By Richard L. Gaw
Staff Writer

If there is one initiative that has been thoroughly vetted through the spinning wheel of administrative and public opinion, it is the on-going effort to rezone New Garden Township into a multi-colored map of ten distinctive districts.

The project – engineered by Samantha McLean of Michael Baker International and the township’s zoning task force – began last summer and has in the past year traveled through the gristmill of four public outreach meetings and several drafts and consultations. The complexity of its iterations is, ironically, quite simple: to create a comprehensive update to the current zoning ordinance and map in an effort to respond to the changing needs of the community and support the goals of the township’s 2018 Comprehensive Plan.

The new zoning map is also intended to cut down on the number of non-conforming uses of township property that has led to numerous “by right” use of agricultural facilities, specifically in residential districts and has led to zoning misalignment with the township’s existing and future infrastructure, such as streets, stormwater and sewer systems.

On July 28, before the township’s Board of Supervisors and nearly 75 residents, McLean presented an overview of the zoning update process and goals – a two-hour meeting that also elicited additional comments from the board and residents. The presentation focused chiefly on three topics that have drawn the largest contention, discussion and disagreement over the last 12 months: mushroom operations in the Enterprise District; zoning along the Limestone Road corridor; and the map’s Residential Flex District.

No expansion of the Enterprise District

As the rezoned district map moves closer toward confirmation, perhaps the largest thorn of contention is whether the Enterprise District – an area located between Route 41 and Starr Road – is a suitable enough size to contain its purpose: to foster a dynamic and thriving business environment that encourages economic growth, innovation, and job creation and to support a diverse range of commercial activities, including agricultural, offices, retail, light manufacturing, and technology-based enterprises.

McLean said that the zoning task force recommended no edits to the proposed Enterprise District, stating that the proposed zoning ordinance and map provides for continued mushroom operations as a nonconforming use throughout the township, and for continued and expanded use in the Enterprise District. Further, by designating a specific district to accommodate these uses, the township is able to minimize future disturbance and use-based nuisances on residential areas.

Perhaps the most frequently expressed criticism of the Enterprise District has been that it confines future growth of the mushroom industry to one chunk of land in the township. Additional feedback has called for the expansion of the district south of Starr Road in order to better accommodate the mushroom industry. 

Contrary to that sentiment, McLean said that the task force recommended that the existing boundaries of the Enterprise District remain the same, citing that existing roadways in the township such as Starr Road and Route 41 provide more enforceable boundaries for zoning districts. 

Limestone Road Zoning District

Another district that has elicited several comments and discussions has been the Limestone Road district that extends from Southwood Road to the Route 41 overpass, which is designated as a Mixed-Use District. 

“We have heard concerns about traffic and transportation infrastructure and the impact of a mixed-use corridor on residential areas, but we have also heard that some residents have expressed a need for more approximate services, such as medical services that they would be able to go to in-state,” McLean said. 

The task force recommended that the area be redesignated as an Innovative District, which is defined as “a dynamic and adaptable environment that accommodates a diverse range of uses, including residential, commercial, industrial and recreational activities.”

This scenario, McLean said, would not only maintain the existing zoning map’s flexibility of uses, but create the potential of developing large-scale, campus-like facilities along the corridor that could bring employment opportunities in the township and implement innovative approaches to modern revitalization.

Residential Flex District

The third topic of McLean’s presentation focused on the redrawn zoning map’s development of the Residential Flex District, which aims to achieve a balance between residential growth and the conservation and preservation of green space and natural areas in the township.

The District, McLean asserted, will be able to provide township residents with the “missing middle housing” option that offers more affordable housing opportunities.

“While population is increasing, median household size is decreasing, so we’re seeing more people in smaller households,” she said. “We’ve seen increasing demand for housing for smaller houses and more units, and the limited supply of housing units in the county is one of the main contributors to the rising cost of housing.

“We have heard concerns about the impact [that increased residential growth] will have on the character of the township, where some areas are very rural. We have also heard concerns about the impact on property values on infrastructure and natural resources, but on the flip side, we have also heard that there is a need for the broadening of available housing in the township.” 

McClean said that the task force recommended no changes to the creation of the Residential Flex District, which she said is consistent with the township’s goals to provide “middle housing” opportunities.

During the public comment portion of the meeting – with frequent veiled references to the recently proposed development of White Clay Point along Route 41 - several residents re-echoed their long-expressed opinion that the redrawing of the township’s districts will have a severe impact on New Garden’s definition as a rural municipality, and lead to overabundant residential growth. 

One resident told the board that during her ownership of a Newark, Delaware business, she saw the town change dramatically.

“Over time, I watched it line the pockets of developers and strip the locals of peace,” she said. “It changed the complexion of the area completely. A town that we once loved is now a place of disdain. That’s not progress. It’s destruction. It may benefit a few for a while, but in the long run, it becomes a disaster. The growth that occurs when rezoning happens is like boiling a frog. It happens slowly at first, but then it’s too late. You can’t turn back.”

Harrogate North resident Peter Mrozinski encouraged the board and the zoning task force to attract more public opinion by visiting them at meeting spaces throughout the township.

“Why don’t you go out in the community and talk to people?” Mrosinski said. “You could take our clubhouse, or the Somerset Lake clubhouse. When they are sitting at home, they will come and listen.” 

The next steps toward the adoption of the rezoning of New Garden Township will take place over the next several months, beginning with a task force meeting on Aug. 7, which will be followed by the release of the final draft of the zoning ordinance and map prior to the township’s Planning Commission meeting on Aug. 27. After the meeting, residents will have a 45-day public comment period in which to provide additional comments about the initiative, which will be followed by a Board of Supervisors public hearing in the Fall, when the ordinance and map are expected to be approved.

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email [email protected].