Commission makes housing a top priority, forms small working group to inventory sites and barriers

At a June meeting of the Kent County Economic and Tourism Development Commission, members elevated workforce and affordable housing as the commission’s top priority and agreed to form a small working group to assemble an inventory of potential sites, sewer and water availability, and barriers to development.

Jamie, Economic and Tourism Development staff, framed the issue by citing members’ submissions and earlier discussions: "Create additional opportunities for housing, increase population, attract and retain families, for entry level and entry level employees," she said as she urged the group to focus on specific, achievable items the volunteer commission could pursue.

What the commission heard and discussed - Working group: commissioners agreed to form an informal working group of three or fewer members to research available land, water‑sewer allocations, ownership questions and past municipal annexations. The commission and staff said the subgroup can meet informally (not triggering public‑meeting rules) to prepare findings for the full commission. - Inventory and constraints: members emphasized mapping lots that are for sale or adjacent to incorporated towns, checking water/sewer hook‑up capacity, and identifying properties that may be held but could be repurposed. Craig Rancamp, a professional planner on the commission, urged starting with an inventory of town and county maps and sewer allocations. - Existing incentives and ordinance updates: staff highlighted an existing sprinkler tax credit adopted in 2020 and extended in 2023 through 2027 as an example of a tool that offsets construction costs (Jamie said sprinklers add roughly $15,000–$20,000 to new single‑family construction). Staff also noted recent land‑use ordinance changes that remove obstacles to housing, including: the addition of assisted‑living as a use (9–16 beds), a village zoning unit size change (from 9,000 to 5,000 square feet) and an increase in allowed density (from four to five units per acre). Staff said manufactured homes were folded into the single‑family category in response to 2024 House Bill 538. - Projects and procurement: staff reported that a pre‑bid conference for the Village of Kennedyville housing project drew five interested bidders, including at least one national and one regional builder; bids were scheduled to open July 9.

Why it matters: commissioners said a lack of affordable workforce housing affects hospitality, manufacturing and other employers across Kent County. Commissioner Bob Jacob, a local employer, said some employees making decent wages still struggle to find housing. Members said a small subgroup can identify practical next steps — such as target parcels for redevelopment, potential incentives, and whether infrastructure funding or partnerships might be pursued.

Next steps and staff support Commissioners asked staff to assemble maps and data and to support the working group. Jamie said staff will check planning and zoning records, utility allocations and past municipal contacts to speed research; the group will present findings to the full commission for consideration.

Ending Commissioners agreed to proceed with a small working group and return inventory results to the full commission for prioritization. Staff said any formal incentives or policy proposals will be developed with planning and legal review before board recommendation or public action.