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Council adopts UDC changes tightening definitions and standards for warehouses; adds driver-facility clarification
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Summary
New Castle County Council adopted substitute language to Ordinance 25-121 updating the Unified Development Code to better distinguish warehouse, fulfillment and distribution facilities and added a floor amendment clarifying driver bathroom/shower facility requirements and permitting standards.
New Castle County Council voted to adopt an amended substitute to Ordinance 25-121, a change to the county’s Unified Development Code that creates new definitions and requirements for truck terminals, warehouses, fulfillment centers and distribution centers.
The council accepted a floor amendment clarifying that bathroom and shower facilities required for drivers must be available to drivers conducting business on the site but need not be permanent building elements. David Culver, general manager of the Department of Land Use, told council members these facilities must meet building-code requirements, be tied into wastewater systems and, when located in trailers, would still require permits and inspections.
Supporters and council members said the UDC update is intended to give the county clearer tools to anticipate truck traffic, distinguish different facility types and protect nearby neighborhoods. Dale Swain of Citizens Alliance for Responsible Land Use described the changes as a long-overdue effort to define differences between smaller warehouse operations and large distribution centers and their differing traffic and land-use impacts.
Council discussion noted several practical points: the amendment preserves flexibility for operators to use mounted trailers if they meet code and permitting requirements, and sites must complete certificate-of-occupancy requirements before operation. The floor amendment was approved on a roll call reported as 11 yes, 1 not voting and 1 absent. The substitute, as amended, was presented for adoption and later carried in roll calls reported during the meeting.
The ordinance change brings a layered permitting and compliance approach — additional definitions, transportation-impact considerations and new site requirements — intended to reduce the neighborhood impacts that council members said have accompanied recent warehouse development.
Council members said the measure will not eliminate distribution centers but will allow officials to require appropriate traffic mitigation, parking and operational conditions tailored to each facility type.
The council moved on to other zoning and rezoning matters after adopting the amendment; staff said implementation and enforcement will be led by the Department of Land Use and will be reflected in permit reviews and site inspections.
