County executive proposes open space zoning

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    New Castle County Executive Paul Clark  week proposed legislation that would allow New Castle County to create an Open Space zoning classification to identify and protect public and private open space in the county, including county parks.

    The legislation was introduced Sept. 4 in County Council. It now goes to the state’s PLUS land-use review process then to the county Planning Board for a public hearing before heading to council for consideration and a final vote. Clark has been under fire in his election bid, due to what opponent Tom Garden charges are close ties to developers.

    The proposed legislation would amend the county’s Unified Development Code, which regulates land use in the county. The new Open Space (OS) zoning classification would identify and include all federal, state, and county parkland and all private and other public open areas. It would be characterized by “limited building and development (to) protect the open and rural quality of the area” and would “provide a better understanding of what is preserved as open areas and what can be permitted within open space,” according to the proposed legislation.
    “This new classification will give residents who live near such land the security and peace of mind of knowing that it will be protected as open space,” said County Executive Paul G. Clark. “We are addressing a decades-old oversight. We need to clearly identify and protect our open space and parkland.”
    The legislation introduced this week would not rezone any piece of land; it simply gives the county the authority to create the new Open Space classification. Once the legislation is passed, additional rezoning legislation would be introduced to identify specific parcels of land to include under the new Open Space classification. County parks and other open spaces now carry various zoning designations, both residential and non-residential.
    The recently adopted 2012 Comprehensive Plan for New Castle County recognizes the importance of open space and encourages the creation of such a zoning classification to protect such property. The proposed legislation addresses a concern expressed by many of those who attended public meetings during the yearlong update process for the 2012 Comprehensive Plan, which will guide policy decisions on growth and development in the county for the next 10 years.
    The 2012 plan became effective July 1.
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