The Kent County Regional Planning Commission on Nov. 6 held a public hearing on application LC25-25CZ-06, a request to rezone 15.56 acres on the east side of South DuPont Highway from AR (agricultural-residential) to BG (general business) so the owner can develop a mini-storage facility. The commission did not decide the application; the record will remain open for two business days and the commission will consider the item at its business meeting on Nov. 13, 2025. The Kent County Levy Court is tentatively scheduled to hear the matter Nov. 18 if it is not tabled.

Attorney John Pardee, representing applicant Rajkumar Thangavello, told commissioners his client seeks limited commercial use and that the property "meets the legal criteria for approval of a zoning change under section 205-40.8(b) of the county code." Pardee presented maps showing multiple parcels zoned BG, IL and IG in the broader corridor along Route 13 and argued the area is a principal arterial corridor suitable for highway commercial uses. He said water and sewer service could be obtained from Artesian, that DNREC and the Kent Conservation District requirements can be met, and that the facility would comply with state fire marshal rules.

Pardee described a mini-storage as a low-impact, limited commercial use and offered a voluntary deed restriction to limit future BG uses at the site to a mini-storage facility, saying the restriction would be recorded and "enforceable by neighboring property owners." He acknowledged staff recommended denial.

Commissioners questioned whether earlier rezonings near Williamsville Road evidence a changed neighborhood character, and discussed whether the physical uses on nearby parcels — many of which remain cropland — should be weighed differently than the parcels' existing zoning. Commissioner Peterman emphasized protecting current residents and the county's long-term land-use goals; other commissioners raised the corridor's traffic volumes and growth pressures on Route 13.

More than half a dozen residents spoke in opposition, citing safety on narrow Gun and Rod Club Road, increased traffic and unfamiliar visitors, night lighting, potential declines in property values, and drainage concerns on poorly drained soils. Caitlin Lister, a neighbor with two small children, said she was concerned about lighting, noise and strangers near her home. Resident Isaac Will Henry Jr. showed photographs and questioned how stormwater runoff would be managed if open fields are paved. Neighbors also said much of the adjacent land remains active cropland and is within farm-preserve designations.

Matthew Webb, who said the property has been in his family for generations, spoke in favor of the application and said proceeds from a sale would support his mother's care. He told the commission that, "if you're gonna have commercial businesses, that is the spot for them to be," referring to Route 13.

No formal action was taken on the rezoning request at the Nov. 6 hearing. The commission will consider the application at a business meeting on Nov. 13, 2025; the public record will remain open for two business days and no new public testimony will be accepted at the Nov. 13 meeting. Staff recommended denial in its report to the commission.

If approved by the commission, the application will proceed to the Kent County Levy Court; if denied or withdrawn, it will not advance. The commission concluded the evening with routine business votes to approve the meeting agenda and to adjourn.