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Board approves 6.48% lot-coverage variance on Atlantic Avenue parcels to add parking
Summary
The Board of Adjustment approved application V-458, allowing a 6.48% increase in lot coverage across three Atlantic Avenue parcels to permit additional parking for consolidated development; approval included conditions requiring stormwater compliance and a DelDOT letter of no objection.
The Town of Ocean View Board of Adjustment voted to grant a variance that will let the owner consolidate three Atlantic Avenue parcels and increase lot coverage by 6.48%, primarily to add parking for a proposed commercial development.
Applicant representatives said the parcels at 39, 35 and 33 Atlantic Avenue would be consolidated under the proposed plan, which includes two buildings—a Chase Bank site and a planned roughly 2,500-square-foot office building—and additional parking in the rear. The applicant’s engineer and land planner said the extra impervious area (6.48% over the GB-1 50% limit) would provide about ten additional parking spaces to support permitted uses along the business corridor.
Why it matters: The variance allows more of the consolidated lot to be covered by building footprint and paved parking than current zoning allows, which the applicant said is necessary to attract tenants and meet parking demands for uses allowed in the GB-1 district. The board conditioned approval on meeting stormwater regulations, receiving a Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) letter of no objection before development, and ensuring the added impervious area be used for parking rather than additional gross floor area.
Board members asked detailed questions about project phasing, driveway interconnectivity, traffic implications for State Route 26, and stormwater management. The applicant’s team said the bank site would have limited on-site transactions (an ATM-focused setup with minimal visits compared with a full drive-through bank) and that stormwater would be managed with underground chambers and infiltration designed to meet Delaware and Sussex Conservation District requirements. The design team also said there would be buffers and landscaping between the new parking area and adjacent properties, and that there would be no interconnectivity to neighboring lots.
Public questions included concerns from a church representative about separation and runoff into a swale behind the church. The applicant and engineer said stormwater systems were designed to keep runoff on-site and out of the adjacent swale.
The board moved, seconded and approved application V-458 with the stated conditions and recorded the motion as carried.
