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Council delays vote on 66.75-acre Berlin Station Road rezoning, schedules third reading Oct. 13
Summary
A request to rezone 66.75 acres north of Braumiller and Berlin Station Roads to a residential PUD remained under review after council expressed concerns about density and compatibility; staff recommended approval with seven conditions and a 4-unit-per-acre cap.
Delaware City Council opened a public hearing on Sept. 22 for a rezoning request by Berlin Station Road LTD to change 66.75 acres from A1 Agricultural to RPUD (Residential Planned Unit Development) but chose to defer final action and scheduled a third reading for Oct. 13 to allow more public outreach.
City planning staff described the site as two parcels totaling 66.75 acres annexed into the city in late 2024, with a 5-acre parcel along Berlin Station Road containing a single-family home and roughly 61.7 acres of vacant farmland. Planner Sandra Pereira said the zoning petition caps density at four dwelling units per acre for the entire site and anticipates single-family construction, with two access points on Berlin Station Road that will be finalized during the development-plan stage.
Staff recommended approval with seven conditions including required buffering to adjacent residential property lines, retention and supplementation of tree preservation areas, and additional buffering on the side adjacent to the railroad tracks.
Several council members and staff discussed compatibility of the proposed density with surrounding large-lot residential parcels. A council member observed the surrounding lots were substantially larger (6–10 acres or more) and said the proposed development appeared denser than the immediate neighborhood. Planning staff responded that the Southeast Focus area calls for suburban residential density and that the 4-units-per-acre cap accounts for ponds, tree-preservation parcels and other non-housing land uses in density calculations.
Council also asked staff to clarify the dotted red line shown in the concept plan; staff confirmed it indicates a pathway/trail connection through a tree preservation area. Two emails had been submitted by members of the public asking questions about the proposal; council agreed to provide one additional notice period and to bring the ordinance back for a third reading on Oct. 13.
At the third reading the council will review any additional public comments, updated material from the applicant (including traffic study information), and staff responses to questions about buffering and lot layout before taking a final vote.
