NEWS AND UPDATES
Archived, December 2006
Hearings Set on New Castle County Comprehensive Plan Update
The New Castle County Planning Board has scheduled two public hearings A public hearing in early January to gather public reactions to the draft update of the New Castle County Comprehensive Plan. The hearings are set hearing will be for January 2 and January 8, starting at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the City/County Building, at 800 N. French Street, in Wilmington. As noted in the agenda (PDF) for the hearings, a slate of land use change proposals will be heard at the January 2 hearing first; comments on the Plan update will start at that hearing and continue on January 8 follow.
The full draft of the update, along with comment forms and other information, is available on the County web site. The County asks that all comments on the Plan update be submitted by the end of January.
Update: New Castle County has canceled the January 2 public hearing. The County, like the state and federal governments and many other institutions, will be closed on January 2 for the National Day of Mourning proclaimed for former U.S. President Gerald Ford.(12/28/06)
Census Bureau Releases 2006 State Population Estimates
Delaware's population grew by an estimated 11,735 persons between July 2005 and July 2006, reaching a total of 853,476 persons, according to new population estimates released by the US Census Bureau. That represents an estimated growth rate of 1.4%, down from the estimated 2004 to 2005 growth rate of 1.6 percent. Migration into Delaware between 2005 and 2006 appears to have slowed, causing the deceleration of Delaware's growth.
That slight slowdown dropped Delaware from the list of top ten fastest growing states. Delaware and Oregon were replaced on that list by Colorado and South Carolina. Arizona was the fastest-growing state, replacing Nevada at the top of that list.
Although it has slowed, migration into Delaware remains the major component of population change, accounting for almost two thirds of Delaware's growth between 2005 and 2006, according to the Census Bureau. Most of that migration was from within the Unites States. Natural increase (births minus deaths) contributed the remaining one third of Delaware's growth.
The Census Bureau's 2006 Delaware population estimate is slightly lower than the 854,977 persons estimated for 2006 by the Delaware Population Consortium. The difference -- 0.18% -- is not statistically significant.
(12/22/06)
2007 Calendar Released for Preliminary Land Use Service
A schedule of application deadlines and agency review meetings dates for 2007 for the Preliminary Land Use Service (PLUS) is now available. Applications are due at the start of each month, with PLUS review meetings scheduled for the fourth Wednesday of each month. Alternate meeting dates are also tentatively scheduled, to allow for any overflow of applications.
(12/18/06)
Agenda Posted for Meeting to Review December PLUS Projects
Because of the holidays, state agency planners who review land use change proposals under the Preliminary Land Use Service (PLUS) will gather on Wednesday, January 3, 2007, to review projects submitted for December review. An Agenda (PDF) has been posted, along with a map of the latest PLUS projects. The meeting will start at 8:30 a.m. in the first floor conference room of the Haslet Armory, on William Penn Street, in Dover. The PLUS process allows for review and comment by state agency planners on land use change proposals prior to submission to local governments, which have final approval authority.
(12/8/06)
Draft Update of the New Castle County Comprehensive Plan Released
New Castle County has released a draft 2007 update to its Comprehensive Development Plan. The County Planning Board will hold a Public Hearing on the draft plan update on January 2, 2007. The county web site provides several avenues for public comment on the draft, including comment forms in WORD and PDF formats, a fax number, and an e-mail link.
The update is the result of a series of meetings by public committees that studied land use, infrastructure, community character, and the development review process in the county. It includes a look into the proposed future of the County and sections detailing planned future land use, strategies for intergovernmental coordination, preservation of resources, provision of housing, economic development, and maintaining proper infrastructure.
(12/1/06)
