Contact - Volunteer - Contribute - (302) 468-6024

Bob Weiner
Home About Bob Legislation & Essays News Articles Photo & Video Gallery Facebook Contact Bob
Bob Weiner News  

6/29/2008
Weiner: Could village plan help Greenville? - Community News


By Andréa Miller
Community News
Posted Jun 29, 2008 @ 11:07 PM
Greenville, Del. —

Claymont was the first to get one. Hockessin was next. Centreville and St. George’s have one, too. Now, New Castle County Councilman Bob Weiner (R-Brandywine West) is asking if it is time to consider whether a Hometown Overlay would be good for Greenville’s retail district, too.

In 2004, recognizing that the Unified Development Code, a set of uniform county-wide building standards, made it difficult for older communities to maintain their sense of town character and place, the County adopted Hometown Overlay (HTO) legislation. An HTO allows older communities to draw boundaries around a designated Village area and create customized local design guidelines within it. It has been characterized as an economic development tool that can also help build a stronger sense of community and place.

Weiner introduced the concept of a Greenville Village at the end of a June 25 meeting he organized to hear from Greenville residents about three Stoltz Realty Partners development plans that lie within or near the southwestern corner of his district.

More than 200 showed up to St. Joseph’s on the Brandywine to ask questions and share concerns about the projects.

“I sense that people are frustrated and feel like their hands are tied,” Weiner said after the meeting.

“Now that the community sees what can happen when we are not protected, it is a good time to be asking” if it’s time to consider whether an additional layer of “quasi home rule” would give them more say in future development proposals, he said.

Setting up an HTO would be labor intensive for residents, would not cover areas outside of Greenville’s retail district, and, given the tough financial times in the County, the cost of hiring planners to develop a Village Plan would likely be borne by residents, he said.
And, once set up, it would not be a panacea, he and others involved in setting up the Centreville Village Plan agreed.

It would establish aesthetic guidelines for things like building facades, signage and landscaping, and it would establish a citizen board to oversee them, but developers would still have the right to develop according to code.

Residents had few questions about the village plan during the meeting, and Weiner said the next step is to let the idea incubate and see if local civic groups begin forming study groups to look into it further.

Back to the News Summary

Have news? Please contact me!

HOT TOPICS:
Important Safety Tips
File a Property Complaint
Report a Pothole to DelDOT
NCC Open Checkbook
Presentations to Council
Redevelopment
NCC Council Video
New Castle County Finances
NCC Public Safety
Stoltz Developments
Other Development Proposals
NCC Clearwater Disconnect Program
Brandywine 100 History
Anti-Graffiti Brigade
Talley Day Bark Park
Claymont
Search BobWeiner.com:

Latest News:
7/8/2020
  Brandywine Hundred County Library is open with socially distancing safe door-to-door delivery takeout service
11/30/2018
  Walker's Bank deemed unsafe, will be demolished
7/24/2018
  Councilman announces details of redevelopment at former AstraZeneca site

New Castle County Comprehensive Plan
How to Attend a County Council Meeting
Info on Planning Board Public Hearings
Time Limits For Speakers And
Standards For Review Of Applications
Directions to Reads Way

 

 

Give Bob a "like" on Facebook:


   
Latest News:
7/8/2020
  Brandywine Hundred County Library is open with socially distancing safe door-to-door delivery takeout service
11/30/2018
  Walker's Bank deemed unsafe, will be demolished
7/24/2018
  Councilman announces details of redevelopment at former AstraZeneca site
Upcoming events:
County Council meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday evenings of each month
"I can't thank Bob enough for his prompt response to even the smallest insignificant issues. I am truly thankful that he is is our County Councilman."

Nancy Stone
Concord Hills Civic Association

Paid for by Friends of Bob Weiner - www.BobWeiner.com - (302) 468-6024 - Volunteer - Contribute
Friends of Bob Weiner is the political candidate committee that accepts contributions on behalf of New Castle County Councilman Robert S. Weiner.

Facebook Twitter Youtube