The Committee of 100 | FYI Archives

Councilperson Theo Gregory has introduced an ordinance that would force convenience stores and gas stations in the City of Wilmington to close at midnight. Theo's ordinance is meant to address those spots in the City where groups of people gather, disturbing adjacent neighborhoods. At some of these locations there is reported to be illegal drug activity, sometimes accompanied by violent activity.

At an April 4th Public Workshop, Wilmington Police Inspector Wright blamed stores that stay open late, not the people causing trouble, for the illegal activity and violence. His solution was not deploying additional police to problem spots, but closing stores. He said these store attract "people from outside of town" for "illegal activity." Inspector Wright claimed that the "stores that remain open late allow illegal activity." He cited the 2800 block of Market and the Adams Four area where "people died because of these stores" as well as Concord and Washington where, "by maintaining these hours, shootings occur."

Beverley Baxter and the Delaware State Camber of Commerce's Tom Quinn spoke at the City Council Workshop on Ordinance 01-024 and pointed out that, just as the City is trying to draw people into Wilmington, this ordinance would warn people away. It would not only penalize legitimate businesses, but also, send out the message that the City is so unsafe that the police cannot handle the problem normally. Another issue with the ordinance is that the definition of retail is so broad that it includes not only the sale or delivery of any commodities, goods, wares, merchandise and personal property of any kind and nature" but also, "the taking of an order" for the delivery of "any goods, wares, merchandise, and personal property or every kind and nature."

Tom Gordon Meet With Business Representatives

As has been widely publicized, New Castle County Executive Tom Gordon has, for most of his tenure, met monthly with representatives of civic organizations to discuss whatever issues are important to these representatives. His administration has been viewed as open and responsive to the concerns of civic activists (usually those opposed to development), and less than receptive to economic development. However, Tom Gordon has addressed The Committee of 100 membership and met with smaller groups each time we have asked. During a meeting with Beverley Baxter at the end of February, Tom Gordon readily agreed to her request to begin meeting monthly with representatives of the Business Group as he does with the civics.

The Business Group is a loose coalition of business and professional organizations that were first brought together when Dick Beck was President of The Committee of 100 in response to the 1987 so-called "Quality of Life" legislative package. The group next addressed issues connected with New Castle County's 1988 update of its Comprehensive Plan. It has continued to come together informally when there are issues that impact economic development. While not every group gets involved in every issue, the participants, besides the Committee of 100, who continue to want to be involved include the Associated Builders and Contractors, Commercial-Industrial Realty Council of Delaware, Delaware Association of Realtors, Delaware Bankers Association, Delaware Contractors Association, Delaware Council of Farm Organizations, Delaware Healthcare Association, Delaware Public Policy Institute, Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, Home Builders Association of Delaware, New Castle County Board of Realtors, New Castle County Chamber of Commerce, New Castle County Farm Bureau, the Small Business Alliance, and several individual businesses and firms.

Representatives of the Business Group held their first meeting with Tom Gordon and his Chief Administrative Officer Sherry Freebery on April 4th. The agenda for the first meeting included discussion of the membership, ethics, and conduct of the Planning Board, Board of Adjustment and Historic Review Board; sewer capacity north of the canal; the UDC's 3.319; and the threat of sunsetting phased projects. There were enough questions raised about sewer capacity north of the canal that it will be the subject of the May meeting with the County Executive. There are wide reports of lost economic development opportunities because of pinch points in the County's sewer system; there is also the issue of where the County should spend its infrastructure dollars.

On the issue of sunsetting of phased projects, the group got a quick answer. The problem presented to Tom and Sherry was that some Department of Land Use planners had told applicants that they would not provide written confirmation that, once construction was commenced at a site, all phases would be protected from sunsetting. The sunsetting of plans was one of the biggest points of discussion during the Unified Development Code (UDC) process. While the UDC called for sunsetting of plans five years after approval where no construction had commenced, the final agreement included protection of the whole plan, including all phases, when construction had, in fact, begun. Tom and Sherry confirmed this understanding and indicated that Sherry would so inform the Department of Land Use.

The meeting between representatives of the Business Group and Tom Gordon and Sherry Freebery was informative and productive. We expect these meetings to provide an ongoing opportunity to present concerns impacting economic development in New Castle County. The Business Group's history is one of addressing larger issues that impact economic development, not specific projects, and the meetings with the County Executive are not intended to address specific projects except as they might serve as examples of larger problems affecting economic development.

New Castle County Board Membership

Increasingly, members of the New Castle County Planning Board, Board of Adjustment, and Historic Review Board are coming from the ranks of civic activists, especially those who have become activists because of opposition to development. When we raised this issue with County Executive Tom Gordon, we were asked for names of responsible, balanced members of the business and professional community who would be willing to serve on these boards. These names are not nearly as easy to come by as names from civic organizations. While most in business and the professions working in New Castle County also live in the County (and, most importantly, care about the quality of life of their communities), most are also so busy in their work that extra time is reserved for family. However, if we want balance on these boards, we need to find responsible people who recognize the importance of protecting the environment and existing communities while allowing responsible economic development to occur. Our economic health depends upon it. If you know of someone who would be appropriate to serve on one of these boards, please call Beverley Baxter at The Committee of 100 office.

Building Permits Down In New Castle County

According to the Dept. of Land Use, single-family residence building permits were down 34.5% in 2000 com-pared to 1999, townhouses down 27.4%, multi-family down 20.4%, and commercial/industrial down 39.7%.