|
|
|
After more than five hours of discussion from council and comments from a packed house of concerned citizens split on what’s best for their Greenville communities, council chose to table to rezoning ordinance for the Barley Mill Plaza redevelopment and rezoning plan.
The decision came early Wednesday morning after Councilwoman Janet Kilpatrick (R-Hockessin) proposed orally amending the deed restrictions that the county could enforce. The amendment listed nine key points, including capping commercial space at 37 acres, keeping retail density under 454,000 square feet, capping building heights and prohibiting gas stations and other similar uses.
At Barley Mill Plaza, Stoltz Real Estate Partners has revised its current plans for a 2.8-million-square-foot mixed-use project and replaced it with mixed-use development of 1.65 million square feet. Approximately 37 acres along S.R. 141 would be rezoned to accommodate construction of up to 454,000 square feet of commercial retail space. Building and garage heights would be capped. The size of single user retail stores would be restricted, as would the number and type of retail sites located along S.R. 141 and S.R. 48.
Robert McCoy, who has lived near the Barley Mill site for over 70 years, is in favor of the compromise.
"We have to choose between the downsized compromise plan that requires a rezoning and a much larger by right mixed use redevelopment plan that is going to cause great harm," McCoy said.
Chris Sanchez, a resident of West Haven which is near the site, also spoke in favor of the compromise.
"The compromise plan is not perfect but it does give us some protection," Sanchez said.
Richard Beck spoke on behalf of Citizens for Responsible Growth (CRG), a group that worked alongside Stoltz for the last few years to forge the compromise.
"It's a phantom alternative if you deny this rezoning," Beck said, regarding the possibility of the developer building anything smaller that what’s proposed.
Bill Franey, President of the Milltown-Limestone Civic Alliance spoke out in opposition to the rezoning ordinance.
“A regional comprehensive traffic impact study and analysis has not been completed, and it is not supportive of economic revitalization in the city of Wilmington,” Franey stated.
Tom Dewson, a Greenville resident, warned that allowing event the compromise could doom the surrounding area.
"Once the CR barrier is broken at Barley Mill, look for the dominos potentially start to fall," he said. "We then have mega-malls along the entire corridor – is this vision we have for the gateway to the Brandywine Valley? Either of these plans will destroy our community.”
Following the county’s decision to table the ordinance, Kennett Pike Association President John Danzeisen, who is in favor of the compromise, said he appreciates any effort the county must make to make the agreement more palatable.
“Whatever it takes to get it through,” Danzeisen said.
The County will revisit the ordinance at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 25 at Council Chambers, located in the Louis L. Redding City/County Building, 800 N. French Street, Wilmington
After more than five hours of discussion from council and comments from a packed house of concerned citizens split on what’s best for their Greenville communities, council chose to table to rezoning ordinance for the Barley Mill Plaza redevelopment and rezoning plan.
The decision came early Wednesday morning after Councilwoman Janet Kilpatrick (R-Hockessin) proposed orally amending the deed restrictions that the county could enforce. The amendment listed nine key points, including capping commercial space at 37 acres, keeping retail density under 454,000 square feet, capping building heights and prohibiting gas stations and other similar uses.
At Barley Mill Plaza, Stoltz Real Estate Partners has revised its current plans for a 2.8-million-square-foot mixed-use project and replaced it with mixed-use development of 1.65 million square feet. Approximately 37 acres along S.R. 141 would be rezoned to accommodate construction of up to 454,000 square feet of commercial retail space. Building and garage heights would be capped. The size of single user retail stores would be restricted, as would the number and type of retail sites located along S.R. 141 and S.R. 48.
Robert McCoy, who has lived near the Barley Mill site for over 70 years, is in favor of the compromise.
"We have to choose between the downsized compromise plan that requires a rezoning and a much larger by right mixed use redevelopment plan that is going to cause great harm," McCoy said.
Chris Sanchez, a resident of West Haven which is near the site, also spoke in favor of the compromise.
"The compromise plan is not perfect but it does give us some protection," Sanchez said.
Richard Beck spoke on behalf of Citizens for Responsible Growth (CRG), a group that worked alongside Stoltz for the last few years to forge the compromise.
"It's a phantom alternative if you deny this rezoning," Beck said, regarding the possibility of the developer building anything smaller that what’s proposed.
Bill Franey, President of the Milltown-Limestone Civic Alliance spoke out in opposition to the rezoning ordinance.
“A regional comprehensive traffic impact study and analysis has not been completed, and it is not supportive of economic revitalization in the city of Wilmington,” Franey stated.
Tom Dewson, a Greenville resident, warned that allowing event the compromise could doom the surrounding area.
"Once the CR barrier is broken at Barley Mill, look for the dominos potentially start to fall," he said. "We then have mega-malls along the entire corridor – is this vision we have for the gateway to the Brandywine Valley? Either of these plans will destroy our community.”
Following the county’s decision to table the ordinance, Kennett Pike Association President John Danzeisen, who is in favor of the compromise, said he appreciates any effort the county must make to make the agreement more palatable.
“Whatever it takes to get it through,” Danzeisen said.
The County will revisit the ordinance at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 25 at Council Chambers, located in the Louis L. Redding City/County Building, 800 N. French Street, Wilmington
