Georgetown council hears testimony on James Place future land use map amendment

A public hearing on case 2024-14, known as James Place, drew a presentation from the applicants and supporters but no final vote Tuesday, as the Georgetown Town Council left the record open until its next meeting.

The application, presented by David Hutt, an attorney with Morris James, would amend the town's comprehensive plan future land use map for a parcel at 644 North Bedford Street (Sussex County tax parcel 135-14-87) from single-family residential to mixed residential so the site can receive an RPC overlay and a mix of housing types.

Hutt told the council the property is just under 22 acres and that the proposal envisions 108 homes: about 60 single-family detached houses, duplexes and townhomes clustered near the railroad. He said the RPC overlay is required to allow the mix of lot sizes and building types and that the underlying UR-1 zoning would remain in place if the future land use map were changed.

"The purpose [of the RPC district] is to encourage design flexibility and coordination of architectural style of building, streets, lighting, signage, landscaping," David Hutt said. "This application speaks directly to that ' rather than just having one option for housing, a person could live in a duplex, a person could live in a single-family home, or a person could live in a townhome."

Hutt said the Office of State Planning Coordination issued a letter on Sept. 4, 2024, confirming the town's planning commission could treat the proposal as a minor variation, and that DelDOT classifies North Bedford Street extended as a major collector. He also said the planning commission initially concluded the application would follow the minor-variation path but later, on the formal application, voted 3-1 to recommend the council not accept the proposed amendment.

Kevin Gilmore, chief executive officer of Sussex County Habitat for Humanity, spoke in favor and said Habitat would work with the applicants to provide workforce housing for up to 20 units under its homeownership model.

"We've built 43 houses here in the town of Georgetown over the years, and our houses appraise at market value. It's the financing that makes them affordable to our home buyers," Kevin Gilmore said.

The applicants also offered proffers to mitigate service impacts: Hutt said the restrictive covenants would require each unit to pay $25 annually to Sussex Post 8 for emergency services and $75 annually to the Georgetown Fire Company, a combined $100 per unit per year that the applicant said would amount to $10,800 annually if the plan builds 108 units.

Council members and staff noted there are two letters of opposition in the file and that some concerns raised previously included potential traffic impacts and emergency-services funding. Hutt disputed the claim that the project would generate higher average daily trips than single-family development, and reiterated the proposal does not include apartments.

The council kept the public hearing open for action at the next council meeting, giving the town additional time to review the planning commission record, the two letters of opposition and the applicant materials.

No formal action to amend the future land use map was taken Tuesday; the hearing record will remain open until the council votes at a future meeting.

The council will consider the application and related materials at its next scheduled meeting before making a final decision.