Holland (the Chair) came over and introduced himself and ask, "Why aren't you on the RAC?".  I answered, 'Because I worked in the industry and I'm too controversial.'  Maybe I should have said, too much of a contrarian?

DNREC Public Hearing On Sediment And Stormwater Regulations, 6PM Tomorrow In Dover

(Chadds Ford Live image)

DNREC to hold public hearing Wednesday, Oct. 10 in Dover on proposed revisions to sediment and stormwater regulations

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s Division of Watershed Stewardship will conduct a public hearing on proposed revisions to Delaware’s Sediment and Stormwater Regulations at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10 in the DNREC Auditorium, Richardson and Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901.

The revisions address the October 2015 Delaware Superior Court decision in Baker v. DNREC, legislative changes to the regulations, and recommendations of the Sediment and Stormwater Regulatory Advisory Committee.

The proposed regulation revisions can be found in the September 2018 Delaware Register of Regulations.

The proposed revisions may also be viewed in person at DNREC’s Richardson and Robbins Building.

For more information, or to make an appointment to see the proposed regulation revisions at DNREC’s Dover offices, please contact Elaine Webb, DNREC Sediment and Stormwater Program, at 302-739-9921 or email Elaine.Webb@state.de.us. 

Interested parties may present statements and testimony, either verbally or in writing, on the proposed regulation changes at the Oct. 10 public hearing.

Comments may also be submitted in writing by Oct. 25. Written statements and comments on the proposed regulation revisions should be addressed to: Elaine Webb, DNREC Sediment and Stormwater Program, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901, or submitted by email to Elaine.Webb@state.de.us.

Coastal Zone Conversion Permit Act Regulatory Advisory Committee Meeting - 9AM Tuesday, October 9th In New Castle

Coastal Zone Conversion Permit Act Regulatory Advisory Committee to meet Tuesday, Oct. 9 in New Castle

The fifth meeting of the Coastal Zone Conversion Permit Act Regulatory Advisory Committee (RAC) will be held at 9 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 9, at Buena Vista Conference Center, Buck Library,661 South Dupont Highway, New Castle, DE 19720. 

More information about the Oct. 9. RAC meeting, including the agenda, can be found on the state public meeting calendar athttps://publicmeetings.delaware.gov/Meeting/60646

The four CZCPA work groups – Economic Effect, Environmental Impact, Risk Evaluation and Financial Assurance, and Offsets – also each meet bi-weekly to provide the CZCPA RAC with support on technical subject areas. Work group meetings scheduled in October are:

·         Offsets, 1 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 9, Buena Vista Conference Center (Buck Library), 661 South Dupont Highway, New Castle, DE 19720.

·         Economic Effect, 1 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 9, Buena Vista Conference Center, Dining Room, 661 South Dupont Highway, New Castle, DE 19720.

·         Risk Evaluation and Financial Assurance, 1 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 16, DNREC’s Grantham Lane Office, West Wing Conference Room, 715 Grantham Lane, New Castle, DE 19720.

·         Offsets, 9 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 23, Blackbird DNERR, 801 Blackbird Landing Road, Townsend, DE 19734.

·         Economic Effect, 9 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 23, New Castle County Government Center, Executive Office Conference Room, 87 Reads Way, New Castle, DE 19720.

·         Environmental Impact, 1 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 24, American Birding Association, 93 Clinton Street, Delaware City, DE 19706.

·         Risk Evaluation and Financial Assurance, 1 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 30, DNREC’s Grantham Lane Office, West Wing Conference Room, 715 Grantham Lane, New Castle, DE 19720.

Upcoming monthly CZCPA RAC meetings, each starting at 9 a.m., are scheduled for the following dates and locations, locations and times:

• Wednesday, Nov. 7, DNREC Lukens Drive Office, 391 Lukens Drive, New Castle DE 19720

• Tuesday, Dec. 11, Bellevue Community Center, 510 Duncan Road, Wilmington, DE 19809

All RAC meetings and related CZCPA Work Group meetings are open to the public. Information about future meetings also can be found on the Coastal Zone Conversion Permits webpage. 

For more information, the public can sign up for the Coastal Zone Conservation Permit Act listserv by sending a blank email to join-dnrec_coastal_zone@lists.state.de.us.

Updated: CCOBH and EB 100 Are Hosting A NCC Council District 2 Candidate Forum, 7PM Next Wednesday In Talleyville

Update:

CLICK HERE to watch Wednesday night's CCOBH - EB 100 NCC Council Candidate Forum (on facebook).  

From CCOBH and EB 100 ~

NCC Council District 2 Candidate Forum

7 - 10 p.m. Wednesday, October 17th

Talleyville Fire Company

3919 Concord Pike, Wilmington, DE 19803

Please join CCOBH and EB 100 for a NCC Council District 2 Candidate Forum, 7-10 p.m. Wednesday, October 17th at the Talleyville Fire Hall with Brandywine Hundred-area candidates Robert S. Weiner and Dee Durham.  

Come out next Wednesday night and get to know your New Castle County Council candidates!

CLNCC Town Hall With Attorney Sid Liebesman - 7PM Tuesday, October 16th In Christiana

Update:

CLICK HERE to watch Tuesday night's CLNCC Town Hall on NCC Land Use Litigation Over Traffic Impact Studies

Civic League for New Castle County

Town Hall With Attorney Sid Liebesman

7 p.m. Tuesday, October 16th

Christiana Presbyterian Church 

15 N. Old Baltimore Pike, Christiana, DE 19702

Join the Civic League for New Castle County 7-9 p.m. on Tuesday, October 16th for an evening with the attorney who led two victorious state Supreme Court battles against development infringements on our NCC traffic impact laws at Barley Mill Plaza and the Hercules Country Club. 

Sid Liebesman will talk about his work on behalf of the NCC Executive along side the civic group, Save Our County, against Barley Mill Plaza's Stoltz developers and NCC Council who sided with them and also his experiences in defending our traffic laws against the Hercules Country Club's Toll Brothers developers attempt to crush them. 

The fight isn't over as so many northern New Castle County communities are now facing dense development proposals for area golf courses that will negatively impact their quality of life. 

How can residents' civic associations fight against land use plans that will certainly lead to congested roadways, over-crowded school class rooms and severe reductions in community character? How to defend against the headaches and possible reduction in property values these proposals may carry with them? 

Do we need a remedy from the General Assembly to force NCC government to rectify gaps in their land use traffic impact process that allowed, for instance. the Barley Mill Plaza plan to go to a vote absent any traffic impact data?  

What can be done to make NCC follow the intent of the laws in their Unified Development Code?

Come with your own questions!

---

Plus, civics please note that there is a CCOBH-sponsored NCC Council Candidate Forum, 7-10 p.m. Wednesday, October 17th at the Talleyville Fire Hall with Bob Robert S. Weiner and Dee Durham. Please come out and get to know your candidates!

Updated: A CLNCC candidate forum is scheduled has been cancelled for later in the month for the 6th District council candidates David Carter and Dawn Lentz (Councilwoman Lisa Diller declined our invitation and her 5th District opponent is basically invisible so we had hoped to move the planned Glasgow-area event to the Middletown area.) More details to follow.

Home Owner Associations (HOA) 101 With Senator Hansen And Councilman Tackett Set For 9-12:30 Saturday In Glasgow

State Senator Stephanie Hansen sent this along ~

HOA 101 with Sen. Hansen

9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Saturday

Hodgson Vo-Tech High School

2575 Glasgow Ave, Newark, DE 19702

Join Sen. Stephanie Hansen and NCCo. Councilman Dave Tackett for a seminar on running your neighborhood HOA or maintenance corporation. 

Topics will include street repairs, problem properties, and maintaining open space.

CCOBH Seminar – Homeowner And Civic Associations: The Basics - 6PM Monday, October 15th In Claymont

Council of Civic Organizations of Brandywine Hundred (CCOBH) ~

CCOBH Seminar – Homeowner and Civic Associations: The Basics Monday, October 15, 6:00-8:00 PM Claymont Library

CCOBH is pleased to present, “Homeowner and Civic Associations:  The Basics,” a repeat of its initial seminar in a series of seminars for assistance to current or future board members of Civic Associations in Brandywine Hundred. 

This seminar, focusing on the fundamentals, is intended to introduce Civic Association Board members to the legal and structural aspects of serving on a non-profit Board of Directors.  

This seminar, to be led by CCOBH President, Robert J. Valihura, Jr., Esquire, will cover the structures of Civic Associations and Homeowner Associations, the integration of Delaware law and a community’s controlling documents, the role of the Board of Directors, including fiduciary duties imposed on board members, reporting obligations, the limitation of liability of directors and some of the basics of addressing the Board’s role in overseeing deed restriction enforcement. 

A former State Representative and a current Adjunct Professor of Law teaching the Delaware Corporate law applicable to corporations and Civic Associations, Bob focuses his practice on representation of communities up and down the state concerning these types of structural Board issues. 

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn what you need to know to more confidently, effectively and knowledgeably represent your community. 

CCOBH hopes to see you on Monday, October 15th at 6:00 p.m. at the Claymont Library. 

Master Plan For Southern New Castle County (SNCC) Public Information Session 4-7PM Wednesday, October 17th

Wilmington Area Planning Council

Southern NCC Master Plan Public Information Session

4 - 7 p.m. Wednesday, October 17th

Odessa Fire Hall

New Castle County Department of Land Use, DelDOT, and WILMAPCO have begun a Master Plan for Southern New Castle County (SNCC). The SNCC Master Plan will inform development and preservation decisions, and make recommendations for transportation and land use improvements and policies. 

The plan will make recommendations that help achieve desired development goals, improve quality of life, and help SNCC become more economically and environmentally sustainable.  

You are invited to attend a Public Information Session on Wednesday, October 17 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Odessa Fire Hall. During the information session, you'll have the opportunity to share your thoughts on what Southern New Castle County should look like in the future. To learn more, please visit www.wilmapco.org/SNCC.

New Castle County - International Code Discussion - 3:30-5:30PM Tomorrow

From the New Castle County Department of Land Use:

2018 International Code Discussion

Please join us on Wednesday, September 26, 2018 from 3:30-5:30 p.m. in the Gilliam Building Multi Purpose Conference Room located at 67 Reads Way in New Castle for a public discussion regarding the upcoming adoption of the 2018 International Codes, including amendments to Chapter 6 (Building) and Chapter 7 (Property Maintenance).   

These codes have been under review by the department, with involvement from building and design professionals, and we’re seeking community input.  

This discussion will be interactive with departmental staff from the Licensing Division and Office of Code Enforcement on hand to share significant changes, but also highlighting other new initiatives that the Department has undertaken.   

All are welcome to stop in between 3:30pm and 5:30pm, but are asked to register via Eventbrite by 4:00 p.m. on September 24th.  You may also view information regarding this event on Facebook.

NCC: Level of Service (LOS) Forum 6-8PM October 1st In New Castle - RSVP By September 28th

New Castle County Department of Land Use

Level of Service (LOS) Forum - New Castle County Dept. of Land Use

6 - 8 p.m. Monday, October 1st

NCC Gilliam Building

Multi Purpose Conference Room

67 Reads Way, New Castle, DE 19720

REGISTER HERE

Please join us for the third public meeting regarding transportation regulations. 

The Department, with input from transportation experts, the community and DelDOT have been examining how travel capacity is reviewed and how its guidelines and regulations are applied. 

Reviewing these regulations to ensure community character and direct economic growth have been central themes of this discussion.  

We will continue the dialog with a focus on transportation improvement districts, their value as an economic tool, and the community safeguards that would accompany a defined geographical area. 

All are welcome, but are asked to register via Eventbrite by 4pm on September 28, 2018.

CLNCC Monthly Meeting: 7 PM Tuesday September 18th In Christiana

Civic League for New Castle County

Monthly Meeting

7 p.m. Tuesday, September 18, 2108

Christiana Presbyterian Church, 

15 N. Old Baltimore Pike, Christiana, DE 19702

Help us plan an appeal to the 149th General Assembly for a remedy for the disjointed NCC-DelDOT approach to Traffic Impact Scoping for land use applications. 

Updated: 2018 New Castle County Council Democratic Primary Forum Is Next Thursday, 6:30PM At The Mill Creek Fire Hall!

Update:

View the forum on facebook at the link HERE


Network Delaware:

1st NCC Council Democratic Primary Forum: Candidates Present Their Visions

The 2018 New Castle County Council Democratic Primary Forum will focus on the Democratic primary races.  

The forum will be an hour and a half with candidates sharing the podium for Q and A via written questions from co-sponsors and then from the general public.   

Half the candidates have accepted invitations.  

President of the Civic League for New Castle Council Nancy Willing said members were eager to hear from council's incumbents and challengers on quality of life issues for residents.  

She added "I will be interested in the candidates' thoughts on potential new revenue streams in lieu of further tax increases and what council should be doing to address land use-related traffic congestion in light of high-density residential development plans in the works for so many northern county golf courses." 

Who: New Castle County Civic League and Network Delaware 

What: New Castle County Council Primary Forum 

When: Thursday, August 23rd from 6:30pm to 8pm 

Where: Mill Creek Fire Company's Chambers Memorial Hall located at 3900 Kirkwood Highway, Wilmington, DE 19808. 

Why: To encourage discussion of the role New Castle County Council can play in improving the lives of its constituents