DELAWARE — Delaware City Council spent its only May meeting on Monday discussing more housing at Coughlin’s Crossing, a new industrial business campus, and changes in the city’s exterior property maintenance code.
A recent rezoning request at Coughlin’s Crossing would allow for multi-family residential housing instead of just commercial development in a 37.4-acre section of the development, Subarea A.
If approved, the change would allow multi-family residential development while still permitting retail and office uses. Typically this refers to apartments, townhomes, condos or mixed-use residential developments.
Director of Planning and Community Development Sandra Pereira said the site hasn’t been interesting enough to big box retailers for about a decade now.
“What was originally envisioned, in Subarea A, was a big box store. This was prior to Covid and I think a lot of things have changed since that time,” she said. “We are not seeing as many big boxes as we were.
“It didn’t make sense for the applicant to continue to just market this as a site for a big box.”
Pereira emphasized the zoning change would not eliminate the possibility of future commercial development.
The developer also intends to donate a portion of the property that contains a historic barn and house to the Delaware County Historical Society.
President of the historical society, Karen Cowan, said the group is going to try its best to maintain it after both sides finalize a donation agreement, but won’t retain ownership permanently.
One Stratford Road resident who neighbors the development voiced his concerns about the developer potentially building four-story apartment-style buildings on the site. He noted how the city has traditionally approved three-story buildings and would like it to stay that way.
Another resident said he did not like the city allowing more apartments, adding that the city needs to broaden its tax base, not minimize it by moving away from commercial development in favor of residential.
Council did not take action on the ordinance Monday, allowing it to move forward to a third reading.
Industrial park expansion moves forward
Council also discussed rezoning about 63 acres west of Curtis Street and northwest of London Road from agricultural and general industrial uses to industrial-planned unit development use.
The proposal would create a six-lot industrial business campus connected by a future cul-de-sac extension off Curtis Street.
Pereira said an unnamed prospective tenant would occupy the lot west of the future cul-de-sac, and the remaining lots would be sold.
Council did not pass Councilman Kevin Rider’s motion to suspend the rules requiring a third reading, with Councilwoman Linsey Griffith and Councilman Kyle Bogan dissenting.
The ordinance will return for a third reading on June 8.
Exterior property maintenance code changes
Council also approved updates to the city’s exterior property maintenance code, changing how code enforcement officers handle common complaints involving issues like tall grass, junk vehicles and peeling paint.
The city’s code enforcement division has typically used Chapter 1303 of the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) for everyday use.
“It establishes minimum requirements for things like light, ventilation, fire and sanitation,” Pereira said.
The new ordinance creates a separate city chapter focused specifically on exterior property maintenance standards commonly enforced by the city.
“And that is all exterior property maintenance, so all the things you all get complaints about,” Pereira said. “The junk cars, the tall grass, the peeling paint, all of those things would now be in a new chapter, which is Chapter 1311.”
Pereira said all the internal things, like making sure people have heat and air conditioning or screens in folks’ windows, would stay under IPMC’s Chapter 1303.
A key change to the code is that the city will no longer have to send certified letters for violations, but have the ability to post violations directly on the property.
The city intends to alert residents about the change in mailed water bills as well as social media outreach.
PPG Industries lands 15-year tax abatement
Council also approved a 100 percent, 15-year tax abatement for PPG Industries’ $280 million “Project Saturn” expansion in Delaware’s industrial park.
The project includes a planned 120,000-square-foot facility expansion expected to bring 100 new jobs to the area. School compensation agreements are included for Delaware City Schools and the Delaware Area Career Center.
Delaware Economic Development Director Nic Langford praised the project, and is excited to see one of the industrial park’s first occupants continue to grow while helping the city attract more development in the area.
Council voted to suspend the rules requiring a third reading and approved the ordinance.
