The Committee of 100 | FYI Archives

At the March 9th meeting of the New Castle County Small Business Commission (SBC), Councilwoman Karen Venezky called for a study to determine whether or not Ordinance 99-146 is the right way to solve the problems that the ordinance was written to address. 99-146 is the ordinance which would apply the same transportation requirements to minor plans that are currently applied to major plans and rezonings. If the ordinance became part of the UDC, the cost, approval time and uncertainty of the major plans and rezoning processes would fall on the minor process. (See the January 2000 and January 2001 FYIs for further explanation of this ordinance and the SBC intersection initiative).

Councilwoman Venezky told the Commission that she had tried very hard to achieve a compromise on 99-146 but that she hasn't been able to accomplish that. She reiterated that she wanted to be able to achieve her goal without causing harm. To that end, she has asked the Department of Land Use to conduct the study to determine whether or not Ordinance 99-146 would do what it was intended to do.

In calling for a study, Councilwoman Venezky said she noted the concerns of the business community about the impact of 99-146 and stated emphatically that she, "cares very much what the consequences are. That's why I want the study." Charles Baker, Acting Manager of the Department of Land Use, in conducting the study, is to answer several questions about 99-146: would it stifle economic growth; would it encourage sprawl vs. infill; would it constitute a "taking"; would it hinder redevelopment. Noting the inordinate number of variances required for redevelopment, Karen also asked Charles to look at redevelopment vs the UDC and what might need to be changed to encourage redevelopment. In response to her invitation to the Commission to suggest additional questions to be answered by the study, two were added: are there solutions other than 99-146 to address the problem; and, could there be a geographic boundary so that the Ordinance's provisions applied only outside designated growth areas?

Transportation Engineers in Delaware have long noted that New Castle County's trigger for requiring Traffic Impact Studies for major plans and rezonings (50 peak-hour-trips) is one of the lowest in the country. That standard, which 99-146 would apply to minors, is problematic. During the Commission's discussion of that trigger point in 99-146, DelDOT's Bill Brockenbrough noted that New Castle County's 50 peak-hour-trip threshold is low for a standard. While DelDOT must use it for New Castle County, it uses the more common (and reasonable) standard of 100 for commercial and 210 for residential in Kent and Sussex Counties.

Councilwoman Venezky will keep 99-146 in abeyance while the study is conducted and will not call the Small Business Commission back into session until there is information available that provides guidance on how to proceed. When Karen does schedule another meeting of the Small Business Commission, a key item on its agenda will be redevelopment, especially Code impediments to redevelopment.

WILMAPCO's Congestion Manangement Program

The Intersection Initiative that came from the NCC Small Business Commission's debate of Ordinance 99-146 (see January 2001 FYI), is alive and well and continues to generate good news. WILMAPCO Executive Director Ted Matley reported to the SBC that the Congestion Management Committee, which he formed to move the SBA's intersection initiative forward, has produced a draft to be presented to the WILMAPCO PAC and TAC in April and the WILMAPCO Council in May. The goal is to have a formal program in the WILMAPCO TIP (Transportation Improvement Plan) and DelDOT CIP (Capital Improvement Plan) which, like the bridge program, will ensure that, on an ongoing basis, intersections are evaluated, prioritized, and funded for improvement to ensure that all substandard intersections are brought up to the appropriate Level of Service.

The need to improve failing intersections is an issue on which both the civic and business communities agree. The Committee of 100, along with other business groups and civic organizations, has long called for fixing failing intersections. Intersections with substandard Level of Service (LOS), frustrate residents and commuters, who have to deal with the congestion, and businesses, which cannot expand or locate in areas with the failing LOS. During Governor Carper's first term, The Committee of 100, through its member engineering firms, compiled and mapped a list of failing intersections and presented it to the Governor. While it was clear he was not happy with the response he got from the Department of Transportation regarding the list, he never got beyond the processes in place at DelDOT. At the time, the focus was on alternatives to construction.

Robert's Ordinance Gets Thumbs Down

Chris Roberts' Ordinance 00-136, which would have added another layer of traffic requirements to cluster developments with language which would have made the process subjective and uncertain, received a negative recommendation from the Department of Land Use and an 8-1 vote against it from the Planning Board.

I-95 Viaduct Reconstruction Update

Work on the Wilmington Viaduct will begin in the spring of 2001. This work will include removing lead-based paint and repainting the structural steel as well as repairing and strengthening the pillars. Construction of the surface work on I-95 through Wilmington (much like the section of I-95 north of Route 202) is scheduled to begin in early 2003. While that phase will be much more disruptive and will take the same intensive planning and preparation, the first phase of viaduct work will take place mainly under I-95, with the surface work limited to nights.

Beverley Baxter, who serves on the I-95 Wilmington Working Group, was instrumental in getting the Working Group and DelDOT to change the appearance of the screens along I-95 in Wilmington. (Next time you drive it notice the ugly green corrugated stuff!) Beverley had served on the Wayfinding Committee, which established the format and design, including color scheme, for a "wayfinding" signage program for the City, and suggested incorporating the Wayfinding color and design into both the replacement screening for the corrugated screens and the repainting of the existing metal screening. After the work is completed, you will see not only an improved color scheme, but also, a distinctive "W" for Wilmington at selected intervals. The colors and "W" come from the design of Mitchell Associates, consultants for the Wayfinding program.

Interesting Information

According to the Surface Transportation Policy Project, Delaware spends more per person ($2.86) on pedestrian projects than planning-exemplar Oregon ($1.63), smart-growth Maryland ($.29), or neighbor Pennsylvania ($.22). Oregon had 11.8%, Maryland 17.65% and Delaware only 11.42% of traffic deaths that were pedestrians.