Board of Commissioners and Planning

REHOBOTH BEACH BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS AND PLANNING COMMISSION
SEPTEMBER 12, 2014 JOINT MEETING
Citizen input to the Mayor, City Commissioners, and Planning Commission over the last
several months have raised several land use, development, and enforcement issues (including but
not limited to issues related to swimming pools in residential neighborhoods, noise, sizes and uses
of structures, residential parking, and lot coverage and other environmental concerns).*
It has been five years since the Rehoboth Beach Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP)
was certified on July 23, 2010 by the Delaware Office of State Planning and Coordination. Since
that time development within the City has begun to accelerate reflecting the recovery of both the
regional and national economy. The approved CDP was designed to be “a policy and action
statement that should remain valid in the face of change over the years” (CDP page 7). With
growth and change comes questions. It is appropriate to reflect on the continued salience of the
CDP and measure its success in the stated purposes identified five years ago:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Create a unified set of goals for change and development…
Become the central source for guidance on proposed public activities…
Apply the individual tools of planning within the framework…
Guide private land use decisions by providing information on overall direction of the
community…
5. Provide analysis and policies that will allow assimilation of the unexpected to the
City’s…
6. Preserve the more fragile among desirable land use arrangements and harmonize…
In regard to questions, concerns, and a call for action that are currently being raised by City
residents, it is noted that many relate to items addressed in the CDP that were prompted by
citizen concerns at the time the CDP was prepared. (Page numbers refer to CDP recommendations
or policy statements from 2010)
a. Light pollution (page 54)
b. Storm water management and loss of permeable surface given climate change (53)
c. Parking within residential areas and zoning requirements (68)
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d. Sufficiency of current zoning regulations (96)
e. Accelerated growth in residential areas of vacation housing and scale of amenities (83)
f. Ordinance enforcement: noise and other quality of life issues effecting residential
ambiance, resort attractiveness, and favorable business climate (14)
PRESENTATION FOR SEPT 12th MEETING: A short Power Point presentation is currently being
prepared by and will be presented at the meeting by Planning Commission member Michael
Strange. The presentation is intended to summarize the major issues that have been raised in
recent citizen letters/communications, highlight issues and questions raised by the Planning
Commission, and inform the attending public of the meeting’s objective.
OBJECTIVE: The focus of a combined meeting is to:
 Have an open dialogue to identify and develop a prioritized list of current or potential
threats to the current and long-term integrity of Rehoboth Beach for all citizens and
visitors,
 Identify where current programs, policy, or enforcement may be lacking, and
 Develop an action plan with assigned responsibilities that will result in necessary changes
to achieve the desired outcomes.
*
Some of the background information related to these issues can be found in the Planning
Commission’s report “Swimming Pools in Residential Areas and Related Issues” previously
distributed to the Board of Commissioners and which is posted on the City’s website under the
“Ongoing Business and Studies” link.
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