NEW CASTLE COUNTY

Comprehensive Plan 2050

ncc2050.newcastlede.gov

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A very special word of thanks to the residents, community stakeholders, and advocacy organizations of New Castle County for their active participation in this planning effort. We also acknowledge the thoughtful partnership of our incorporated cities and towns, representatives from the State Planning Office, and other state agencies.

Acknowledgments

New Castle County Government

Matthew Meyer, County Executive

New Castle County Council

Karen Hartley-Nagle, President Kenneth R. Woods, 1st District Dee Durham, 2nd District Janet Kilpatrick, 3rd District Penrose Hollins, 4th District Lisa Diller, 5th District David Carter, 6th District George Smiley, 7th District John Cartier, 8th District Timothy Sheldon, 9th District Jea P. Street, 10th District David Tackett, 11th District Bill Bell, 12th District

New Castle County Planning Board

Karen Peterson, Chairperson Leone Cahill-Krout Jonathan Cochran Joseph Daigle Leah Gray William McGlinchey Robert Snowden Ruth Visvardis Kiana Williams

New Castle County Department of Land Use

Richard E. Hall, AICP, General Manager George Haggerty Antoni Sekowski Dawn Thompson Matthew Rogers Phillip McBride Alec Davis Betsy Hatch Stephanie Martins

Table of

Contents

The Plan

A. Introduction | 1 B-1. What We Heard | 9 B-2. What We Know | 17 B-3. What We’ll Do | 27 C. Future Land Use and Implementation | 83

The Topics

D. Conservation | 101 E. Open Space & Recreation | 131 F. Mobility | 147 G. Utilities, Water, and Sewer | 189 H. Housing | 211 I. Historic Preservation | 231 J. Community Planning and Design | 249 K. Economic and Community Development | 279 L. Climate Change and Hazard Mitigation | 303 M. Environmental and Social Justice | 329 N. Capital Improvements Plan | 353 O. Intergovernmental Coordination | 363

The Tools

Appendix A: 2012 Future Land Use Map and Current Zoning Map | 383 Appendix B: Goals, Objectives, and Strategy Matrix | 389 Appendix C: Planning & Public Involvement Process | 429 Appendix D: Youth Planning Board Recommendations | 445 Appendix E: Future Scenarios and Analysis Documentation | 457 Appendix F: Community Area Master Plan Key Recommendations | 499 Appendix G: EJSCREEN Indicators | 519 Appendix H: 2022-2023 School Enrollment Projections and Capacity | 533 Appendix I: Key Wildlife Habitats | 543 Appendix J: Acronym Glossary | 547

THE PLAN

A. Introduction

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NCC2050 The Vision

In 2050, New Castle County is a thriving healthy and equitable community with a clean environment and strong economy. It champions preservation of clean water and the natural environment, and adaptation to climate change, while fostering a prosperous and strong agricultural industry. Residents have equitable access to parks and recreation, a multimodal transportation network, and a robust economy with living wage jobs. The housing stock is diverse in both form and price. Important historic and cultural resources are respected and preserved as part of unique, high quality, walkable places. It is a model for social justice and climate resiliency. Historic overburdening of certain communities with dangerous pollution and health risks has been remediated and regulations are in place to prevent further injustice.

Introduction

New Castle County, Delaware has changed significantly in the last thirty years; the next thirty years will certainly bring big changes as well. This plan anticipates many of these changes and recommends a path forward that is sustainable, equitable, and prosperous. The county is at a crossroads in many respects: while new development continues to expand in some locations, other existing communities will need investments to maintain their desirability for future generations. Agricultural and natural resource preservation and protection will be essential for a sustainable future. Land use planning is more than managing where new growth occurs, it also needs to spur revitalization, equity, environmental justice, sustainability, and vibrant communities.

What is the primary purpose of the Plan? The Plan charts a course for the County’s future, while meeting its statutory requirements to guide/direct zoning, subdivision policies and regulations (the Unified Development Code). Any changes to these policies should be consistent with the Plan while serving as a guide for broader growth.

While NCC2050 is the decennial update to the Comprehensive Development Plan, its scope spans the next three decades,¹ hence the plan’s name NCC2050. Work on the plan began in June 2020 and the final plan was adopted by New Castle County Council on July 26, 2022, and certified by the Governor of the State of Delaware John Carney on July 26, 2022. The goals, objectives, and strategies in NCC2050 will be used to guide development, infrastructure, preservation, and other land use-related priorities for years to come. These recommendations were shaped by extensive public outreach and engagement.

This plan is occurring with the backdrop of climate change, a global pandemic, and a changing economy. Our future will not permit us to be complacent or reactionary. Our success—as individuals, families, and a community depends on deliberate, proactive measures for our future.

State and County Requirements for Comprehensive Plans

The Delaware State Code requires certain topics (elements) be evaluated in comprehensive plans to ensure consistency throughout Delaware’s three counties.² In 2020, New Castle County identified three additional elements essential for a resilient and equitable future for all residents and thus amended Chapter 28 (Planning) of the County Code to include Social Justice, Environmental Justice and Hazard Mitigation.³ It is important to understand that while NCC2050 addresses all of these elements, they do not always break neatly into separate sections.

The

Process

The Vision highlighted on the opening page of this plan captures the overarching aspirations that emerged early in the collaborative process. This extensive outreach and engagement effort moved through a series of deliberate steps toward specific policy priorities. Together, we identified six umbrella themes to achieve the Vision.

Themes

The themes provide a framework for the recommendations. They address the diversity of the county and integrate goals across the traditionally defined plan elements.¹ These themes became the standards for measuring the potential success of the 11 priorities discussed in Section B Plan Priorities of NCC2050:

Sustainable Growth

Development, redevelopment, and revitalization occurs in planned growth areas, efficiently using existing and planned infrastructure while limiting the impact on the environment. Growth will also be economically and socially sustainable.

Livable Built Environment for All

All elements of the built environment (e.g., land use, transportation, housing, energy, and infrastructure) work together providing a high quality of life for all our residents.

Conservation and Preservation

Our environmental (air, water, land, natural resources, and climate) and historic resources are protected as part of our thriving county.

Robust Economy

The economy is diverse, strong, and resilient, adapts to change with innovation and collaboration, while ensuring access to local, living-wage jobs.

Thriving Places and Community Character

The places we live, work and play are well designed, accessible, and vibrant, with active locations for people to gather. Our communities reflect important aspects of our past and are places in which we take pride.

Diverse Engagement

Our communities are central to our future and the diversity of the county’s residents is represented in civic life, engagement, and leadership.

Interconnected Challenges and Opportunities

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Effective long range planning demands that we carefully consider the manner that events and trends which are most challenging are intertwined. Strong and deliberate policies that address and leverage interdependencies are required to take us to the future our Vision describes.

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Protecting open space and achieving the right mix of housing in the right places. Reducing carbon emissions and broadening transportation choices. Addressing environmental justice now and anticipating future threats to those in harm's way. Each priority on our to-do list is woven into relationships with other priorities. If we focus too narrowly on overcoming one challenge, we can undermine success for others. So each of our strategies should be tested against the likelihood they’ll distribute opportunities and reduce threats across the broadest possible range of people who live, work, and play in New Castle County. The Comprehensive Plan must be comprehensive.

Implementation

NCC2050 presents ambitious Goals, Objectives, Strategies, as well as 11 Priorities, which have been carefully crafted with input from the public, professionals, and governmental agencies to assist us in achieving our Vision. Implementing this plan will require a holistic, balanced approach that considers the benefits of each applicable strategy. It is imperative that we understand that there will inherently be tradeoffs between Goals, Objectives, and Strategies within this plan that need to be carefully weighed. Finding a balance that best serves the community is essential. The Vision of NCC2050 will not be achieved overnight; we must strive for the best, while not letting our aspirations for perfect derail incremental benefits. A balanced approach which respects our environment, neighborhoods and economic opportunities will help achieve a sustainable and viable future for all residents.

How to Use

This Document

NCC2050 is a more voluminous document than previous plans due in part to the substantial analysis and new topics explored to support its policy recommendations. To help residents most effectively use the document we have structured the plan in a manner that should be read for different levels of depth and understanding. NCC2050 is divided into 3 sections: The Plan, The Topics, and The Tools.

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The Plan

The Plan section consists of the Introduction, What We Heard, What We Know, What We’ll Do, and Future Land Use and Implementation. The Plan provides:

• An understanding of where we’ve been;
• Where we hope to be; and
• How we hope to achieve the Vision.

This section includes a chronology of the two-year process that took us from what we know about challenges and opportunities ahead; to what we heard in our community conversations; to how we tested potential strategies against our goals; to what we plan to do.

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The Topics

The Topics section includes the following elements: Conservation; Open Space and Recreation; Mobility; Utilities, Water, and Sewer; Housing; Historic Preservation; Community Planning; Economic and Community Development; Climate Change, Resiliency, and Hazard Mitigation; Environmental and Social Justice; Capital Improvements; and Intergovernmental Coordination. These sections provide and in-depth understanding of important topics that will be instrumental in implementing the Plan, including crafting legislation and policy.

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The Tools

The Tools section consists of the appendices, which provides greater detail regarding the planning process, scenario development and analysis. It also provides useful maps for evaluating a number of factors impacting Environmental and Social Justice as well as a matrix for all of the goals, objectives and strategies in the plan.

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THE PLAN

B-1. What We Heard: Community Engagement

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What We Heard:

Community Engagement

NCC2050 strives to have a positive and meaningful impact on residents and businesses countywide. Community members have been integral to the planning discussion from the plan’s launch in 2020 and have continued to provide valuable guidance through the adoption process in 2022. It is imperative that moving forward the county continue this fruitful conversation through the plan’s implementation in order for the Vision to be realized.

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Figure A 1: NCC2050 Planning Process

The Public Process

The NCC2050 planning process occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, and as such the community had fewer opportunities to participate at in-person events. The county as a community pulled together through the aid of virtual conferencing tools (TEAMS and ZOOM) resulting in the most active public participation for a New Castle County Comprehensive Plan. Moving forward, the County needs to harness new technology to expand the conversation, while providing the opportunity for residents to participate in-person, when possible.

NCC2050 has benefited from thousands of interactions with the community, with hundreds of community members participating in live and virtual NCC2050 events. The NCC2050 planning team ensured opportunities were accessible and inclusive during online discussions by recording the events and placing summaries and video recordings online for those who were unable to attend in person.

40 Youth Planning Board Participants

2,000+ Planning Board Public Hearing mailings

123,070 Newsletters in annual sewer bills

700+ registrants for 3 virtual Public Forums (November 2020, July 2021, December 2021)

370 people attended 4 virtual workshops Fall 2020

88 Stakeholder Advisory Committee & Interagency Work Group members attended 4 meetings

837 people attended 5 “Deep Dive” virtual sessions in Spring 2021

56,000+ visits to NCC2050 website

12+ community meetings, Fall 2021

141,000+ social media impressions

900+ responses to multiple surveys

For details on specific engagement events, participants, topics, and community member responses, see Appendices C and D.

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Early phases of community engagement focused on developing a shared awareness of New Castle County as it is today and the issues that are important to the future (See What We Know). The following Goals were crafted to reflect public input for the County in 2050:

1. New Castle County has a connected, well-maintained, and well-loved network of open space (natural lands and recreational resources) that benefits all residents. (For context and detail, see Recreation and Open Space; Community Planning and Design)

2. The natural environment of the county continues to be a distinguishing characteristic of our community, and the quality of our natural resources—air, water, land, ecosystems (plants and animals)—are continually improving and meeting the needs of present and future generations. Development/redevelopment patterns that consume less unbuilt “greenfields” and resource lands support conservation of our important natural resources. (For context and detail, see Conservation)

3. Clean water is available to all residents now and in the future. (For context and detail, see Utilities, Water, and Sewer element)

Residents play an equal role in this plan and I think this is great because in the chat, it has not only professional people but community people that have made points that are important to them and professionals as well. I hope that whatever is put in place is for the welfare of all. – Dora Williams, Community Representative, Route 9 Monitoring, Deep Dive Session 1: Open Space, Conservation, Recreation, Environment, February 3, 2021

“Beautiful and safe neighborhoods that are safe, environmentally friendly and a lot of green spaces with tasteful businesses built with well-designed urban planning.” — Public Participant, Our Homes and Neighborhoods — Let’s Talk Workshop, October 7, 2020

4. Healthy, safe, inclusive housing options throughout the County are diverse, meeting needs of all people while maintaining building design/form that integrates with existing communities. (For context and detail, see Housing)

5. New Castle County is a strong, resilient hub of the regional economy that provides a range of jobs and services to County residents. (For context and detail, see Economic and Community Development)

6. All residents have the ability to participate in the economy and have access to living-wage jobs. Delaware’s workforce is strong and positioned for emerging industry and jobs as well as applying innovation and adaptation in traditional industries. (For context and detail, see Economic and Community Development)

7. Farming continues to be as a viable way of life and contributes to economic resiliency and healthy communities (for its provision of food access and security, its preservation of farmland, and contribution toward community character). (For context and detail, see Conservation)

8. All New Castle County residents will have safe, efficient, inclusive access to employment, retail services, parks, and other daily needs including by walking, bicycling, public transit, and emerging modes. The transportation and land use systems are integrated and support each other to create livable places and a vibrant county. (For context and detail see: Community Planning and Design; Mobility; Recreation and Open Space)

9. Transportation of people and goods is efficient and fair. The transportation system and land use/development are coordinated; development occurs in areas with ample existing or planned transportation infrastructure (and other infrastructure) and decisions are fiscally sound, inclusive, and fair for present and future generations. (For context and detail, see Environmental and Social Justice; and Mobility)

10. Land uses, transportation, and other infrastructure complement each other, and neighborhoods and areas across the county are distinctive, attractive, functional, comfortable, and scaled to human needs. The physical environment is high quality, inclusively designed, retains value, and is fiscally sustainable. (For context and detail, see Community Planning and Design)

11. The built environment and streetscapes promote physical activity and healthy lifestyles including options for walking, biking, and other recreational opportunities. All residents have safe, inclusive access to lead physically active and healthy lifestyles. (For context and detail, see Economic and Community Development, and Mobility)

12. The value and significance of the historic, prehistoric, and cultural resources in the county are known and promoted; significant resources are preserved for the benefit of residents and visitors. (For context and detail, see Historic Preservation)

13. Environmental protection, climate change mitigation, and adaptation are important considerations in all county policies. Our community’s collective built environment—infrastructure, transportation, nature, and development patterns—are designed in a way that limits greenhouse gas emissions and protects our people and critical infrastructure from impacts of climate change. (For context and detail, see Hazard Mitigation and Climate Change)

14. Pursue a net zero built environment by following emerging technologies, and alternative regional and individual energy sources. (For context and detail, Hazard Mitigation and Climate Change)

15. New Castle County’s infrastructure and economic and social systems are strong, and our communities are prepared for future climate-related and man-made/natural events; all residents will live in neighborhoods that are protected from negative impacts of incompatible non-residential land uses/activity and other hazards such as flooding (discrete and cumulative); and economic growth, prosperity and change in New Castle County is equitable and accessible by all. (For context and detail, see Environmental and Social Justice); and Hazard Mitigation and Climate Change)

16. Participation in planning and development represents the full diversity of the county. (For context and detail, see Environmental and Social Justice)

This list helped us identify the overarching aspirations reflected in the NCC2050 Vision

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17. Development, infrastructure, and change is well-planned and coordinated, achieving sustainable and effective public investment in our communities. (For context and detail, see Community Planning and Design)

Scenario Planning

Scenario planning is an important tool to achieve our goals by forecasting a range of approaches and how they might lead to different outcomes. Broad, consensus-supported goals and ideas about how to bring the plan’s Vision to fruition, assists in narrowing the scope of land use policy.

During the early stages of NCC2050 we identified interdependent and overlapping components, including where people live and their place of employment. Such imbalances could lead to undesired results including an increase in car commutes and greenhouse gases. A logical approach to combating housing/work mismatches is better coordination of infrastructure, economic development, community design, and climate change planning. Holistic planning and coordination may also be employed to explore ways to address and mitigate the impacts of climate change, which often disproportionately impacts people and neighborhoods already struggling with poverty, housing, and public health issues. This process will require integrating goals of social and environmental justice with those for community design, hazard mitigation, and economic development.

Thinking and planning across policy silos requires a deliberative approach testing the probabilities of advancing individual goals, as well as how well strategies might work in combination, thereby avoiding undermining other goals.

NCC2050 developed the following scenario planning process (For a detailed report, see Appendix E, Future Scenario and Analysis Combination). The planning team developed four scenarios based on community input and current conditions. They ranged from limited growth and retaining our current land use policies, to an alternative future with higher population and job growth and implementation of land use policies supported throughout the community engagement processes.

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Scenario Building Blocks

Scenario 1A in the graphic above assumes business as usual, projecting a future where the County does not alter its current land use policies or regulations. Any impacts to the environment, conservation, preservation, economic or equity would be the results of our current policies. Projections suggest low growth and increasing costs.

Scenario 1B assumes the County adopts plans currently in the works, including the subarea plans, but does not alter current land use policies or regulations beyond those plans. Outcomes differ from scenario 1A in that more compact development patterns, jobs/ housing balance, increased housing options, and more walkable conditions are achieved in the parts of the County that are the focus of the subarea plans. County-wide impacts would depend on cascading effects of area plans and from successes of our current policies. This scenario’s projects more moderate growth with increasing costs, but building on strengths that might help residents and businesses be resilient.

Scenario 2A assumes the same limited policy interventions as 1B (including implementation of subarea plans), but with higher population and job growth driven primarily by market forces. Left mostly to the market and current regulations, it results in more driving, lost farmland, etc.

Scenario 2B assumes higher growth guided by policy strategies that focus on infill, redevelopment, and traditional neighborhood design. It projects a future where the county experiences growth in jobs and population as a result of the adoption and successful implementation of the subarea plans, along with policies promoting growth in more compact patterns and in locations where existing shopping centers and other nonresidential uses may redevelop. Countywide outcomes would be tied to changes in policy designed to achieve the community Vision.

When we project outcomes of various policy interventions over the next three decades, the approaches most likely to achieve our Vision’s ambitions are those that work in combination with others to: align future development with supportive infrastructure; reduce car dependency; anticipate and prepare for the impacts of climate change; address social and environmental injustice; encourage an economic ecosystem that spreads prosperity across industry sectors and worker populations; increase the range and variety of affordable housing; and preserve open space.

THE PLAN

B-2. What We Know: Current Conditions and Trends

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What We Know:

Current Conditions and Trends

The path to our Vision for 2050 starts from where we find ourselves in 2022.

Ideally situated in the Mid-Atlantic Region, New Castle County is a vibrant and desirable place to live, work, and play. While our County is the smallest in the State of Delaware by area (426.2 square miles), it has the highest population and overall population density of any Delaware county. It’s home to over half of the state’s population.

Ours is a maturing county with both older and newer communities and populations. Among our assets: a high quality of life; lower property taxes than surrounding states; ample access to recreational and cultural activities; a large County and State Park systems; Delaware’s largest employers and industry hubs; and easy access to the New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. metropolitan areas. Map B-1 shows New Castle County and its surrounding region.

However, New Castle County is changing every day, responding to influences that originate both within our county and from regional, national, and global trends.

As a community we face a variety of challenges and opportunities:

Population

New Castle County’s population is aging and diversifying, and the overall growth rate is slowing. With those trends come different needs and preferences for housing, healthcare, and services government provides or influences through policymaking.

Increased migration could bolster growth in employable populations and in customers for employers’ products. But the future of immigration is uncertain, since incentives and restrictions change with federal policies and global economics, which are hard to predict.

There’s an upside to demographic shifts, however, provided our policies encourage growth in supply to accommodate growth in demand.

Table B-1

*Represents a five-year total beginning with specified year Source: Delaware Population Consortium Population Projection Series, October 31, 2019

Map B-1 New Castle County Surrounding Region

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20 | NCC2050

Projected Community Change (2020-2050)

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Where’s the growth? Largely in Black and Hispanic populations, but not enough to offset the decline in overall population numbers. And individuals and neighborhoods within those populations are the ones most vulnerable to social, economic, and environmental challenges.

Source: http://www.stateplanning.delaware.gov/demography/dpc-projection-data.shtml

Unemployment by Race

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Non-whites experienced higher unemployment than whites over the last three decades.

New Castle County Population Below Poverty Level, By Race

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Higher percentages of Blacks and Asians live below the poverty level.

Many of the community characteristics preferred by both older adults and younger job seekers—walkability, transit accessibility, proximity to shops and services, diversity of housing options—are ones that make communities more economically vibrant and successful. While these amenities are currently lacking in many parts of the county, they should be integrated into community planning and design, and serve as attractors for new people and businesses. They also, serving a range of other policy goals including those related to housing affordability, open space and recreation, and economic and social justice. (See Community Planning and Design Element)

Land Use and Infrastructure

Harmonious development patterns balancing residential with nonresidential development are prevalent in the county, however a disproportionate number of low-income communities are near incompatible land uses which results in negative health outcomes. (See Social and Environmental Justice Element)

Current Snapshot of Land Development/Preservation, New Castle County

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Shift in New Single Family Detached Home Development

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1954-1970

2002-2018

Increased suburban-style residential growth, especially in the southern parts of the County, has begun to impact traditionally rural communities raising questions about where investments in infrastructure and schools are best allocated.

Since jobs are concentrated in the north sections of the county, while suburban housing expands in the southern areas, there’s a growing mismatch between where people live and where they work. (See Community Design and Planning Element)

The likelihood of wetter and more severe weather resulting from climate change will require increased investments in maintenance and repair to aging infrastructure. Impervious surfaces, tied to development, result in more frequent flooding and stormwater management challenges. (See Hazard Mitigation and Climate Change Element)

We have the ability to alter our current trajectory, in part, by encouraging redevelopment of existing areas thereby better directing development areas with existing or planned infrastructure. Areas such as North Claymont, the Route 9 Corridor and Concord Pike/US 202 present an extraordinary opportunity for innovative reuse and reinvestment. (See Mobility Element)

Map B-2: What’s Left

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23 | NCC2050

“More preservation of remaining open space (open space tax fund?), especially forested/wetland areas, in southern NCC (some for parks/trails) and along 202 Concord Mall and other areas redevelopment. Create areas to attract employers/wider range of jobs.” — Community Survey #1 respondent

The transportation system is also integral to equitable development of the county. Public feedback during the NCC2050 process indicates a strong support for mixed-used development with pedestrian, bicycle, and transit facilities and open space preservation. (See Community Design and Planning and Mobility element). Work-from-home trends permitting employees to work from anywhere may help reverse the people/jobs mismatch by reducing commuting trips.

Open Space

There are roughly 74,700 acres of protected lands in New Castle County (about 27% of the total land area). Protected Lands include parkland, agricultural easements, private open space, and private conservation easements.

In this plan, land that is not already developed and that is not encumbered by preservation easements or important natural resources such as steep slopes, Critical Natural Areas, floodplains, wetlands, etc. is considered “What’s Left.” (Map B-2: What’s Left? displays the areas in the County that are potentially available for residential development).

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What’s the policy opportunity?

The County needs to better direct development to growth areas with infrastructure, while conversely limiting development in non-growth areas. Additionally, we need to enhance our land preservation efforts by partnering with the State and other stakeholders to augment existing programs.

Economic Development

Downward trends in industrial and manufacturing uses are having a negative impact on countywide job growth. Conversely, the expanding “gig economy,” which provides less job stability and fewer employer benefits, is expected to account for a growing percentage of jobs. The COVID-19 pandemic has further complicated the local and global economy with labor and supply chain disruptions. If we traverse along our current economic trajectory, we could exacerbate several issues faced by our communities including disparities of home ownership and unemployment rates between whites and non-whites. (See Economic Development Element). Addressing these problems that will require reimagining economic development support systems in partnership with the private sector.

How might better planning and targeted investment counteract some of these trends?

There are industry sectors poised to expand. Among them: retail, transportation, warehousing, real estate, financial, insurance, and healthcare. A robust transit system and transit-supportive infrastructure helps us compete with surrounding states to attract employers and jobs. (See Mobility)

Diversifying housing types and encouraging development patterns that are less automotive dependent helps increase the range of affordable housing and mobility options. While work-from-home opportunities explored during the COVID-19 pandemic have isolated many workers from traditional networks of retail, finance, and healthcare in urbanized areas, they present enterprising entrepreneurs the opportunity to explore creative economic ventures.

Hazard Mitigation and Climate Change

New Castle County is in the mid-Atlantic coastal region, which is considered a “sea level rise hotspot” where levels are rising faster and higher than elsewhere, making it vulnerable to a wide range of natural hazards including floods, tornadoes, tropical storms and hurricanes, winter storms, and earthquakes. Climate exacerbates these occurrences by contributing to hotter, wetter, and more severe weather related events. (See Hazard Mitigation and Climate Change Element)

Addressing the root causes of climate change and mitigating its impacts will require collaborative efforts at international, national, regional, and local levels. New Castle County should play an important role in these efforts, by committing to greenhouse gas reductions while prioritizing resilience.

Our Long-Term Vision and Our Immediate Realities

Acknowledging the gaps between current trends and our Vision for New Castle County in 2050 helps us focus community discussion on how to overcome the challenges and seize the opportunities.

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THE PLAN

B-3. What We'll Do: Action Steps

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What We’ll Do:

Action Steps

NCC2050’s Vision was crafted from an analysis of current conditions and trends, as well as the goals and potential strategies arising from continued community conversations. Scenario planning/idea testing helped move from analyzing background information and gaining public input to developing recommendations.

The Plan is organized under six umbrella themes:

• Sustainable Growth
• Livable Built Environment for All
• Conservation & Preservation
• Robust Economy
• Thriving Places & Community Character
• Diverse Engagement

Under these themes we have developed 11 policy priorities, which are summarized below:

1 Planned Growth - direct development to planned growth areas with infrastructure and limit it outside of these areas, promoting preservation.

2 Environmental Justice - reduce the risk and impact from environmental and health hazards on historically overburdened communities.

3 Land Preservation - preserve a minimum of 7,100 acres of land for open space in the county and improve the lands’ ecosystem health (including increasing farmland & historic preservation).

4 Sustainability & Climate Change - lead in addressing climate change with a path for New Castle County government to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, prepare the built environment for a clean energy future, and become more resilient to environmental and health risks by greening and related efforts.

5 Economic Development - develop policies and programs to create an economic environment that supports a range of industries and businesses while leveraging equitable and robust outcomes that limit negative effects.

6 Economic Justice - as economic growth occurs, strive for equitable distribution of benefits.

7 Implementation - ensure government is oriented to implement the plan in a comprehensive and coordinated fashion, including systematic data collection, tracking, reporting, and evaluation. Ensure growth and change in our communities is coordinated across agencies; that infrastructure and services are timed with new growth; and that decision-making leverages the full range of available data and technology.

8 Housing - increase the variety and range of safe, quality housing options for all, in a diversity of locations; focus on revitalizing and preserving areas already developed, while responsibly guiding future development in a manner consistent with adjacent communities.

9 Targeted Strategies - implement corridor, water, and other target-area-based revitalization programs that emphasize integration and accessibility of green infrastructure.

10 Diversity - increase diversity of engagement in community planning activities and on professional staff.

11 Use the Plan Guiding Growth, Including Rezonings - update the practice for rezonings and Future Land Use Map (FLUM) changes. Zoning (and rezonings) must conform to the FLUM, achieving the right balance between predictability and flexibility. The Comprehensive Plan should be the basis for land use decisions and changes to the Future Land Use Map should be the product of a public planning process, such as a community plan, or done at the 5-year evaluation of the Comprehensive Plan.

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Setting measurable goals provides credibility to plan development and the potential for greater predictability for plan implementation.

How We’ll Measure Success

We have identified quantifiable metrics and indicators of progress where possible to use along with the plan priorities. Where quantifiable measures and goals are not possible, we made qualitative (typically directional goals) assessments that will be re-evaluated as on-the-ground realities require.

Tracking and reporting metrics will also be useful for guiding public sector investments during annual reviews of capital and operating budgets for state and local agencies, directing investments to those resources (i.e., education, emergency services, transportation) and communities with the greatest needs.

The metrics applied in the priority explanations below acknowledge current conditions in the context of key goals and objectives of the plan and track them into the future. Many of the metrics will be compiled annually and will be included in an annual report, while others are collected less frequently and will be included as updated information is available. The list of metrics should change over time, as data availability and analysis capabilities evolve.

New Castle County will publish an online metric dashboard to track progress toward the goals in the plan. As part of plan implementation, the County will need to work with other agencies and organizations to gather and evaluate the data and monitor plan implementation.

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Priorities and Strategies

The metrics applied in the priority explanations below acknowledge current conditions in the context of key goals and objectives of the plan and track them into the future.

32%

Undeveloped land in New Castle County

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As a reminder of how we leveraged interconnected strategies to target multiple challenges and opportunities, we’ve included icons representing the umbrella themes addressed under each of the priorities below. Also detailed are: explanations for why new policies are needed; the specific strategies required to realize ambitions; how policies will be tracked through implementation phases; what agencies and other potential partners might collaborate; and over what time frame strategies are likely to be implemented.

1 Planned Growth

Focus growth. Direct growth to Delaware’s Level 1 (most urban/developed) and Level 2 (suburban) Investment Areas, as outlined in 2020 Delaware Strategies for State Policies and Spending (achieving at least 70% of growth in Level 1 and 90% in Levels 1 and 2).

(Objectives 2.3, 5.3, 10.1, and more)

THEMES

Sustainable Growth

Livable Built Environment for All

Conservation & Preservation

Robust Economy

Thriving Places & Community Character

Diverse Engagement

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The State encourages “local government land-use policies that promote higher densities and mixed-use type development in appropriate areas such that complete communities be developed—places where people could live, play, work, and shop.”

Why?

Increasing the proportion of growth in Level 1 and 2 Investment Areas (see Figure B-1) promotes transportation options and enhances community identity and quality of life by reducing vacant or underutilized property and by providing additional housing, community resources, and/or employment in those communities.

The State describes Investment Level 1 Areas as those that are often municipalities, towns, or urban/urbanizing places in counties, where density is generally higher than in the surrounding areas and where there are a variety of transportation opportunities available.

Investment Level 2 areas are described as: less developed areas within municipalities; rapidly growing areas in the counties that have or will have public water and wastewater services and utilities; areas that are generally adjacent to or near Investment Level 1 Areas; smaller towns and rural villages that should grow consistently with their historic character; and suburban areas with public water, wastewater, and utility services.

In both Investment Levels 1 and 2 the State encourages “local government land-use policies that promote higher densities and mixed-use type development in appropriate areas such that complete communities be developed—places where people could live, play, work, and shop.”¹

Encouraging growth, development, and redevelopment in areas with existing infrastructure and services is the best way to use our investments most efficiently, and to have compact, mixed-use development. Leveraging existing infrastructure reduces development costs and renews purpose for underused or disused properties.

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Figure B-1: 2020 Delaware Strategies for State Policies and Spending

Land is a finite resource, and we must use it wisely. There are many facets to sustainable growth, but directing development to growth areas and limiting it in preservation areas are fundamental.

Map B-3 is the New Castle County Growth Areas Policy Map, which is different from, but complementary to the Future Land Use Map. Unlike the Future Land Use (FLU) Map, which defines the planned future development character of an area parcel-by-parcel, the policy map more generally depicts areas of the county where growth (development and redevelopment) is prioritized, and it gives a spatial relationship to policy recommendations. The map provides the ability to target and prioritize policies toward areas where infill and growth are most desirable. The categories shown on the map are defined as:

• Redevelopment and Infill: These are 2020 State Investment Level 1 areas, as described above, excluding areas both preserved or targeted for preservation in the New Castle County Land Use Priority Preservation Areas Map (see Map B-5; page 43) and existing residential communities. These are colored salmon in the New Castle County Growth Area Policy Map.

• Potential Development Areas: These are 2020 State Investment Level 2 areas, as described above, as well as areas having or planned for sewer service in the near term but excluding areas both preserved or targeted for preservation in the New Castle County Land Use Priority Preservation Areas Map (see Map B-3) and existing residential communities.

• Focused Redevelopment and Infill Areas: These are areas that we’ve identified as corridor, hamlet/village, and/or (re)development areas in the draft FLU Map, they also include growth nodes such as Churchman’s Crossing and North Claymont. The transparent crosshatch purple in the New Castle County Growth Area Policy Map identifies these areas.

• Areas not Targeted or Anticipated for Future Growth or Preservation: These are existing residential neighborhoods where little change is anticipated by 2050.

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*Land Use Policy Designations within municipal boundaries reflect County policy aspirations and are not intended to prescribe municipal

Metrics / Tracking

The following metrics will help the County track progress with the goal of focusing growth:

Since 2000, approximately 59% of new single family residential development happened within State Strategy Level 1 and 30% happened within State Strategy Level 2.

STRATEGY: Enact land use policies and regulations that incentivize infill and redevelopment in and around job centers. (5.3.2)

Purpose

Improve inclusive access to employment opportunities and facilitate complete communities through a variety of strategies and policies:

• Focus on coordinated planning with municipalities such as Wilmington, Newark, Newport, Elsmere, Bellefonte, Middletown, Townsend, and consider Joint Planning Areas.
• Prioritize target areas and facilitate public and private investment to improve multi-modal accessibility (community area master plans, CCEDs, TIDs, around transit stations). Smart, multi-modal transportation investments that are coordinated with land use policies are critical to accomplishing successful infill and revitalization. Notably, corridor redevelopment should implement design features that contribute to achieving Vision Zero, such as reducing site access points when possible.¹
• Focus on implementing modern infrastructure and emerging/new technology (e.g. renewable energy transportation, Connected/Autonomous vehicles, microtransit, high speed internet, green energy, etc.) in these areas to increase access to jobs and opportunities

• Focus a suite of policy recommendations to support implementation of Community Area Master Plans (CAMPs)

• Focus on adding an inclusive mix of housing options in/near job centers

Status (Study, Develop Implementation Tool, Enact, Engage)

Study: Several relevant examples should be reviewed by NCC Department of Land Use and vetted with both agency and community stakeholders.

Related Examples / Resources

• The LEED-ND (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design - Neighborhood Development) is a rating system that is a collaboration among the U.S. Green Building Council, the Congress for the New Urbanism, and the Natural Resources Defense Council. The scoring system includes credits for locations such as previously developed sites, housing/jobs proximity, and access to local shops, services, and other amenities.

• Cities across Florida offer infill incentives like expedited permitting and reduced impact fees for developers. Other strategies like land banking are also used.

• Expedite Development Review - San Diego, California, uses expedited permit review to encourage infill development through its Affordable/In-Fill Housing and Sustainable Building Expedite Program.

• Ease parking requirements for location efficient development – St. Paul, Minnesota recently eliminated minimum parking requirements and strengthened TDM requirements for certain developments.

• Density bonuses in and around job centers.

• Locate public facilities in and around job centers and encourage mixed use development – Milwaukee, Wisconsin has developed libraries with affordable housing in the upper floors.

• Form based code and focus on design; consider requirements that set lot size maximums rather than minimums

Anticipated Partners

NCC Department of Land Use

Timeline

Proceed with comprehensive rezoning associated with the Future Land Use map.

STRATEGY: Eliminate parking minimums for certain smaller buildings and in mixed use developments; establish parking caps. (2.2.1)

Purpose

Reduce impervious surface that contributes to stormwater runoff and heat island effect; promote a “park once” approach in business/commercial areas to reduce vehicle miles of travel. The benefits of reducing parking requirements also includes enabling alternative uses for the space, which should help achieve other local community development objectives.

Currently parking is tied to the land use in the Unified Development Code.

Status (Study, Develop Implementation Tool, Enact, Engage)

Study: Parking demand is sensitive to a variety of contexts including: different land use types that influence trip generation and parking duration; development density and diversity (i.e. land use mix) that influence parking cost (surface versus structure); likelihood of alternative modes of access like transit and walk/bike; multiple, nearby destinations that contribute to the “park once” approach; and whether parking costs are passed through to the user.

Replacing required minimums with required maximums (parking caps) helps reduce overparking. Shared parking provides flexibility incentives for relaxing rules on parking for customers only. Parking benefits districts

help leverage user fees to provide local community amenities, typically oriented toward non-auto transportation options.

Related Examples / Resources

• Montgomery County, MD has baseline parking minimums and maximums adjustable for shared parking implementation based on concepts from their planning study

• Portland, OR has parking minimums and maximums (To view the provision see Portland, OR, City Code § 33.266.115 (2018)).

• Hartford, CT has parking maximums only (for a compact, fully urbanized city)

• Ease parking requirements for location efficient development – St. Paul, Minnesota recently eliminated minimum parking requirements and strengthened TDM requirements for certain developments.

• Other: https://sustainablecitycode.org/brief/parking-maximums/ ; https://whyy.org/articles/ideas-worth-stealing-parking-benefit-districts/

• Parking Requirements Subcommittee | City of Newark, DE

• A Bold New Future for Newark: A Comprehensive Parking Solution Report | City of Newark, DE

• Parking Task Force | City of Rehoboth, DE

Anticipated Partners

NCC Department of Land Use, NCC Department of Public Works, NCC Department of Community Services

Suggested Timeframe

Complete study during 2025

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2 Environmental Justice

Reduce the risk and impact from environmental and health hazards on overburdened communities.

(Objectives 15.1 & 15.2)

THEMES

Sustainable Growth

Livable Built Environment for All

Conservation & Preservation

Robust Economy

Thriving Places & Community Character

Diverse Engagement

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New residential development should be located at an adequate distance from these uses to provide adequate protection. Residents of New Castle County have the right to healthy and safe places to call home.

Why?

While New Castle County’s long industrial history has shaped the places we inhabit today, much has changed. The legacy of industrial development, surrounding Wilmington and points along the Delaware River have resulted in negative impacts in communities that experience disproportionate environmental harms and risks and are typically inhabited by minority or low-income populations. The term “overburdened” also describes situations where multiple factors, including both environmental and socioeconomic stressors, may act cumulatively to affect health and the environment and contribute to persistent environmental health disparities (cumulative impacts). Appendix G features maps of environmental justice indicators using the US EPA’s EJScreen tool and index.¹

While recent legislative actions and economic trends have resulted in a countywide decrease in these activities, their continuing impact has an inherent harm to neighboring communities. As we move to the future, it is important to ensure that new uses with potentially significant negative impacts are not located near residential communities.

Land Use policy should also aim to eliminate, where possible and mitigate, the impacts of existing industrial development. New residential development should be located at an adequate distance from these uses to provide adequate protection. Residents of New Castle County have the right to healthy and safe places to call home.

It is important to recognize that the County has limited experience with health and environmental risk and impact to date. Addressing disparate impact and environmental justice issues in this context will require partnerships, resources, and outside expertise.

Several resources are available to support evaluation and monitoring of environmental and health risks, including the EJ Screen Tool produced by the US EPA. Tools such as this, which are generated by experts, based on uniformly tracked data, and are regularly updated, are important resources to rely on. Map B-4 shows areas in darker greys to orange/reds where the Environmental Justice Index of Particulate Matter (PM 2.5) is above the 60th percentile relative to the national average. This map is one of several environmental risk variables the tool analyzes (additional maps are also presented in the Environmental and Social Justice section of this plan). For each environmental factor, such as PM 2.5, the EJ Index finds the block groups that contribute the most toward the nationwide disparity in that environmental factor. Disparity, in this case, means the difference between the environmental indicator’s average value among vulnerable groups (low-income and minority) and the average in the US population.

Map B-4: Particulate Matter (PM2.5)

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42 | NCC2050

Metrics / Tracking

The following metrics will help the County track progress regarding environmental impacts on low-income and minority communities:

Countywide, there are 14,721 residential structures within a half mile of Heavy Industrial-zoned parcels. There are 6,949 residential structures within a half mile of developed parcels within the Heavy Industrial zoning district. Countywide, there are 5,895 residential structures within a quarter mile of Heavy Industrial zoned parcels. There are 3,697 residential structures within a quarter mile of developed parcels within the Heavy Industrial zoning district.

STRATEGY: Examine further opportunities through zoning and future land use designations to distance Heavy Industry from residential neighborhoods. (Goal 15 & Strategy 10.1.8)

Purpose

While heavy industrial zoned land makes up a small percentage of land area and relatively few parcels of land in the county, heavy industrial activity presents some of the most detrimental impacts on public health in comparison to other land uses. Recent legislation passed in 2019 (Ordinance 19-046) requires heavy industrial uses to obtain a special use permit, thereby rendering all existing heavy industrial uses as nonconforming. This requirement means that for an existing heavy industrial use to expand it must receive approval from the Board of Adjustment, it does little else to mitigate current conditions. Further modifications to the zoning regulations for heavy industry, and an evaluation of methods to create a greater distance between residents, including programs to assist residents in relocating, when necessary, should help reduce environmental and health hazards.

Possible actions could include:

• Consider split zoning HI zoned parcels adjacent to residential uses and assign appropriate zoning to serve as a buffer adjacent to the residential.
• Consider rezoning undeveloped residential land adjacent to HI zoned land to provide a better land use transition.
• Consider rezoning Heavy Industry zoned land that is not actively being used for a Heavy Industrial use.
• Consider offering opportunities for Environmental Justice training for NCC Board members and NCC Staff.

Status (Study, Develop Implementation Tool, Enact, Engage)

Study: Identify sites actively being used for Heavy Industrial activity, evaluate the problems, and conduct outreach to property owners and neighboring residents to discuss potential land use changes in the area.

Conduct a study of best practices regarding buffering, transitioning of uses/intensity, and distancing of residential neighborhoods from Heavy Industrial uses and craft zoning regulations that ensure that such distance is maintained with future development. For existing sites evaluate the appropriate distance and

consider split zoning the HI zoned land.

Engage: One recommendation of the Route 9 Corridor Master Plan was to conduct a survey of residents living in the Eden Park and Hamilton Park neighborhoods. These communities along the Route 9 Corridor are severely impacted by the adjacent active Heavy Industrial Uses. In January 2019, a survey was conducted by the University of Delaware to gauge residents’ attitudes towards environmental and health concerns, as well as, potential mitigation efforts, including rezoning or relocation. Continued engagement with the community is imperative, as we work to address the impacts of Heavy Industrial activities near residential areas.¹

Related Examples / Resources

• Land Use Policies to Protect Industrial Lands and Public Health | Oakland, CA

Suggested Timeframe

2024

STRATEGY: Evaluate cumulative impacts of pollutants and other community stressors to residents of Environmental Justice Communities. (15.2.1.)

Purpose

Develop standards for cumulative impacts on communities. Regulations around pollution tend to focus on individual facilities or individual pollutants; they fail to fully address the problematic cumulative impacts (all impacts taken into account, in total) which overburden some communities. Cumulative impact strategies provide a platform for examining equity and establishing appropriate maximums. Establish expectations for all communities regarding maximum cumulative exposure to stressors that considers past, present, and reasonably probable future development impacts.

Cumulative impacts are commonly addressed in

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National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) studies to assess the magnitude and significance of effects on a variety of both natural and human environmental resources beyond those caused by the proposed action that is the subject of the study. Also, typical Adequate Public Facilities evaluations operate under a type of cumulative impact cap (i.e., number of school children, traffic level of service thresholds). These may be helpful examples to consider.

Status (Study, Develop Implementation Tool, Enact, Engage)

Study: Conduct collaborative study with sister agencies/experts to identify overburdened and/ or vulnerable areas, the most appropriate impact categories to be evaluated, geographic definitions (from neighborhood to countywide depending on the category considered) and use types. Based on results, proceed to draft/enact policy (likely to require multi-levels of government).

Study: Investigate programs that assist residents in relocating, when necessary, away from heavy industry.

Related Examples / Resources

• California’s Environmental Quality Review (CEQR) process has been applied to development projects, such as this example for the City of Irvine

• Environmental Justice and Green Zones | Minneapolis, MN

• House Bill 2488 requires the Land Conservation and

Development Commission to adopt a new statewide planning goal to address climate change mitigation and environmental justice for disadvantaged communities | Oregon

• Senate Bill 232 requiring State Department of Environmental Protection to evaluate the environmental and public health impacts of certain facilities on overburdened communities when reviewing certain permit applications | New Jersey

• EJScreen Tool | EPA

• Toxic Release Inventory Tool | EPA

• My Healthy Community | Delaware’s community health mapping resource:

• Transportation Justice data, reports, and maps for the New Castle County region | WILMAPCO

Anticipated Partners

NCC Department of Land Use, NCC Department of Community Services, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Delaware Division of Public Health

Suggested Timeframe

Complete two-year study during 2025

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Purpose

Improve public health by reducing exposure to pollution. A vibrant economy is important to the vitality of the community and to providing the ability for community members to support themselves financially. Some business-related activity, including on-site business operations and traffic, results in serious environmental and health impacts. Identifying and bringing forth environmental and health impacts into the development review process, such as through a requirement for an impact statement, enables decision-makers and the community to proactively address tradeoffs and consequences.

Being able to measure and know local data and conditions supports better decision-making and ultimately mitigating environmental justice issues. The County should create a screening tool/process to identify areas of vulnerability and cumulative/disparate impact to help identify areas of concern, set funding priorities, target regulatory and enforcement attention, and also track progress toward community clean-up and revitalization. (Also supports preceding strategy 15.2.1)

Status (Study, Develop Implementation Tool, Enact, Engage)

Study: Work with the community and agency partners to define the areas of concern: variables (pollutants, diseases, etc.), types of non-residential development (industrial or certain/all types of commercial), economic benefits in addition to adverse health effects, mitigation strategies. Consider the value of Health Impact Assessments as an organizing schema.

Study: Work with the community and agency partners (such as DNREC, State Division of Public Health, WILMAPCO Air Quality Subcommittee (AQS), etc.) to address and monitor air quality and environmental concerns in EJ neighborhoods though community air monitoring, fenceline monitoring, dust control, etc.

Study: Build on established programs to monitor and track various indicators, generally oriented towards measuring outcomes for which individual departments and agencies are responsible. Work with other agencies, departments, and groups to evaluate available data/tools, identify new/needed data/tools, and opportunities to collaborate.

Develop: Based on study findings and other resources, such as EJ/TJ data and analyses produced by WILMAPCO, develop a screening tool/process that helps identify areas of vulnerability to support land use planning and other community and public policy decision making (e.g., transportation decisions).

Enact: Develop legislation that requires social equity/health impact statement to identify impacts, risks, and opportunities to promote equity through decisions

about growth and investment.

Related Examples / Resources

• National: EnviroAtlas Use Cases | US EPA , Toxic Release Inventory | US EPA , EJScreen Tool | US EPA
• Regional (South Atlantic Coastal Study), leveraging social vulnerability and climate risk assessment databases):
• Local (King County, WA) https://www.communitiescount.org/-
• Local (Monterey County, CA) Resilient Monterey County Dashboards - Climate Change | Monterey County, CA
• Equity in Master Plans (impact statements found on page ) | Montgomery County, MD
• Displacement Risk Index | Seattle, WA
• Incorporating HIAs into the zoning code for Baltimore, MD
• Study of rezoning to consider industrial use impacts

and Environmental Justice in Eugene, OR

• Health Impact Assessment of the Fort DuPont Master Plan | New Castle County, DE
• My Healthy Community – Delaware Environmental Public Health Tracking Platform | Delaware
• Epidemiology, Population health, and Health Impact Assessment

Anticipated Partners

NCC Department of Land Use, DelDOT, WILMAPCO, DNREC

Suggested Timeframe

Initiate in 2024

Suggested Resource Needs

Train existing staff or hire outside support for health impact assessments, to the extent that becomes desirable.

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3 Land Preservation

Preserve a minimum of 7,100 acres of land for open space in the county and improve the lands’ ecosystem health (including increasing farmland & historic preservation).(Objective 1.1, 7.1)

THEMES

Sustainable Growth

Livable Built Environment for All

Conservation & Preservation

Robust Economy

Thriving Places & Community Character

Diverse Engagement

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New residential development should be located at an adequate distance from incompatible uses to provide adequate protection. Residents of New Castle County have the right to healthy and safe places to call home.

Why?

Open space and recreation provide vital functions for a community’s wellbeing, both mentally and physically. Access to natural lands for active and passive recreation are key to a robust and thriving community providing numerous health benefits to county residents. As of 2020, approximately 27% of land in New Castle County is preserved, including as public parkland (both active and natural resource/ passive), protected resource land/community open space, agricultural easements, and privately protected land. To protect a total of 30% of land, a total of approximately 7,000 acres must be protected between now and 2050. Achieving the goal will require an increase in land preservation over previous years, particularly a concerted effort to fund purchase of fee simple land and easements.

Map B-5 shows the Priority Preservation Areas policy map. The map depicts the areas across the county that are desirable for preservation and is intended to function similarly and in complement to the Growth Areas Policy Map (see Map B-3). For example, the Priority Preservation Areas policy map is expected to be used with preservation-related policy recommendations below, whereby preservation strategies and resources would be targeted to the areas shown in green on the map. The priority preservation areas are defined based on the following:

• High quality and critical natural resource areas
• Areas at risk of inland flooding and sea level rise
• Important natural, cultural, historic, and other features of the landscape to be preserved.

(Note: areas delineated as priority preservation include areas that are already preserved.)

Metrics / Tracking

The following metrics will help the County track progress with the goal of protecting a minimum of 7,100 acres of the land for open space:

Map B-5: New Castle County Targeted Land Preservation Policy Areas

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*Land Use Policy Designations within municipal boundaries reflect County policy aspirations and are not intended to prescribe municipal

Currently, there are approximately 74,700 acres of protected lands in New Castle County, which is approximately 27% of the County’s land area. This percentage was comprised of land classified as parkland (15%), private open space (4%), agricultural easements (5%), and conservation easements (3%).

STRATEGY: Establish the New Castle County Open Space Advisory Board in partnership with the state Open Space Preservation Council and implement the 2020 Land Preservation Task Force Report recommendations. (1.1.1)

Purpose

A body composed of community members and professionals with relevant subject matter expertise is needed to carry forward implementing the 2020 Land Preservation Task Force recommendations. A priority action of this body will be to develop viable and sustainable funding for land preservation.

Status (Study, Develop Implementation Tool, Enact, Engage)

Study: Study and consider different funding strategies, such as impact fees, for the preservation and acquisition of county owned open space and easements.

Study: Evaluate opportunities for other market-based preservation strategies, such as Transfer of Development Rights.

Related Examples / Resources

• Land Preservation Task Force Report (2020) | New Castle County, DE
• Open Space Committee | East Brandywine Township, PA
• Open Space Board | Montgomery County, PA

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Anticipated Partners

NCC Department of Land Use, NCC Department of Public Works, Delaware Department of Agriculture, DNREC, Community organizations

Suggested Timeframe

Once committee has been established, begin acting on Land Preservation Task Force Report immediately. Anticipated 2023.

STRATEGY: Develop a Land Preservation Master Plan with weighted project selection criteria. (1.1.2)

Purpose

Undeveloped land available for preservation is increasingly diminishing. As options to purchase land or easements become fewer, prices generally rise, and the qualities of the land and ecosystems are important to an overall strategy for maximizing public benefit, a land preservation master plan serves to guide a successful program.

This action will involve analysis and mapping to identify priority lands and will also include establishment of criteria for determining priorities. Build on successful land and resource preservation requirements in code to ensure land with greatest ecological and ecosystem services value is preserved.

This strategy should be done in complement with strategies to focus on redevelopment, infill, and growth

in areas already served by infrastructure (water, sewer service¹, road network, etc.).

Status (Study, Develop Implementation Tool, Enact, Engage)

Study: Evaluate and confirm priorities for land preservation, coordinate with the County Open Space Advisory Board to identify target preservation lands based on priorities and criteria developed, and establish associated project selection methods to support effective land preservation program. Consider a full range of environmental, cultural, and social values as well as resiliency functions of the land and the land cover to develop criteria that also support other goals of NCC2050.

Study: Work with partners to evaluate the effectiveness of the County’s existing Critical Natural Areas mapping and related code provisions. Based on findings, refine the features and definitions so the protections achieve the desired environmental protection and ecosystem enhancement objectives.

Related Examples / Resources

• Land Preservation Task Force Report (2020) | New Castle County, DE
• Land Preservation, Parks & Recreation Plan | Carroll County, MD
• Critical Natural Areas mapping and application of protections in the Unified Development Code | New Castle County, DE

Anticipated Partners

NCC Department of Public Works, NCC Department of Land Use, County Open Space Committee, community organizations, DNREC

Suggested Timeframe

Initiate 2024

STRATEGY: Establish the New Castle County Agricultural Preservation Committee and develop methodology and criteria to prioritize County funding for agricultural land preservation based on best practices and implement the 2020 Land Preservation Task Force Report recommendations. (7.1.1)

Purpose

Establish process for selecting contiguous, high-quality farms for preservation, maximize use of preservation funds, and reach a sustained and effective mechanism for farmland preservation that supports land preservation goals and local farming industry.

Status (Study, Develop Implementation Tool, Enact, Engage)

Develop Implementation Tools: Proceed where Land Preservation Task Force left off and develop a methodology and criteria that complements other land use planning and policy strategies that protect important resource land.

Study: Evaluate opportunities for other market-based preservation strategies, such as Transfer of Development Rights.

Related Examples / Resources

• Land Preservation Task Force Report (2020) | New Castle County, DE
• Agricultural Land Preservation Board | Centre County, PA
• Farmland Preservation Advisory Board | State of Connecticut

Anticipated Partners

NCC Department of Land Use, NCC Department of Public Works, Delaware Department of Agriculture, NCC Agricultural Land Preservation Committee, Farm Bureau

Suggested Timeframe

Once committee has been established, begin acting on Land Preservation Task Force Report immediately. Anticipated 2023.

4 Sustainability & Climate Change

Lead in addressing climate change, with a path for New Castle County government to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050¹, prepare the built environment for a clean energy future, and become more resilient to environmental and health risks. (Objectives 2.1, 3.1, 14.1, 14.2)

THEMES

Sustainable Growth

Livable Built Environment for All

Conservation & Preservation

Robust Economy

Thriving Places & Community Character

Diverse Engagement

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Stormwater moves faster across impervious surfaces than natural land cover and causes erosion, more pollution, and at times, property and infrastructure damage.

Why?

Climate change will affect the daily lives -- the economy, ecosystems, and overall quality of life -- of everyone in New Castle County, from downtown Wilmington to rural farms and everywhere in between.

New Castle County needs a strategy that reduces GHG emissions that contribute to global warming as we prepare our communities to be resilient. That requires strategies to mitigate loss, reduce risk, and respond as the consequences of climate change come. This is essential for safety and quality of life that our residents deserve today and into the future. Actions taken to reduce emissions and address climate change will also help address environmental and social justice issues.

A key example: Targeting flood-prone impermeable surfaces. Approximately 15% of the land area in New Castle County is impervious; generally defined as paved surfaces and rooftops that prevent water (typically rain) from seeping into soil. Stormwater moves faster across impervious surfaces than natural land cover and causes erosion, more pollution, and at times, property, and infrastructure damage. More than half (53%) of the total impervious surfaces in New Castle County are made up of parking lots, with the remaining 47% are buildings and roads.

Metrics / Tracking

The following metrics will help the County track progress with the goal addressing climate change, preparing for a clean energy future, and resiliency:

STRATEGY: Establish a sustainability implementation team, with representation from a range of sectors and communities across the county. (2.1.1)

Purpose

Sustainability is inherently multi-disciplinary and requires knowledge, skills, and involvement from

across the community. Establishing a group of diverse members and organizations who will work with County Government to compose a sustainability action agenda and then support implementation and monitoring will help ensure that principles of sustainability are increasingly achieved through the actions of government and the community.

Status (Study, Develop Implementation Tool, Enact, Engage)

Develop Implementation Tool: Develop a Sustainability

Agenda: Building on the sustainability focused policies in NCC2050, engage a diverse group from the community to develop a community sustainability action plan.

Related Examples / Resources

• Community Sustainability Plan | Newark, DE
• Sustainability Plan | Office of Sustainability, Baltimore, MD
• Office of Sustainability and Greenworks Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA

Anticipated Partners

NCC Land Use, NCC Public Works, other NCC Departments and community organizations

Suggested Timeframe

Initiate in 2023

STRATEGY: County government leads by example and reviews County operations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. (14.1.1)

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Purpose

Community stewardship principles should guide the County’s day-to-day operations. The County invests significant funds annually through procurement, capital investments, and operations. Additionally, the County conducts operations such as indoor and outdoor facility maintenance and is responsible for a large fleet of vehicles. Strategically managing these resources with climate change goals in mind is an important component of the County’s effort.

Status (Study, Develop Implementation Tool, Enact, Engage)

Study: Evaluate or audit for sustainability in areas of procurement, public space management, buildings, vehicles, and other areas of operations to identify areas for improvement. Consider opportunities for positive change, such as:

• Convert County passenger and heavy-duty vehicle fleet to electric and low-emission technology.
• Conduct energy audits at all County-owned properties and implement energy upgrades.
• Establish work policies that support reduced transportation emissions, such as flex schedule and remote work.
• Enhance renewable energy at County-owned properties.
• Upgrade County land maintenance equipment (mowers, tractors, etc.) to electric.
• Convert large areas of mowed space at County properties (including offices and parks) to meadows, pollinator gardens, and forests with native species.
• Develop tracking system to establish baseline and track progress.

Related Examples / Resources

• Greenhouse Gas Reduction Policies and Initiatives | Tompkins County, NY

• Climate Roadmap 2030 | Santa Clara County, CA

• Washtenaw County Environmental Council | Washtenaw County, MI

Anticipated Partners

NCC Department of Land Use, NCC Department of Public Works, NCC Procurement/Finance, other NCC Departments

Suggested Timeframe

Ongoing

STRATEGY: Expand and enhance opportunities for renewable energy (Goals 13 & 14)

Purpose

While energy efficiency is one most cost-effective methods for reducing energy use and associated emissions, replacing fossil fuels-based energy sources with renewables is another important tool to address climate change and air quality. New Castle County has an important role in encouraging the transition to clean energy, whether it be on a single residential parcel or large-scale solar energy system. Land use policies and regulations need to encourage, enable, and facilitate the transition to renewable energy while ensuring equitable outcomes.

Status (Study, Develop Implementation

Tool, Enact, Engage) Study: Build on recent County and State renewable energy legislation and building codes, and further study market for solar and renewables and identify needs and opportunities in County policy and processes to increase access and use of renewable energy.

Study and Evaluate: Develop a tracking system: establish baseline and gauge solar growth over time, supporting enhancement of regulations and policy. (Focus on what NCC LU is able to directly measure,

such as acres or parcels of land used for solar to gauge change over time by use type; further tracking of energy production and use would be best done at statewide level)

Enhance: Enhance existing policies to expand opportunities for solar, including:

• Incentivizing for infill and retrofitting

• Evaluate existing code as it encourages/ discourages solar and enhance as appropriate, such as enabling solar in community area open space and other underused space. (Accessory use of solar is currently allowed in all zones and large- scale solar is currently allowed in Suburban and Suburban Reserve zoned areas as well as many non-residentially zoned areas, where up to 85% of a site is usable for solar.)

• Consider buildings of a certain size be built to allow for the option of solar panel installation.

Related Examples / Resources

• Renewable Energy Ordinance Framework | Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission

• Miscellaneous resources | American Cities Climate Challenge Renewables Accelerator

Anticipated Partners

NCC Department of Land Use, NCC Office of Economic Development, NCC Department of Public Works, DNREC Office of Energy, Public Service Commission

Suggested Timeframe

Initiate in 2024

STRATEGY: Add sustainability requirements at construction or time of sale, including electric vehicle charging capability and energy efficiency disclosure. (4.4.3)

Purpose

Over a quarter of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions come from fossil-fuel combustion attributed to residential and commercial buildings.¹ Ensuring the county’s existing and future building stock is outfitted to leverage modern technology will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support affordability as well as financial well-being of lower-income community members.

Status (Study, Develop Implementation

Tool, Enact, Engage) Engage: Engage housing and residential real estate industry to develop policy to lead to efficiency and modernization of housing across the County. Consider also encouraging/collaborating with municipalities to do the same.

Enact: Develop legislation to amend the building code to require attached garages include a 220 volt receptacle.

Enact: Ensure County building code regulations are consistent with State Law requiring new residential buildings to be zero net energy capable by 2025 and new commercial buildings by 2030.

Enact: Build on the 2021 ordinancing requiring EV charging stations.

Study: Develop incentives in County Code to encourage the construction of green buildings. While, Chapter 6 of the New Castle County Code recognizes the four (4) most widely recognized rating systems for green building. There currently is little incentive for builders to pursue one of these green building rating system designations. These rating systems include Green Globes sponsored by the Green Building Initiative (GBI), Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) sponsored by U.S. Green Building Council, Model Green Home Building Guidelines sponsored by National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the National

Green Building Standard sponsored by International Code Council (ICC) and National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

Related Examples / Resources

• Energy Disclosure Report | Minneapolis, MN
• Residential Energy Performance Rating and Disclosure | Portland, OR

Anticipated Partners

New Castle County Department of Land Use, Real Estate and building organizations, such as Delaware Association of Realtors, Homebuilders Association, etc.

Suggested Timeframe

Initiate by 2024

STRATEGY: Perform analysis of the criteria and perquisites as well as develop a plan to achieve a National Flood Insurance Program Community Rating System Class 4 Rating. (13.2.3)

Purpose

According to FEMA, the Community Rating System (CRS) is a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management practices that exceed the minimum requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The CRS uses a Class rating system that is similar to fire insurance rating to determine flood insurance premium reductions for residents. CRS Classes are rated from 9 to 1. As a community engages in additional mitigation activities, its residents become eligible for increased NFIP policy premium discounts. Each CRS Class improvement produces a 5% greater discount on flood insurance premiums for properties in the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA).

Status (Study, Develop Implementation

Tool, Enact, Engage) Develop Implementation Tool: Map the areas that are most vulnerable (“repetitive loss properties”)

Enact: Develop mitigation fund to use toward the match for the mitigation of “repetitive loss” properties.

Develop Implementation Tool: The County currently has the best rating in the state at level 6 and the 5-year renewal cycle is anticipated in the Spring of 2022. The County should seek to improve is classification, reaching Level 4 by 2032.

Anticipated Partners

NCC Department of Land Use, NCC Department of Public Works, DNREC, FEMA

Suggested Timeframe

Initiate in 2024

STRATEGY: Collaborate with partners and other agencies to achieve reduction in Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) per capita. (14.2.2)

Purpose

Roughly one third of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. stem from the transportation sector. Vehicular emissions contribute to poor local and regional air quality affecting public health, especially of vulnerable populations. Dispersed development or “sprawl” (depicted through NCC2050 future scenario analyses) has the effect of increasing VMT and contributing to the health and climate impacts. Delivery-based retail and anticipated advances in driverless vehicle technologies will have an impact on VMT, though how is currently unclear. The importance of land use and development to this issue necessitates a collaborative approach between New Castle County and organizations focused on transportation, including DelDOT and WILMAPCO.

Reducing vehicle miles traveled per capita is accomplished in two essential ways: reduce the amount of vehicle travel and/or replace vehicle travel with transit or non-vehicular travel, such as bicycling or walking. However, achieving reduction overall or replacement of trips by different modes is influenced by many factors, such as cost of travel and its different modes; comfort and experience of travel; essential need to travel long distances to get to daily needs or desired destinations. The full range of strategies is collectively called Travel Demand Management, Compact and mixed use development is part of this suite of strategies.

Status (Study, Develop Implementation Tool, Enact, Engage)

Study: Continue addressing travel demand through sub-area plans:

1. Implement existing policies and programs that result in fewer people traveling by car and more bicycling, walking, and taking transit.

2. Plan and implement strategies in target areas where there is opportunity to guide change toward more compact, mixed use development patterns and toward a better balance of jobs and housing, a greater mix of uses, and increased transit opportunities.

Engage: Work with municipalities to support infill, revitalization, and transit connectivity between important origins and destinations that exist between jurisdictions.

Develop Implementation Tool: With changes in commuting and the retail environment, collaboratively evaluate those trends and associated forecasted impacts, and identify needs and opportunities to reduce VMT per capita.

Related Examples / Resources

• Reducing Vehicle Miles Traveled Through Smart Land-Use Design | New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
• Reducing Vehicle Miles Traveled, OneSTL | East-West Gateway Council of Governments

Anticipated Partners

DelDOT, WILMAPCO, New Castle County Department of Land Use, municipalities

Suggested Timeframe

Ongoing

5 Economic Development

Develop policies and programs to create an economic environment that supports a range of industries, including emerging industry, while ensuring policy is based on leveraging equitable and robust outcomes that limit or mitigate negative effects. (Objectives 5.1, 5.2, 6.2)

THEMES

Sustainable Growth

Livable Built Environment for All

Conservation & Preservation

Robust Economy

Thriving Places & Community Character

Diverse Engagement

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A strong economy will also be a more equitable one, in which all county residents are able to take advantage of employment opportunities, housing opportunities and transportation infrastructure.

Why?

A strong and stable economy provides for job growth, thriving businesses, as well as resources for developing and preserving the other important aspects of our communities. Global and national economic shifts already in play were further disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath. New technologies and new adaptations in retail and other commercial business sectors will add to the challenges of planning ahead. A deeper understanding of the local effects of these changes is needed so that new strategies for economic and workforce development are developed and implemented. A strong economy will also be a more equitable one, in which all county residents are able to take advantage of employment opportunities, housing opportunities and transportation infrastructure.

Metrics / Tracking

The following metrics will help the County track progress with the goal addressing economic development:

Jobs in New Castle County are concentrated in leisure & hospitality, wholesale & retail trade, FIRE, business services, and health and education. New Castle County falls in the 99th percentile for percentage jobs in the FIRE sector among metro counties in the nation. Corporate and management sector is also very high. Top employers in the County include: Christiana Care (12,181), JP Morgan Chase (11,000), Bank of America (6,400), University of Delaware (4,500), and Nemours (3,795). Currently, the county is more of a housing resource than a jobs resource with 1.45 jobs/household overall (ideal jobs housing ratio is 1.6 jobs/household), but the jobs/housing balance varies significantly in different parts of the county. In Southern New Castle County, the jobs housing ratio is 0.46 jobs/household. In contrast, within the other CAMPs (North Claymont, Rt. 202, Rt. 9, and Churchman’s Crossing), the ratio is 2.55 jobs/household.

STRATEGY: Support emerging and existing business (logistics, startups, bioscience, eds & meds and other areas where demand from the market is growing) to complement traditional industry and business in the County (business services, agriculture, banking, chemical and life sciences, healthcare, etc.) (5.1.1)

Purpose

New Castle County has recently experienced a significant increase in warehousing and logistics centers, a trend also seen in the surrounding region and other parts of the country. There is also emergence of a wide range of other new business, including startups, financial technology, and biotechnology. Sustaining and enhancing the local economy must include by building on the strengths of our existing/foundational industries (noted above), while fostering new business and innovation.

Status (Study, Develop Implementation Tool, Enact, Engage)

Study: Research and evaluate the needs and opportunities associated with existing and emerging business in New Castle County. Explore ways that land use policy are able to support emerging business to strengthen the local economy, such as through opportunities for redevelopment, complementary/ accessory business uses and siting, business support activity, etc. Also identify and evaluate negative externalities of economic changes.

Develop Implementation Tool: Create an economic development strategy that aligns and coordinates resources and focuses policies to achieve an attractive and supportive economic environment for new business and prevents negative consequences. Update policy accordingly.

Related Examples / Resources

Economic Value Atlas | Oregon Metro

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Anticipated Partners

NCC Department of Land Use, NCC Office of Economic Development, Office of State Planning, Delaware Prosperity Partnership, WILMAPCO, DelDOT, NCC Chamber of Commerce, Committee of 100, as well as new or smaller economic development organizations

Suggested Timeframe

Ongoing

STRATEGY: Work with other agencies and partners to focus transportation and other investments in the built environment that support and attract local business, such as corridor reinvestment, streetscape enhancement, new technology and energy infrastructure, etc. (5.1.2)

Purpose

Infrastructure and the quality of the built environment are important factors for the success and sustainability of all business. This includes roads, sidewalks, trees and green infrastructure, broadband/high speed internet, emerging transportation technology, and capability for green energy. Further, the aesthetic quality of a place serves to help or hinder business activity both in terms of attracting customers as well as employees.

Status (Study, Develop Implementation Tool, Enact, Engage)

Engage, Study, Develop Implementation Tool: Building on sub-area studies and local community development efforts, such as corridor monitoring committees, work with partners and communities to evaluate needs/ opportunities and align strategies, policies, and effort into action plans.

Consider prioritizing efforts toward small business COVID recovery through Corridor / Main Street

Enhancement programs as has been discussed by the Community and Economic Development Committee the County convened for American Rescue Plan Act funding.

Engage with partners such as DelDOT, Delaware Transit Corporation, and others to plan for emerging transportation modes and technologies (e.g., renewable energy-based, autonomous, e-bikes/ scooters, micro-mobility, etc.) to leverage benefits and minimize potential negative externalities; embrace technology designed to address existing infrastructure issues, benefit the environment, and improve how people experience travel. Include addressing support transition to electric and other renewable and efficient vehicles.

Related Examples / Resources

• Route 9 Corridor Monitoring Committee | Wilmington Area Planning Council

Anticipated Partners

NCC Department of Land Use, NCC Office of Economic Development, DelDOT, DTC, Office of State Planning, Delaware Prosperity Partnership, NCC Chamber of Commerce, Committee of 100, as well as new or smaller economic development organizations, municipalities, community development corporations,

Suggested Timeframe

Initiate in 2023, focusing on leveraging ARPA opportunities

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6 Economic Justice

As economic growth occurs, strive for equity with distribution of benefits across the community. (Objective 6.2)

THEMES

Sustainable Growth

Livable Built Environment for All

Conservation & Preservation

Robust Economy

Thriving Places & Community Character

Diverse Engagement

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In New Castle County, more than half of the housing units are one-unit detached houses, 21% are one-unit attached, 24% are two or more-unit structures. Two percent are classified as Other (includes mobile homes, boat, RVs).

Why?

All New Castle County residents should benefit from economic growth and change. The County should encourage workforce training opportunities so that our residents are well equipped for a modern economy. Community Benefits Agreements are a mechanism to consider in support of this priority.

Metrics / Tracking

The following metrics will help the County track progress with the goal addressing equity within the community:

In New Castle County, more than half of the housing units are one-unit detached houses, 21% are one-unit attached, 24% are two or more-unit structures. Two percent are classified as Other (includes mobile homes, boat, RVs). Approximately 30% of households have housing costs that are higher than what is considered affordable.

STRATEGY: As the retail economy shifts away from brick and mortar and toward delivery-based, ensure sufficient access to goods and services. (6.2.2)

Purpose

Changes in access to goods and services that result from economic and market shifts are likely to have greater impact on low-income communities. The shift to delivery-based retail and the COVID-19 pandemic put many local, smaller stores out of business. While the long-term impacts are unclear, for those who do not have access to the internet or are on a constrained budget, access to goods and services in the local community has decreased. Further, the shift to delivery-based systems has the potential to bypass customers who have poor access to the digital economy, including online access for ordering and paying for goods and services.

Policies and programs that support continued existence of local stores, locally available goods and services, and ready access to the internet for online retail are important for bridging this emerging divide.

Status (Study, Develop Implementation Tool, Enact, Engage)

Develop Implementation Tool: Ensuring equitable access to the digital economy may include consideration of a wide range of regulatory actions, which should be considered.

Enact: Ensure County libraries continue have adequate computer access and training to provide residents with an opportunity to participate in the digital economy (e.g., Route 9 Innovation Center/Library).

Engage: Work with local business and communities to enhance opportunities for strengthening local retail, including ensuring flexibility in the zoning code to support adaptation.

Related Examples / Resources

• Through a public-private partnership pilot program, residents in the historically low-income and underserved area of East Cleveland, OH will receive access to high-speed internet service.

• San Francisco, CA created the Digital Equity Strategic Plan (2019-2024) to address digital access and literacy challenges in the city and county. The plan includes three major goals and 5-year targets to measure success.

Anticipated Partners

NCC Department of Land Use, NCC Department of Community Services, NCC Office of Economic Development, community development corporations and community organizations, NCC Chamber of Commerce

Suggested Timeframe

Initiate 2024 followed by program development and implementation

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7 Implementation

Ensure County government is oriented to implement the plan in a comprehensive and coordinated fashion, including systematic data collection, tracking, reporting, and evaluation. Ensure growth and change in our communities is coordinated across agencies; that infrastructure and services are timed with new growth; and that decision-making leverages the full range of available data and technology. (Objectives 15.2, 17.2, and many others)

THEMES

Sustainable Growth

Livable Built Environment for All

Conservation & Preservation

Robust Economy

Thriving Places & Community Character

Diverse Engagement

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Tracking and publishing data helps promote transparency, government accountability, collaboration, community engagement, and data-driven decision making.

Why?

Planning and development do not happen in a vacuum. Coordination among local, state, and national agencies as well as community and nonprofit groups helps to ensure that we are working toward shared and mutually beneficial goals. Without this coordination, future development could become disconnected and create negative impact instead of positive growth.

Metrics / Tracking

The following metrics will help the County track progress with the goal of focusing growth:

STRATEGY: Establish a public-facing dashboard to report key metrics and support tracking of NCC2050 implementation. (8.2.3, 15.2.3 & 16.1.1)

Purpose

Tracking and publishing data helps promote transparency, government accountability, collaboration, community engagement, and data-driven decision making. As data becomes more abundant and technology supports improvements in efficiency and effectiveness in operations and decision-making, the County should continue to enhance its tracking and reporting.

Status (Study, Develop Implementation Tool, Enact, Engage)

Develop Implementation Tool: Collaborate across departments to build on technology capabilities, data collection/analysis/applications, and workflows, especially in support of tracking implementation of this plan and other priority actions across government.

Related Examples / Resources

• Sustainability Dashboards – Cambridge, MA has a sustainability dashboard focused on buildings, GHG emissions, energy, transportation, and waste reduction.

• Regional Planning Metrics Dashboard | Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission

Anticipated Partners

NCC Department of Land Use, other County departments, collaborating agencies and organizations that consistently collect data

Suggested Timeframe

Initiate 2023

STRATEGY: Integrate long-range planning and sustainability functions across all departments. (17.1.9)

Purpose

Greater integration of long-range planning and sustainability functions across departments to help build on data analytics and application of data toward enhancing effectiveness and sustainability of county operations. While all departments do some form of planning, it is often short-term, operational planning, and few departments are able to fully leverage the benefits of longer-range planning and or skills of those in planning and sustainability fields.

Status (Study, Develop Implementation Tool, Enact, Engage)

Study: Evaluate where the needs and opportunities exist for long-range planning, applied data/analytics, and sustainability

Related Examples / Resources

• Sustainable Long Range Planning | Washington County, OR
• Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability | New York City, NY

Anticipated Partners

All County Departments

STRATEGY: Conduct study of impact fees and other economic cost-benefit analysis to ensure sustainability of community infrastructure and services over time. (Goal 17)

Purpose

Better understanding the costs and benefits of policy, services, and infrastructure and linking that across

agencies to sustainable finance is important to ensuring continued quality of service and more broadly the vibrancy of communities. Development patterns across the county vary widely, from compact, urban neighborhoods to dispersed suburban development, to rural farms. The associated costs for infrastructure and services to different development varies and it's important to recognize these differences.

Notably, impact fees must have a direct relationship to provision of services/facilities to accommodate new development. While the County is specifically excluded from using impact fees for maintenance of existing facilities, ensuring the current fees are commensurate with the true costs is an important step in assuring sustainability of communities. Other policies and approaches will also be important to ensuring infrastructure and services to the community are sustainable.

Status (Study, Develop Implementation Tool, Enact, Engage)

Study: Study/adjust impact fees and conduct economic cost-benefit analysis of other policies associated with financing infrastructure and service, to address issues such as ongoing parks and open space maintenance needs that cut across multiple departments.

Related Examples / Resources

• Rate Study for Impact Fees for Transportation, Parks, and Fire Protection | City of Renton, WA
• Transportation Impact Fee Rate Study | City of Bainbridge Island, WA
• Transportation and Water Impact Fees | City of Fort Worth, TX

Anticipated Partners

NCC Department of Land Use, NCC Department of Public Works, NCC Department of Community Services, NCC Finance

Suggested Timeframe

Begin study in 2022

8 Housing

Increase the variety and range of safe, quality housing options for all, in a diversity of locations; focus on revitalizing and preserving areas already developed, while responsibly guiding future development in a manner that is consistent with adjacent communities. (Objectives 4.1, 4.2)

THEMES

Sustainable Growth

Livable Built Environment for All

Conservation & Preservation

Robust Economy

Thriving Places & Community Character

Diverse Engagement

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It is critical that our land use policies support a variety of long-term housing solutions to provide opportunities for all residents to have safe and affordable homes throughout the county.

Why?

In recent years, wages have not increased proportionally to housing costs, and many residents have been experiencing housing insecurity. Affordable housing is also disproportionately located in Wilmington. It is critical that our land use policies support a variety of long-term housing solutions to provide opportunities for all residents to have safe and affordable homes throughout the county. Element H presents greater detail on the current challenges, opportunities, and trends the County faces with regard to housing and affordable housing.

Metrics / Tracking

The following metrics will help the County track progress with the goal of providing safe, quality housing options in New Castle County:

STRATEGY: Enable a greater range of housing types and price points in exclusively residential zones, including Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), duplexes, multiplexes, and tiny homes. (4.1.1 & 4.1.2)

Purpose

While County code already enables a range of housing types in many residential zones, including attached ADUs as by right in all residential zones and detached with a 2-acre minimum, a fresh look at the housing

Approximately 30% of households in New Castle County are considered “cost burdened”. This means that they spend more than 30% of their income on housing related costs. A draft objective of NCC2050 is to increase the variety and range of price-points of safe, quality housing in diverse locations. In New Castle County, more than half of the housing units are one-unit detached houses. Approximately 95% of the existing housing stock in New Castle County is categorized as average, good, excellent, or superior condition and 5% area categorized as fair or poor condition. Approximately 42% of the County’s existing housing stock was built between 1950 and 1979, 26% were built between 1980 and 2000.

market/economics and comparison with policy could help refine rules and incentives to increase options for evolving household types by number, age, and relationships among residents.

For example, this could include:

• Expanding the Accessory Dwelling Unit provisions of the code;

• Evaluating undeveloped residential land appropriate to rezone as Suburban Transition, where land is either located in the central core of the southern sewer service area¹, or should accommodate a gross density of five (5.0) dwelling units per acre or greater and with access to transit services (or if accompanying a plan will have transit access upon completion of a plan) and undeveloped residential land within two (2) mile radius of an existing transit park and ride facility. Consider revising the distance requirement of walkability within current Suburban Transition regulations. Any rezoning will need to consider the context of adjacent communities.

• Enabling apartment conversions; and

• Providing more flexibility for older (pre-Zoning Code, before 1954) multi-family buildings

Status (Study, Develop Implementation Tool, Enact, Engage)

Study: Identify barriers to variety of housing, including regulatory, fiscal, and community acceptance concerns. Define what supporting mechanisms may be appropriate to better support private sector investment in each type of housing type.

Study: Consider expanding upon and broadcasting information about the advantages of innovative housing types

Related Examples / Resources

• Santa Cruz, CA developed an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Development Program to address the increase in local housing costs. As part of the program, the city updated its zoning ordinances and created an accompanying loan and fee waiver agreement for homeowners renting the unit at a low-income rent.

• Sightline Institute article on market potential of innovative housing options based on rental price points and owner investment rates of return.

• Pinellas County, FL is applying sales tax revenues toward building affordable homes and developing a multipronged and coordinated approach to the challenge in a public-facing initiative.

• Co-Housing Association of the United States - Creating Co-Housing

Anticipated Partners

NCC Department of Community Services and NCC Department of Land Use

Suggested Timeframe

Initiate 2023