Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

About this meeting

Government Body
Planning Commission
Meeting Type
Planning Commission
Location
Georgetown, DE
Meeting Date
February 18, 2026

Transcript

62 sections (from 237 segments)

5:46 – 6:11Speaker 1

All right, six o'clock. I will call the meeting to order. Welcome to the what is February 18th meeting of the Georgetown Planning Commission. Our first order of business is approval of minutes from January 21st. Do I hear a motion to approve? So moved. Is there a second? Second. Motion and second. All in favor say I. I.

6:07 – 6:51Speaker 1

Opposed. Motion carried. Our next order of business is case number 2023-04, the Oaks at Georgetown phase 2, an application by Lenar, Maryland, Delaware for the review and approval of updated townhouse exterior elevations properties located at the corner of South Bedford Street and Arow Safety Road. applicant like to take the podium [snorts] through. Okay.

6:52 – 8:09Speaker 1

Um, so we have I'm Rob Koi with Lenar Product Development. We are uh I'm operating out of the Pennsylvania division now. Um we've done a little bit of a division realignment within the country and uh the Pennsylvania group is now taking over the Sussex County jobs. They've been doing jobs uh up in uh the northern Delaware communities. Um so what we have today is the Palmer which we are looking to bring into the oaks in uh efforts to um bring a product that is familiar to the division um and also provide some enhancements and some features um that are a little bit of an improvement to what we have already approved um but very similar to what we have approved already with the Amelia which is a three-story product threeb three bedroom, two and a half bath. Um same same setup. Uh so this is the Palmer. Um we've been through a couple rounds of reviews and some um comment responses and I think we've gotten down to a couple that we have a couple waiver requests for that we are looking to uh have you guys approved for us today.

8:06Speaker 1

Um the the first of which um is it Should I just go through those? Yep.

8:11 – 9:08Speaker 1

Okay. Uh the first one um was uh comment response number two um which also ties to uh comment response number four u regarding uh the windows uh and the percent glazing uh of the street facing facades with the requirement of the design standards to have uh an increased number of windows. Um we have with our plan maxed out um what we believe to be the amount of windows with regard to floor plan and livability to make sure that we can have some front room for furniture placement and so on and so forth. Um so it is fall short on the end unit conditions of the uh street facing left and street facing right. Uh the front does meet the 20% requirement across the board. Uh so we're looking for a waiver on the end unit conditions. uh only. Oh, sorry. I didn't see that you'd set that there, but

9:07 – 9:37Speaker 1

you can roll. Yeah. So, um on the standard left end elevation, we have um the five windows that you see here. [clears throat] Uh for the uh street facing elevations with the an additional requirement, we are at 8% glazing. Um we have added some windows and we've also added the additional trims and features that are required of the uh end unit condition street facing elevations as well.

9:41Speaker 1

Pete if you roll it

9:42 – 11:40Speaker 1

there we go. Um similarly on the uh right elevation as well um the window count uh does not change with in respect to the floor plan. However, we you have the increase in the um uh features that are required for the street facing elevations. Uh on the rear um we are again slightly shy of the 20% of the rear fa the rear street facing. Um however with respect to all of the layout uh utilities and um furniture placements, floor plan and so on and so forth, we've maximize the number of windows in that configuration in order to put the most amount of windows that we possibly can in there. Um so that was for uh comments two and four. Um we also are requesting in regard to comment number three um there was a um request for a waiver to provide uh a lead walk coming off of the driveway. So each one of these uh single family attached products has a individual driveway serving individual garages for each one of those. Uh the request as we understood it from Mr. was that the uh design specifications were showing a sidewalk from the public walk to the entrance of the home. Uh the request for the waiver is for us to be able to have that uh sidewalk come off of the garage and feed directly to the front door of the home as opposed from the sidewalk to give the owner the accessibility that they need to be able to pull in the driveway and walk in their front door. Um which is also in accordance with what is shown on the site plan as well.

11:42 – 12:54Speaker 1

And then the final comment uh and request for waiver was regards to comment number seven uh where the design specifications require that the uh garage be inset uh into the floor of the building by 5T. Uh we are requesting a waiver to that as well with the uh single family attached product and what is already currently approved. Um the current approval also has uh garages oriented as what you see on the screen here. So it would be just in conjunction with that um and following suit as to not have to redesign and uh recess a garage into an attached single family product would be quite challenging and not typical of what we would do in this product lineup. So, it's a strikingly similar product to what we have already approved. It's just a familiarity thing with the the uh new division and what they are they've come down done their market research and feel like this product is going to suit a little bit better than the one that's already approved.

12:52 – 13:28Speaker 1

So, you're replacing the threetory with this twotory. Is that this is three stories? Yeah. Just just swap and Yep. Exactly right. And just to clarify, so previously approved were three different models. There was a twotory and then two three stories. Uh two two stories and one three story. Correct. And so basically this this um type of uh uh townhouse is going to be the only type of model that will be um implemented here. Okay. Yes.

13:30 – 14:15Speaker 1

Do this. Does the sidewalk come from the door to the main walkway sidewalk or does the sidewalk just going to go to the driveway? Just to the driveway. That's going to be that's one of the way. I was going to ask that. I mean, you do see that a lot that comes from the driveway to the Yeah. I had submitted on the first round of comments, I had submitted a an annotated um version of the site plan that showed those um going from the driveway as well. I don't know if that's readily available or not, but it was something that I had submitted on the the first round of comments that we had received. Okay,

14:11 – 14:39Speaker 1

any other questions from the commission? So the number seven, just make sure I'm reading this right. So it's going to be five feet closer to the street. No, it'll be in plane with the building. Okay. It'll be in just in plane with the building. The design standards say that it has to be 5T recessed to the building floor. Right. So it'll just be in plane with the building. It will not be protruding beyond.

14:36 – 15:21Speaker 1

Okay. If there are no other questions, I'll start to entertain some motions. We have several waiver requests and then we'll need to give a final approval for the Okay. I make a motion to approve the waiver of 20% window coverage and full articulation of streetfacing rear and side facads to permit the treatment of high visibility facads as presented on the applicants submitts. Got a motion. Is there a second?

15:20 – 16:02Speaker 1

I'll second that. Motion second. We'll take a roll call vote. Commissioner Briggs, yes. Commissioner Allen, yes. Commissioner Roach, yes. Commissioner Leates, yes. And I vote yes as well. Next, uh motion to approve the waiver of the front yard entrance sequence requirement to permit the front entrance sequence to connect to the driveway in lie of the public sidewalk as presented. Okay, I've got a motion. Is there a second? Second. And we'll take a roll call vote. Commissioner Briggs, yes. Commissioner Allen, yes. Commissioner Roach, yes. Commissioner Lates, yes. And I'm yes as well.

16:04 – 16:49Speaker 1

Motion to approve the waiver of the garage door setback requirement to permit the main building floor area to be the same distance from the street line as the garage door as presented. We got a motion. Is there a second? A second. Motion second. Roll call vote. Commissioner Briggs, yes. Commissioner Allen, yes. Commissioner Roach, yes. Commissioner Leates, yes. Yes, as well. And finally, motion to approve the overall outd updated architectural elevation as presented. Got a motion. Is there a second? I'll second. Roll call vote. Commissioner Briggs. Yes. Commissioner Allen. Yes. Commissioner Roach. Yes. Commissioner Leates? Yes. Yes. As well.

16:48 – 17:28Speaker 1

So, what are we when are we going to start seeing vertical? I'm sorry. When are we going to start seeing? Um, they want me to go in for permits immediately. Okay. [laughter] So, as soon as I can get the plans all finalized now that we've got the approvals, then it'll be coming very, very quickly. Okay. We're anxious and excited to get going. Good luck. I greatly appreciate you guys time. Thank you. All right. Thank you. I [snorts] don't believe there's anybody on Zoom. Correct. Will a um will an email follow with an official approval or a letter of any type? Um I can send you the the notice of approval. Yeah. Okay. Great. Thank you guys.

17:31 – 17:43Speaker 1

[snorts] Okay. Community development report.

17:38 – 19:38Speaker 1

So, actually, I'm going to go up there. [clears throat] So, I snuck some things on the agenda. uh not really snuck on them, but uh but they're they're uncommon, let's say. Um so, uh there's a couple items of discussion that I wanted to bring to the planning commission. Um firstly, the um the comprehensive plan um five-year update is uh we are in that year of 2026 being five years. Um let me try to get to the website here. Okay. Yeah. So [clears throat] as you may or may not know um every five years we are required um every town is required to review um their adopted comprehensive plan and to assess whether um any updates are needed. Um you are not required to necessarily find that there are any updates that are required. Um it can sort of take three different forms. Uh it can you can assess the plan and say oh no changes are needed. It's perfect. uh let's let's you know count this as our review. Um you can do essentially what is a minor um revision or a minor um amendment. Um it's not exactly the same way as we do the minor variation process. Um in almost all cases if we do the sort of mid-tier level of uh review and potential amendment um it will be it will have to go through the full uh plus process through the office of state planning coordination uh where they actually review um our amendments uh to the plan. Um they have a meeting every month. Um the office of state planning

19:36 – 20:24Speaker 1

coordination has meetings with several um different agencies and they go through um uh reviews of some major um preliminary developments that are being proposed um all across the state actually. Um but um but so it's comprehensive plan amendments and comprehensive plan uh reviews are also reviewed at that time. So that would be um an extra step in the process that we may not um commonly be familiar with uh in the way that we've typically have done coverets of plan amendments. Um and then of course the the third and final tier is a full rewrite. Um I'm not proposing that we do that at this time. [laughter] That's good.

20:20 – 22:19Speaker 1

Um, so I've talked it over with management um and uh we would like to propose that um the planning commission um take a look at our future land use map and um make sure that um some of the major um parcels that may not necessarily conform to the its present future land use map designation to potentially um look at those um designations again um to see if there can't be any um um different uh planning future for those respective parcels. Uh we do als we are also familiar with a few um potential interested um land owners who may want to petition um to have their future land use um designation reconsidered as a part of that process as well. So that will be something um that you may see as a part of this process as well. Um I typically in this type of process um we don't ne necessarily need to go through the full um public participation process where you would have um several meetings, several workshops um doing a full public outreach type of um endeavor. But we um can certainly make it a a you know give public updates to the process. Um and uh of course there will also be public meetings associated with actually um adopting the amendments as well. So the planning commission you all will have to um formally uh vote to move the amendments forward. They go to the state for review. it comes back and it will then move to town council for potential

22:16 – 23:11Speaker 1

um approval as well. Um as a part of this process too, we can look at the goals of um the comprehensive plan as well um and potentially assess whether they those are still um relevant to our work here in Georgetown. But but again, our management has suggested that we um look uh primarily at the future land use map to see um if there's any sort of long-term um changes that we can make uh that might be relevant and that might also be um you know practical and advised to uh move the town forward. Um are there any questions generally about what that process will look like? So will we will we be meet will we be will we be meeting to do this and review this all together?

23:08 – 23:51Speaker 1

Yes. Yes. So actually it would be um typically because the planning commission is is the body that typically owns the comprehensive plan in most municipalities. Um and that's one of your statutory requirements is to sort of look at the comprehensive plan and um so that would be it would be done sort of at these types of meetings. So um you after any applicants uh business is complete we would then um look at the future language map again um or anything else that uh might come up in our discussions. So would we meet like a workshop to kind of brainstorm and look at the things first before we have our meet formal meetings or

23:49 – 24:25Speaker 1

uh well no we can do it I mean we can do it we could have a workshop type of thing right here if it's during a commission meeting. Yes. Yeah. Yes. So we can we can um do that type of work. Again, we would need to do it in a public format anyway. Um and it would need to be advertised the same as any planning commission meeting would be um when a public body meets. Uh so to our mind, it made sense to just again do it sort of at the same same time um at the same meetings that we're already having.

24:22 – 24:54Speaker 1

Will we be engaging a third party to assist us with the review? Um not at this time. No, I think due to the the minor uh proposed nature of this that we feel like we we need not um employ a um a third party uh planning consultant. Though of course um when the time comes to to do the the full update um that that is something that we we do look towards. Um

24:51 – 26:07Speaker 1

and is there a deadline for submission? So technically July 2026 is the officially like the five-year um mark. Uh I've been told that that actual deadline is a little is flexible. Uh it needs to be shown that we are act that we're in motion uh to looking at these um looking at these things. Um but overall um yes we we would suggest um that we sort of keep this type the type of review that we'll engage in to a relatively um minor level. I think yeah we're not really required to do any um massive major um updates. It's really it's always up to the respective municipality to um to identify whether there's a planning need that isn't being met by the existing hubs of plan um or not. So, and the current plan is available on the town's website. So, feel feel free to jump in and read it.

26:07 – 27:02Speaker 1

It certainly is. Uh and I can um similarly just forward the um that link to everyone. Um and I can make sure that we actually um again have copies of the future land use map available so that we can discuss that as well. Um and uh we might even be able to get a big printed out version so that um you know we could just point at it and say like oh this is a this is a good thing to make commercial or residential or whichever. Um and then hopefully we we also get to talk about the larger sort of planning issues that we will probably encounter um you know into the future as well. So um but yeah so it it'll probably be again in this in this similar format uh in a discussion type of format.

26:59 – 27:42Speaker 1

So the property owners that you mentioned are those on the outskirts of town or within town? Uh uh both. I would say both. Yes. Okay. Um, so yeah, and I will again consult with um the town manager um and others to um sort of figure out if if we need if we're going to have um and also of course with your ascent um if you know what type of um public sort of petition process that that would look like. That's what I was going to ask. I don't know. I mean you've sat through one before, I'm sure, Tim, right? How much public comment is there to comp plan review?

27:40 – 28:26Speaker 1

Well, I think when you when you finally vote on it that there's there's got to be at least one public hearing, but I I'm of the opinion you can't have too many because you'll get it's an important document because if you have something that the future land use says should change, if you look at title 22 or 29, it actually says that it it shall be changed and most towns don't do it, but it's significant enough that you may some large subdivisions, the one that on the other side of Route 113 where everybody was kind of like shocked. How can this go here? How can this go here? Well, the future of land use plan last year, two years ago, we voted on it. We had 16 public hearings, you know? So, it's a little unfair to the public because they don't get direct notice, you know what I mean?

28:25 – 29:10Speaker 1

Yeah. But, uh, if your questions is something about public notice, I'm I've always think you can't have enough. I mean, unless it gets out of hand, [clears throat] but a lot of people are so busy, they're like, "Okay, well, I ain't got time for this." It's it's the whole town you're looking at, right? Yeah. But if you're going to change future land use, uh, and apparently there are a couple applicants that want it changed, so they're coming in early for good reason. Yeah. Did we get a public notice that that they if they want to change this, now's the time to make a to get up with the T? Uh, so that's what that's what we would consider. we would consider advertising um if anyone potentially was interested in in petitioning for Yeah, that would be good to get try to get everybody out. Yes. Oh, exactly. Yes.

29:09Speaker 1

Instead of after the fact when they're complaining. Definitely. [laughter] Definitely. Yes. I would

29:15 – 30:03Speaker 1

Could I ask a question? I'm not I haven't dealt with that specifically with the county. If you're if you're asking for a change of zone that's not consistent and this is how you do it in the town, that's not consistent with future land use, you have that procedure. whether it's significant or not and whether it goes up. But if you're generally in for if it's just for the comp plan and the planning commission wants to recommend approval of a change maybe an upzone or down zone of any future land use plan, I'm not sure and an individual supports that or even prompts that. I'm not sure if it goes through the regular application process when they're not formally asking for a change of zone. In other words, my question is do you have you don't have an application process just changing the future land use plan without a zoning application.

30:00 – 30:18Speaker 1

Um so well that's interesting because if you remember um uh James Grant um what was it the development on North Bedford Street extended the um the woods there. Yes, the ashurn.

30:16 – 30:58Speaker 1

Yes. Yes. Oh yes. Yes, that's it. So that technically when that came in front of you um it was probably this time last year they were actually just requested a future land use map change and that was because they need they're uh are looking to do the RPC um process. So it's a similar to a zoning change but actually they needed the feature language map to say that their property was mixed residential. So mixed residential um is the only feature language designation where the RPC the residential plan community is allowed. Did did they ask for did they I don't recall did they ask for the RPC change as as well?

30:55 – 31:08Speaker 1

So they're not there yet. Um the RPC change has comes with more um you need more materials. Yeah. So yeah, you need a preliminary site plan or concept plan at the very least.

31:07 – 31:53Speaker 1

Yes. Yeah. You need a you need a a well-developed um site plan. Yes. beyond what would typical be typical of a zoning u change really because an RPC is its own special every RPC is its own special zoning designation um because the particulars are worked out um in this fashion at a planning commission meeting and then at town council um so that's the difference so but it's very it typically is rare to um have just a future land use map change um sometimes people may want uh their zoning to match their future land use. Um I can imagine that being a a a possible reason for changing it. Um

31:51 – 32:36Speaker 1

for for example, if I may, Mr. Chair, for the two individuals or people or entities that you said they're interested in having a parcel or parcels change future land use um say if you got just a letter for them, how would you treat that? Would you put it on planning commission's agenda? um under comp plan uh potentially yes it could be a part of those work sessions um and then ultimately the recommendation of the final map you know whether it incorporates that change or not is really the vote um either yay or nay for that particular change because you're really just voting for a single map at the end of the day so it can include that change or

32:33 – 32:52Speaker 1

it may not include that change of course they are they may still desire to petition it down the road, but that's of course their prerogative. But um but that's so that's that's what could happen. Yes, it could be it would be a public I would obviously be a public u process.

32:50 – 33:28Speaker 1

I guess a real question I would have if I was asked is what kind of notice needs to be given. Um why shouldn't it be the equivalent of a change of zone? Um because if it is changed to you know residential commercial and people just say you did well I didn't know you did it. We did it at the public uh you know we did it at the comp plan meeting or was on the comp plan they said we never got notice about that what was advertised you know you know what I mean that's where I've seen people bristle a little bit so in truth I see the harm in maybe doing direct notice for specific comp plan changes comes from third parties not

33:26 – 34:09Speaker 1

yeah I mean yeah I mean that and that can that can be an option you know at the end of the day whenever the town makes any change to its uh comprehensive plan. It's the same process as we do with a resoning. You know, there is notice, there is a public hearing, at least one um there could be and there would be one for the planning commission as well, I can imagine. So, it would actually look very similar at the end of the day when you go to um vote on the final map. Uh there would be similar types of advertisements, I would imagine, but no direct notice because you'd have to you'd have to do mailings to the entire town.

34:07 – 34:28Speaker 1

Well, yeah, I can I can see Yeah, I can see that that being a a challenge. Um if you were to mail everyone in town notice, I don't think the question of course is whether it would be required to do that. Um yeah, I I you and I can talk about that.

34:25 – 35:07Speaker 1

Yeah. Okay. Um, yeah. So, any any other thoughts or questions about that? So, the comp plan review and then the future land use review. I just feel like we're always making waiverss and changes and stuff like that. People just come in here and we just we don't So, I take the comp plan and the future land use is like the code book for us. It is. But then people come in here and want everything changed a certain way and it's like okay well it's in black and white. You know we review this every five years. If you want something changed then come here and let us know and we'll review it. So I struggle with that.

35:05 – 35:48Speaker 1

Yeah. I think the comp plan if I mean it's it all this whole scheme developed in early 2000s when believe it or not development was taken off and it was controversial before you were still in high school, right? Yeah. [laughter] No, but uh the idea was that you had the state and the municipalities and county and there the the m municipalities and county sort of controlled land use, but the state had controlled a lot of the infrastructure and things like that. So, they're going to try to work together. So, you know, the min administration said, "All right, well, let's make the general assembly said, let's make the municipalities come up with a comp plan that we also are involved with." That's why it goes to plus. That's when plus was formed and all that. So it's supposed to be sort of a visionary document.

35:47 – 36:33Speaker 1

So I mean you know like I was down in Selbyville recently they're they're just extending their borders just keep annex and x and grow get increase our tax base. So you know as a political body you sort of have to decide where do we want to go with this you know what do we want to do and that's the time to sort of do it. That's the idea of the future land use plans. Well this should be industrial. We need an industrial you know. So it's supposed to be sort of a vision document. Uh, but it's got a lot of juice when you're coming in as a developer trying to, you know, buy land, change what you're going to do because you all have said what you did. Costco, for example, the county said that should be commercial and they denied it and that's why it's in litigation now because it does carry a lot of weight what you all say.

36:32 – 37:07Speaker 1

Yeah. In the comp plan, right? We're only doing a minor we're only allowed to do minor changes right now at the five-year plan. We're not redoing the whole comp plan. No, we're not doing the whole [laughter] No, we're not doing the whole comp plan. Um my my recommendation would be that we that we focus just on the future land use map, which is probably the most significant part of the comprehensive plan and that because that does have significant regulatory weight. So, what are we looking at on the comp plan? Just certain spots that we want to change or

37:04 – 37:26Speaker 1

Yeah, I mean that would be my proposal. um would be to um literally look at the map, look at what we expect or what we see as the existing land use. Um does it match? Uh is and think about and this may, you know, be an iterative process where we we might go through several maps and several edits.

37:23 – 38:04Speaker 1

Um but we'll eventually at the end of the day say, "Oh, so we think that this part of town is going to be this uh but this part of town might need to be changed and maybe this parcel by parcel change. percentage then we're allowed to kind of since we're doing just a partial one look at like 30% that we can change or I mean because we're not going to be able to change 75% that would be major. Well, I did ask that question actually today of um um Dorothy Morris who is the Cesus County um planner that is assigned to us um for assistance from the office of state planning coordination and and she said yeah there wasn't any

38:01 – 38:40Speaker 1

um there wasn't really any metric to decide whether it's major or minor really what really constitutes as major is um something that would we would be changing most of the goals most of the text and then we basically just have a brand new comprehensive plan. That's a very ambiguous word. Most well. I mean it's I mean well to be honest it is you know 55% could be most like Tim said this is this is a visionary document that we put in place five years ago. So hopefully the vision of the town has not changed that significantly over the past five years.

38:36 – 39:20Speaker 1

So so what we're you know and the future land use map is a visionary document. you know, we see West Market Street as being a small business corridor. So, does the property zoning in that map line up with that? It's and it's not a spot, you know, just because this person over here wants that if it's not in congruence with the rest of the properties, that doesn't go in our future land use map. Right. Right. Exactly. And I think so you're maybe more up on this than I am, but they it used to be just every five years and then they made it 10 years and this is an interim one at five. Is that how it works? Yes. So we are required to review the comprehensive plan every year. That's what

39:19 – 39:46Speaker 1

Yeah. The fifth year. Yes. But but to actually adopt a a brand new plan is every 10. Yeah. And that's when you have a consultant that doesn't really know the town and says things. Exactly. [laughter] You pay a lot of money. Yeah. Big bucks. Yes. And you replace them halfway through the process. Yeah. Been there, done that. I'll do our firm will do the compliment for you [laughter]

39:41 – 40:26Speaker 1

for for 20% of what they charge. But um but yes as you know as we've mentioned it is it is a very important um document and probably the future land use map is the single page of the whole document that we encounter most frequently you know especially when it comes to land use um regulations and what we imagine as the future of the town. Um so of course it it is relevant to us almost every meeting. Um so um so yes so that's what I would propose as part of this process. Okay.

40:24Speaker 1

So start reading. [laughter]

40:27 – 42:26Speaker 1

Yes. Um and if if I can move on to the next point. It's um I added this other item on the agenda. uh in order to sort of start a conversation really about um not that the comprehensive plan isn't already enough for you to also do. Um but uh but you know in my experience you know planning commissions uh vary significantly from town to town what their um focuses are their processes. Um, you know, some towns the Planet Commission uh also does they sort of are creating their own work essentially. They they they may choose to do um to look at, oh, you know, this this part of the ordinance looks, you know, looks a little outdated. Maybe we can, you know, look to change this or maybe there's another um topic, you know, in town that you may find um interesting uh to then to sort of pursue further, you know, possible recommendations um to the town or to town council. You know, the the um title 22 uh actually, you know, gives the planning commission a number of um potential uh responsibilities and and those are of course open to you. But I I I I just really wanted to take this this brief um time to just sort of maybe start um you know tickling your brains about like oh is there anything that you might uh be interested in in sort of pursuing further um sort of in the work that we do here um in town. if there's any thoughts or any um projects or improvements in the way the town does some things the you know what the codes look like. Um you know again this comprehensive plan is just is is one of the types of work items that you'll see that aren't applicants looking for something uh an approval of some sort.

42:23 – 42:38Speaker 1

So you are of course obliged um to explore other projects. So, I just wanted to bring that up and if there's any discussion, I'd be willing to hear it, but just as a as a potential option,

42:44 – 42:56Speaker 1

give us some thought. Yes, [laughter] that's all I ask. Um, redesign any of the standards of the town.

42:53 – 44:30Speaker 1

Well, and actually that that sort of is interesting point. So we are um staff is has been looking at reviewing and revising our development development design standards uh which are the things that uh we talk about when we talk about waiverss uh which are the the building uh designs the um landscaping designs. Um so those are things that sort of live outside the zoning code uh but that are still controlled by a document that the town has adopted. And um and of course we may realize throughout this process when we review developments or applications where we see waiverss for the same things over and over again, we might think, "Oh, maybe there's another way to do this." Uh or maybe there's a better way. Uh the design standards date back to 2005 when the town had a um six-month development moratorum and they rewrote many of their ordinances at that time. and um and so it's a product of its time, you know, so it's done really well for us. Uh but, you know, it's also time to sort of maybe spruce it up a bit. So so so that will be something that you will eventually see um once staff has sort of completed its its review of um the existing design standards. So then you'll have your say and some thoughts about what could be improved and uh what is okay to stay the same. Yeah,

44:28 – 45:11Speaker 1

that's why I have on that. Okay. Any general updates? General updates. Um talked about it briefly before the meeting, but of course, you know, the talk of the town is the Christian Care um hospital that is was announced to coming to Georgetown. was it it'll be at the it's proposed to be at the um the old shown lumber site on 113 and um is it Bram Hall Street? I think it is North Street. Yeah, North Street. Yes. Wow. Okay. Uh is it is it it's Bramole, isn't it? Bramole. Okay, it is

45:08 – 45:47Speaker 1

North Street's McDonald's. [laughter] Yes. Uh, so there's three parcels that I guess they would have likely purchased. Um, so we haven't seen any full engineered plans for that site. Um, we did talk to um, a consultant who we didn't know who the client was. They they declined to say, but they did discuss a little bit about what was proposed. And so we now know what's Christianic here. So, um, then they put it on Facebook, so we all knew. [laughter]

45:43 – 46:28Speaker 1

Yes, exactly. Um, so that will likely be something that you will see as a category one site plan, um, in the near future, I would imagine. So, is that taking out the front parcels or is it just um, property? Like, is that taking out goodies and and the Domino's? [laughter] Popeyes is next door. Well, I But I think Popeyes is on the other side. So, there's going to be I I forget if the parcel has I think the parcel actually has some frontage on 113. Um, so, but it won't take access from Route 113. It'll take access from Bram Hall Street. So, that's a hospital taking access from from side street. Yeah, they're not going to be able to get there from 113. They're going to use that little Bramal Street.

46:28 – 47:06Speaker 1

Yeah, that's going to be interesting. It will be interesting. At least the liquor stores right there so everybody can [laughter] the first 100 feet of Primal Street coming to a highway. So, so yeah, and you'll you again you will have your say about um you know any potential site plan improvements as a part of that process as well. But you know a project like that could affect how you approach future land use too. I know number of employees. I mean that's a big hospital. Yeah. Nurses and they they said that it's going to be fully staffed. I mean, all services are going to be there. Wow. Not just, you know, dropins.

47:04 – 47:49Speaker 1

Yeah. I mean, I just was at a meeting last night and what's his name? The head of BB was speaking and various people was about the future of Lewis and was the head of Cape, the mayor and head of University of Del, they were there, but I think BB is by far the largest employer in that region, more than schools and stuff. Yeah, it's huge. their buildings pop up everywhere. You know, every couple months you see a new one somewhere. [snorts] Yeah. So, so that's the any questions for Brian? I will entertain a motion to adjurnn. So moved. Second. Second. All in favor?

47:48 – 48:10Speaker 1

I. We'rejourned. That cowboy. [laughter] Have a good night, too.

This transcript was automatically generated from the official public meeting video and is presented unedited. It reflects remarks made on the public record by elected officials, staff, and public commenters. Transcript accuracy may vary; view the original recording for reference.