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Planning Services Update

New and Updated Municipal Plans in 2005

The year 2005 was a busy one for Delaware municipalities working on comprehensive plans. Several municipalities have had their comprehensive plans certified by the state within the past year. In New Castle County, Middletown had a new plan certified, and Townsend had a plan amendment certified. Kent County municipalities that had plans and/or amendments certified were Clayton, Frederica, and Milford. In Sussex County, Bethany Beach, Delmar, Greenwood, and Lewes had new plans certified. www.ipa.udel.edu/localgovt/planning/status.html

State Planning Office in New Building

The main offices of the Office of State Planning Coordination (OSPC) are now located in the newly refurbished Haslet Armory, at the corner of William Penn Street and Legislative Avenue in Dover. OSPC’s new address is 122 William Penn Street, Dover, DE 19901. Its phone and fax numbers remain the same.

Local Economic-Development Planning

IPA has recently been working with Delaware’s local governments and nonprofits on a variety of economic-development activities. In connection with the Middletown Comprehensive Plan project, IPA conducted a retail market analysis to estimate the square footage of retail space supported by the town’s existing and projected populations. These estimates will assist the town in making informed zoning decisions, in order to avoid a glut or shortage of retail space.

IPA is also currently working with Greater Brandywine Village Revitalization, Inc., on an economic-restructuring program. Key components of this project include a building, space, and business inventory, a comprehensive market analysis, and survey work to determine stakeholder opinions and concerns. The expected output of this project is a business-recruitment strategy, which will identify new economic uses for existing space and provide insight regarding which market segments and firms will complement a successful business mix.

For more information on these projects, you may contact IPA’s Planning Services Manager, Martin Wollaston, at martinw@udel.edu or 302-831-4930.

For more information contact Julia O'Hanlon at 302-831-6224.