14 October 2021 (re-posted with edits from 10 September 2021 and 9 October 2021)
Our position: The MOT Alliance believes ordinance 21-036 and the SNCC draft plan do not reflect responsible growth and development. The MOT Alliance encourages the Planning Board and NCC Council to remove the SNCC plan from ordinance 21-036 so that we can incorporate more residents’ voices through a transparent public process prior to its approval.
Background: County Comprehensive Plan / Southern New Castle County (SNCC) Community Area Master Plan (CAMP)
New Castle County (NCC) established the current comprehensive development plan in 2012. It expires June 30, 2022 and is intended to be replaced with the next plan: NCC2050.
In the summer of 2021, the county Land Use department developed community plans for key growth areas i.e. Route 9, Claymont, Concord Pike, and Southern New Castle County (SNCC). The Land Use department proposed that these four community plans (also referred to as CAMPs: community area master plans) be adopted into the current (2012) County comprehensive plan. This Land Use proposal is called ordinance 21-036. A public hearing with the NCC Planning Board occurred on September 13th 2021. Dozens of residents spoke out about their concerns. The Planning Board recognized the surge of interest from MOT residents, and extended the public comment period to October 13th 2021; scores of additional residents sent emails to LandUse@newcastlede.gov with their comments on ordinance 21-036.
The Planning Board will make a recommendation that goes to NCC Council on whether to approve or deny the ordinance. Stay tuned for upcoming events here.
Tips for public comments at public hearings
Tip #1: Plan to spend 10-30 minutes preparing a 2 minute statement.
Tip #2: The overall message should be: The SNCC plan should reflect responsible growth and since it doesn’t, the SNCC plan must be revised through a transparent public process prior to its approval.
Tip #3: Facts first then follow up with your opinions (facts first shows you did your homework, gives you credibility).
Tip #4: Use a tone that emphasizes our mission: responsible growth. Talk in terms of community and talk with respect. Avoid inflammatory phrases. Racism, classism, and other types of stereotyping will not be tolerated, and is not what the MOT alliance stands for.
Tip #5: The ordinance is long, but you don’t need to read it all to give a good insightful comment. We recommend pick one topic: the way they assessed current state, the plans/objectives they have for the future, or a specific area of infrastructure like traffic, sewer, schools, parks, etc. Once you decide on your topic, use the list below to get to the right subsection of the document. Content prior to page 108 is not specifically SNCC. Ordinance 21-036 (Skip to page 108): https://nccde.org/DocumentCenter/View/42009/21-036)
- Page 108: SNCC intro
- Page 108-126: assesses the current state of MOT infrastructure
- Page 137-144: what they plan to do in the future in MOT
- (Infrastructure topics like traffic, schools, environment, etc are all in pages 108-144, just scan for the sections headers)
Remember: Make sure to state either your street address or name of your neighborhood when you speak (and in your email when your comment is emailed to LandUse@newcastlede.gov)
