New Castle County panel advances proposal to create ‘P’ zoning for publicly owned parks and conserved land

The New Castle County Land Use Committee on March 25 considered substitute 1 to Ordinance 24-130, a proposal to amend New Castle County Code chapter 40, the Unified Development Code, to establish a P zoning district for publicly owned conserved lands and public parks. General Manager of Land Use Dave Culver and council sponsors described the substitute as enabling legislation; no final vote was recorded at the committee meeting.

Advocates and county staff said the new park zoning would make maps and permitted uses clearer for residents and county departments. “This was originally introduced before I came back to the county,” GM Dave Culver told the committee, and after reviewing the proposal he recommended language for how rezonings would be handled and how the county would report additions to P-designated land each year.

Supporters said the change matters because many publicly owned parks are currently spread across multiple existing zoning categories, creating confusion for residents and reviewers. Culver said the county will bring county-owned park parcels to council…