Residents urge Delaware City Council to reject Daniels Hinkley rezoning, cite noise, traffic and racetrack fears

At the Delaware City Council meeting on Feb. 10, residents from neighborhoods near the proposed Daniels Hinkley site urged council members to reject a rezoning application they said could allow a racetrack, amphitheater or other high‑impact commercial uses that would bring increased noise, lights and traffic to the Southwest quadrant of the city.

The speakers’ concerns focused on ordinance item 25‑055, the first reading of a request by Daniels Hinkley Housing LLC to rezone 257.97 acres in the Southwest overlay from A‑1/Agricultural and M‑1/Light Manufacturing to CPUD (Commercial Planned Unit Development). The council scheduled a public hearing and second reading of the ordinance for Feb. 24 at 7:15 p.m.

Why it matters: The rezoning would change what uses are administratively permitted on a large swath of land at the Southwest corner of Saw Mill Road and U.S. 42, and residents said the change could allow activities and facilities that would alter the character of adjacent rural and equestrian neighborhoods.

Several neighbors spoke during the public‑comment period. Trent Ottery, who identified himself as a resident of Section Estates, said he understood the rezoning “has the potential to rezone the property, which would allow for a racetrack, I think is the primary rationale or reason for that rezoning and amphitheater,” and said such uses would be “very, very loud” and “a life changing event” for people who live nearby. Angela Otman, who lives on Bunty Station Road, told council that the proposal is “very vague” and warned, “if we approve this zoning change, we've given it away,” adding that the noise ordinance allows special permits and asking how frequently high‑noise events would be allowed.

Steven Welsh, who lives off Maynard Road, described the area as a “quiet, peaceful community” with horses and limited prior crime, and said he was concerned about increased traffic, drivers using neighborhood roads as cut‑throughs, and what he called possible “noise pollution” and other attractions that could accompany the development. Shane Pennock, also of Maynard Road, said racetrack noise “carries very, very far” and that the project would be “counterintuitive” to recently created wetlands and other conservation features in the area.

Council members and staff did not take final action on the Daniels Hinkley rezoning at the Feb. 10 meeting; it remains scheduled for additional review. Planning staff indicated a detailed presentation and public hearing will take place Feb. 24, when the matter will be before Planning Commission and then City Council for second reading and public comment.

Council members and planning staff repeatedly emphasized that a rezoning would allow a range of uses that would then be subject to subsequent development‑plan review; any particular facility (for example, a daycare, retail or a racetrack) would require separate approvals as applicable. Residents at the Feb. 10 meeting repeatedly asked for more detailed information and for council to consider the impacts on noise, light, traffic and emergency‑services capacity in the area.

The Feb. 24 public hearing for the Daniels Hinkley application is set for 7:15 p.m.; staff said a full presentation and the opportunity for public comment will be provided then.