[{"_1":2,"_94":-5,"_95":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,84],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":-5,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6549575,"mediaKeyId","5443317-481bb8dec1139331f7e0cebfec66178d","parentId",5443317,"title","Newark council approves $101,000 to clear hazards and reopen Coleman Park","audioSeconds",1026,"startMs",11011000,"endMs",12037000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5443317-481bb8dec1139331f7e0cebfec66178d&start=11011&end=12037","thumbnailUrl","https://d352y6ypj4mjo3.cloudfront.net/AudioPlaceholder.png","articleUrl","/articles/6549575/Newark/New-Castle-County/Delaware/Newark-council-approves-101000-to-clear-hazards-and-reopen-Coleman-Park","mediaUrl","author","City Council of Newark DE","date","2025-07-21T00:00:00Z","article","The Newark City Council voted unanimously (5–0) on July 21 to authorize up to $101,000 in reserve funding to remove hazardous trees, stabilize trails and reopen Coleman Park, a small wooded park that staff said had become an “attractive nuisance” after tree failures and trail deterioration.

Councilman John Sahanick raised the issue after hearing staff reports that people were continuing to enter the closed park, including residents who use the route as a walking connection off Valley Road. City staff and the parks arborist described large hazardous trees and invasive‑plant overgrowth near established trails; they said a single contracted mobilization would be quicker and safer than an extended, piecemeal approach using existing tree‑care budgets.

Council approved a motion to waive the formal competitive‑bidding process for the limited project and to appropriate $101,000 from city reserves for the work. The motion did not specify a contractor name in the meeting record; minutes show the intent to execute a not‑to‑exceed contract for the park rehabilitation. Council members Ford, Bancroft, Brown and Sahanick and Mayor Travis McDermott voted aye.

City staff said the funding will cover hazardous‑tree removal, invasive‑plant clearing and trail stabilization sufficient to permit safe public access; a separate, longer‑term capital project could follow for additional park improvements. Staff also noted that the appropriation will use remaining tree‑care funds for the fiscal year, and future tree program requests will be budgeted in next year’s CIP.

Ending: With the vote, staff may schedule contractor mobilization; officials said they view the work as safety‑driven and intend to reopen the park as soon as the hazardous conditions are cleared.","mediaType","Audio","parentTitle","July 21, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Council voted 5–0 on July 21 to waive competitive bidding and appropriate $101,000 from reserves to remove hazardous trees, stabilize trails and reopen Coleman Park; staff said the work addresses an immediate public‑safety concern.","taxTitle","Newark, New Castle County, Delaware","taxId",56514,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":50,"_51":81,"_53":-5,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":82,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":83,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6549580,"Newark wins state and UD funding; prevailing‑wage changes could raise local project costs",679,683000,1362000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5443317-481bb8dec1139331f7e0cebfec66178d&start=683&end=1362","/articles/6549580/Newark/New-Castle-County/Delaware/Newark-wins-state-and-UD-funding-prevailingwage-changes-could-raise-local-project-costs","City lobbyist James D’Shane and Newark city officials reported on July 21 that the recent Delaware legislative session delivered several wins for Newark — including roughly $600,000 from the University of Delaware to support Main Street safety updates and about $750,000 in community relief funds — while also noting newly enforced prevailing‑wage rules could substantially increase local project costs.

“UD tax bill had passed … $600,000 that came through the University of Delaware to help offset the cost of doing Main Street safety updates,” lobbyist James D’Shane told council, and he thanked local legislators who supported the city’s requests. He said, overall, the general assembly and university‑linked items together bring “roughly $4,000,000” to Newark in a range of state and university investments when combined with prior allocations.

But D’Shane and City Manager Coleman warned that a Department of Labor interpretation expanding prevailing‑wage coverage on municipal projects could raise costs sharply. D’Shane summarized the change as removing earlier exceptions and said municipal projects will generally be subject to prevailing‑wage rules; Coleman added more detail about thresholds and cost impacts.

Under existing state practice, Coleman said, prevailing wage requirements differed for new construction (a project cost threshold previously at $500,000) and for alterations (a lower threshold). He told council the Department of Labor’s revised interpretation treats some projects previously considered new construction as alterations — which invokes a much lower threshold (he said the alteration threshold now effectively applies in many cases), and that prevailing wage rates in New Castle County are considerably higher than in other markets. Coleman warned that prevailing‑wage projects can carry an approximate 30% cost premium and that survey and rate‑setting practices may be driving rates higher than local market labor costs.

Council members asked for clarification about which projects will be affected and the thresholds that trigger prevailing wage. Coleman said the city’s solicitor had sought an attorney general opinion after DOL changed its practice; the attorney general’s response effectively upheld DOL’s interpretation.

Council members and staff agreed the city will need to reassess project budgets and priorities for capital work, and to engage their legislative delegation and the League of Local Governments to seek clarifications or technical changes to the prevailing‑wage application.

Ending: City staff said they will follow up with detailed cost‑impact analyses and continue outreach with the delegation on the prevailing‑wage matter as the city develops its fall budget and capital priorities.","City lobbyist and staff reported new state and University of Delaware funding for Newark projects but warned a broadened prevailing‑wage interpretation could increase municipal construction costs and reduce the number of projects the city can afford.",{"_33":85,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":86,"_41":87,"_43":88,"_45":89,"_47":90,"_49":50,"_51":91,"_53":-5,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":92,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":93,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6549585,"Newark council hears wide-ranging options to address affordable housing shortage",3352,1843000,5195000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5443317-481bb8dec1139331f7e0cebfec66178d&start=1843&end=5195","/articles/6549585/Newark/New-Castle-County/Delaware/Newark-council-hears-wide-ranging-options-to-address-affordable-housing-shortage","City of Newark planning staff and the city manager presented a multi-pronged review of options to address the city’s affordable housing shortage during the July 21 council meeting, with public commenters and several council members urging firm action on inclusionary zoning and other tools.

Planning and Development Director Renee Benzley told the council the staff outreach process included roughly 15 events and about 115 unique participants and that the Delaware State Housing Needs Assessment shows Newark has a shortage of about 2,098 affordable units for households earning 0–50% of area median income (AMI). Benzley outlined two broad policy buckets — regulatory code changes and financial/resource incentives — and said staff were seeking council direction on which ideas to study further.

The presentation reviewed a range of options: mandatory or voluntary inclusionary zoning (for example, a hypothetical 10% set‑aside on developments larger than 10 units targeted at households below 80% of AMI), “missing middle” and gentle-density zoning to allow duplexes and townhomes in single‑family areas, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), lower or eliminated minimum parking requirements, expedited review and fee reductions for projects meeting affordable‑housing metrics, use of city‑owned parcels for housing, an affordable housing trust fund, emergency rental assistance, and revival or expansion of city homebuyer gap‑financing programs.

“Staff is not recommending a single path tonight,” Benzley said. “We want feedback on what you would like us to investigate further, including which regulatory decisions and which financial tools to pursue in the ordinance process.”

City Manager Coleman framed the choices around the limits of what local government can do and the city's need to engage the private market. He highlighted that Newark currently has only small shares of land zoned for multifamily or mixed‑use housing and said development review costs and discretionary approvals add roughly $40,000–$50,000 per lot in some cases. Coleman urged council to consider shifting discretionary, location‑and‑design approvals earlier in the review process so developers can see whether a concept is viable before large engineering costs are incurred.

Several members of the public urged mandatory inclusionary zoning. “If developers want to cash in on college‑town housing, they can’t just build somewhere else to avoid the ordinance,” said Joanna Bosnak, a non‑student renter, adding that mandatory rules, not voluntary incentives, are likelier to produce units. Tom Parkins, who volunteers with homeless outreach, said Newark needs “teeth” in policy to create housing for people experiencing homelessness.

Council members debated trade‑offs. Some members urged caution about sweeping code changes that could have unintended consequences in established residential neighborhoods or be exploited as student housing; others favored tools to speed project delivery, broaden the pool of smaller local developers, and expand homeownership assistance. Councilwoman Ford emphasized enforcement of rental standards and said changes should preserve neighborhood character; other council members asked staff to return with narrower proposals council could prioritize.

Benzley and Coleman said next steps will be administrative: staff will incorporate council feedback into the city’s prioritization process and return with staff‑level research on specific options (for example, nexus studies for an inclusionary ordinance, financial models for a housing trust fund, and proposals for targeted rezoning or form‑based code changes).

Council did not vote on new policy tonight; members were asked to submit their priority items to the city manager ahead of a scheduled prioritization discussion.

Ending: Staff materials and appendices referenced in the meeting packet include the outreach summary, literature reviews (American Planning Association and Delaware Housing Supply Accelerator Playbook), and the Delaware State Housing Needs Assessment. Council requested additional scope and cost information for several of the staff proposals before any ordinance drafting begins.","City planning staff and the city manager presented a menu of regulatory and financial options — from inclusionary zoning to parking reductions and a housing trust — as council and residents debated trade-offs and next steps for closing a shortfall of about 2,100 affordable units.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Newark council approves $101,000 to clear hazards and reopen Coleman Park

Newark wins state and UD funding; prevailing‑wage changes could raise local project costs

Newark council hears wide-ranging options to address affordable housing shortage