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Section 1

1.1: Overview
1.2: Economic Development Administration Grant Application Process Fact Sheet
1.3: (Section not used)
1.4: Checklist
1.5: Committee Structure Chart
1.6: Committee Framework
1.7: EDA Investment Guidelines
1.8: Glossary of Terms
1.9: State and County Committee(s) Meeting Timeline

Section 2

2.0: Committee Information

Section 3

3.1: State Strategies Executive Summary
3.2: An Overview of Liveable Delaware
3.3: Governor Ruth Ann Minner's New Economy Initiative
3.4: Online Resources and Contacts

Section 4

4.1: Air Quality
4.2: Brownfields
4.3: Energy
4.4: Land Use
4.5: Transportation
4.6: Wastewater
4.7: Water Quality
4.8: Water Supply

Section 5

5.1: Demographics
5.2: Economy
5.3: Industry Clusters

Section 6

6.0: Vision Statement

Section 7

7.0: Action Plan

Section 8

8.0: Evaluations

Section 9

9.1: Committee Structure
9.2: Kickoff Reception Agenda

 

Section 1.1

Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) Overview

What is a CEDS?

A CEDS is a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy designed to guide economic growth of an area. The CEDS process will help create jobs, foster more stable and diversified economies, and improve living conditions. It provides a mechanism for coordination among individuals, organizations, local governments, private industry, and other stakeholders concerned with economic development. As a strategic planning endeavor, a CEDS is a collaborative effort that ensures broad-based, diverse community participation and active engagement of committee members.

Why does Delaware need a CEDS?

A statewide CEDS will promote federal and local partnerships to address Delaware's economic development efforts. A CEDS is required to qualify for U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) assistance and serves as a prerequisite for Economic Development District (EDD) designation by the federal organization. EDA's policy is to direct its investments in these EDDs on strategies resulting from locally controlled participatory planning processes established to develop and maintain long-term economic development plans.

How does EDA determine area eligibility?

Areas considered by EDA to be distressed may qualify to develop a CEDS. To receive EDA assistance, a region must be distressed based on specific criteria, including unemployment, underemployment, per capita income, and special conditions impacting the economy of a region. According to EDA, all of Kent and Sussex Counties, the City of Wilmington, and several areas in New Castle County are considered distressed.

How is a CEDS developed?

The key to a good strategy is an ongoing, participatory planning process. Therefore, it is essential to establish working committees consisting of enthusiastic, dedicated citizen volunteers who represent diverse interests and perspectives. Committees representing New Castle, Kent, and Sussex Counties will be formed and provide recommendations to a statewide CEDS committee. The Delaware Economic Development Office (DEDO), working with the University of Delaware's Institute for Public Administration (IPA), will oversee the process and provide staff support to each of the working committees.

What does the planning effort involve?

It is anticipated that the development of the Delaware CEDS will take approximately one year. EDA has established inclusive CEDS guidelines to direct the process. The four main elements of a CEDS are: analysis, vision, action plan, and evaluation. At the conclusion of the process, a CEDS document will serve as a strategic plan for the state's economic development activities. Within this document, a list of projects will be proposed that meet EDA investment policy.

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Section 1.2

Economic Development Administration Grant Application Process Fact Sheet

What is EDA?

The Economic Development Administration (EDA) is a federal agency that provides grant assistance to economically distressed communities.

What types of projects can EDA fund?

EDA provides direct grants, on a cost-share basis, for projects that will create and retain private-sector jobs and leverage public and private investments in distressed communities. EDA provides community and regional economic assistance for the following program activities:

• Planning and technical assistance to build local capacity for economic development programs and projects. This includes assistance for local, state, and regional planning organizations that target distressed rural and urban communities, and for University centers and other projects that provide technical support for economic development.
  
  
• Public works and development facilities to support industrial, commercial, and technology-based employment in eligible areas experiencing economic distress. Examples include grants to improve or develop transportation facilities, water and sewer systems for industrial use, industrial parks and buildings, business incubators and technology training centers, telecommunication facilities, and research parks.
  
  
• Economic-adjustment assistance to address severe economic dislocations, natural disasters, or other special needs. In addition, grants may be used to establish revolving-loan funds for business retention, expansion, or new enterprise development.
  
  

How does EDA determine area eligibility?

To receive EDA assistance, a community must be distressed based on at least one of EDA's standards (unemployment, per capita income, or a special situation such as a military base closure, natural disaster, etc.). Based on 2000 Census data, the average per capita income for the U.S. was $30,413. A community is considered distressed if its per capita income is 80 percent or less of the U.S. average (i.e., $24330 or less). All of Sussex County and Kent County are eligible for EDA assistance based on per capita income. Delineated areas of New Castle County are eligible based on per capita income and/or unemployment rates.

A Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) is needed!

In 1998, EDA implemented a planning requirement that must be completed before applicants can apply for EDA grant assistance (except planning grants). Applicants must first develop a CEDS process before EDA will consider an application for assistance.

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Section 1.4

CEDS Checklist

Five Key Elements

• Documentation of Planning Process
• Analysis
• Vision Statement
• Action Plan
• Evaluation of Process

Documentation of Planning Process

• Description of planning process (organization and management)
• Identification and description of CEDS committee and interests
• Copies of summaries from CEDS committee meetings (Appendix)
• Evidence that CEDS has been adopted or endorsed (Letter from chief official, resolution, copy of committee meeting minutes)

Analysis (Where are we now?)

• Background information
• Economic and demographic data (10-20 years past/present) (5 yrs. into future/updates)
• Issues covered
  • The state of the regional economy (strengths and weaknesses)
  • External trends and forces (opportunities and threats)
  • Partners for economic development (Who are the important actors in the region?)
  • Resources for economic development

Vision Statement (Where do we want to be in 10-20 years?)

• Goals
• Objectives (short- and long-term)
• Setting priorities (finding the resources, ranking goals)

Action Plan (How do we get there? Who helps us? How long will it take?)

• Prioritization of programs and activities
• Implementation schedule

Evaluation (How are we doing? What can we do better?)

• How did we or how will we determine the effectiveness of the process?
• How effective was the process?
• How will we improve upon the process?
• What are the outcomes?

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Section 1.5

CEDS Committee Structure Chart

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Section 1.6

CEDS Committee Framework

Structure & Governance

Structure

To adhere to EDA procedures requiring a representative and participatory CEDS process (see EDA Investment Guidelines), the Delaware CEDS committee structure calls for the appointment of citizen representatives to one statewide CEDS Committee and three jurisdictional (i.e., county/target-area based) committees.

Based on this structure, the statewide CEDS Committee will comprise approximately 27 members representing the diverse cultural and professional interests and socioeconomic backgrounds of the citizens and community groups within Delaware. DEDO-specified industry clusters will also be represented. The three county committees will comprise approximately nineteen members each, some of whom will also serve on the statewide CEDS Committee. Like the statewide CEDS Committee, each county committee will represent a variety of statewide interests and backgrounds but will further represent the specific interests and needs of the three county-based target areas (see Target-Area Map). The total membership of the CEDS committees will be approximately 70 individuals (see CEDS Committee Structure Chart).

Governance

The governance of the CEDS process will reflect a "bottom-up," participatory approach with the three county committees determining target-area priorities and providing recommendations to the statewide CEDS Committee. The statewide CEDS Committee will review the priorities and recommendations presented by the three county committees and make final recommendations of statewide economic development initiatives to the EDA for funding support consideration. The statewide CEDS Committee will also serve as the primary entity responsible for the initial development, continual updating, and long-term facilitation of the Delaware CEDS planning and implementation process.

Recommended Statewide CEDS Committee Members

Recommendations for appointment to the statewide committee were made based on the potential of individuals to broadly represent statewide issues by virtue of their skills, abilities, experiences, and interests (e.g., director/member of an organization or program that personifies all three counties). The statewide CEDS Committee will serve as a permanent decision-making authority in the long-term CEDS process but will be initially appointed for one-year terms. A process will be developed to reappoint the CEDS Committee members to staggered terms ranging from one to five years.

Recommended CEDS County Committee Members

Those recommended for appointment to the three county committees were selected on the basis of their representation of a particular county or target area (e.g., local business owner servicing one county or area within a county) or their particular knowledge base of a local issue (e.g., water and wastewater-treatment alternatives in a particular target area). Those selected to serve on both a county committee and the statewide CEDS Committee were chosen on the basis of their interest or knowledge of a particular county as well as their current and/or potential influence and representation of broader, statewide issues. Based on the committee structure, county committee members will serve for one year with reinstatement to staggered terms ranging from one to five years.

Committee Support & Communications

It will be the primary responsibility of the CEDS Project Planning Team (comprising IPA and DEDO staff) to ensure that those appointed to serve on a CEDS committee are well informed of why a Delaware CEDS is necessary and how the CEDS process will be implemented by each committee. The following components were identified by the CEDS Project Team as necessary to providing reliable and high-quality support to selected committee members throughout the overall CEDS process.

CEDS Committee Member Notebooks

The CEDS Project Team is responsible for developing and distributing project notebooks to each appointed committee member. All individuals selected to serve on a committee (whether statewide or county) will receive the same notebook content. The notebooks will serve as guides to the CEDS process and will outline the CEDS components that will be addressed during committee member tenure (e.g., the current and future economic and demographic status of the state and each county, the utilization of surveys in developing vision statements and action plans, and the methods for prioritizing and recommending economic development projects for funding support).

Communication among the CEDS Project Team and CEDS committee members will take place via telephone, U.S. mail, e-mail, and fax. Committees, with the technical assistance of the CEDS Project Team, may decide to set up e-mail distribution lists and/or other group communication venues to effectively correspond with committee and CEDS Project Team members. CEDS Project Team and committee member contact information is available to all committee members (see Contact Information).

There is also a Delaware CEDS website (www.state.de.us/ceds). The website will help committee members track their work and meeting schedules, review meeting minutes, and obtain citizen feedback about the CEDS process.

Facilitation and Documentation of Committee Work

The CEDS Project Team will be responsible for the facilitation, documentation, and posting of all committee meetings and decisions. The Team will be responsible for recording committee work and ensuring that committee meeting minutes, decisions, or other pertinent information are made public through appropriate publications, notices, and the Delaware CEDS website. The specific roles of all key players participating in committee meetings are discussed in Section IX.

CEDS Committee Meetings

Several committee meetings will be devoted to disseminating background information relative to the CEDS process and state and county economic perspectives. During these meetings, all committee members will be briefed on pertinent policy issues and processes relative to developing a statewide CEDS plan. During county committee meetings, members primarily will address and analyze the needs and interests of each particular target area, which will result in well-documented summaries and recommendations to the statewide CEDS Committee. Statewide CEDS Committee members will review, analyze, and score the priorities and recommendations set forth by the county committees.

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Section 1.7

EDA Investment Guidelines

Investment applications will be competitively evaluated on their ability to meet or exceed the following investment policy guidelines.

Be market-based and results-driven. An investment will capitalize on a region's competitive strengths and will positively move a regional economic indicator measured on EDA's Balanced Scorecard, such as an increased number of higher-skill, higher-wage jobs, increased tax revenue, or increased private-sector investment.

Have strong organizational leadership.  An investment will have strong leadership, relevant project-management experience, and a significant commitment of human resources talent to ensure a project's successful execution.

Advance productivity, innovation, and entrepreneurship.  An investment will embrace the principles of entrepreneurship, enhance regional clusters, and leverage and link technology innovators and local universities to the private sector to create the conditions for greater productivity, innovation, and job creation.

Look beyond the immediate economic horizon, anticipate economic changes, and diversify the local and regional economy. An investment will be part of an overarching, long-term comprehensive economic development strategy that enhances a region's success in achieving a rising standard of living by supporting existing industry clusters, developing emerging new clusters, or attracting new regional economic drivers.

Demonstrate a high degree of commitment by exhibiting

• High levels of local-government or nonprofit matching funds and private-sector leverage.
• Clear and unified leadership and support by local elected officials.
• Strong cooperation among the business sector, relevant regional partners, and local, state, and federal governments.

For more information visit www.eda.gov/InvestmentsGrants/Inpolguideline.xml

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Section 1.8

Glossary of Terms

To provide CEDS committee members with a better understanding of economic development jargon that may be used during meetings and presentations, a glossary has been prepared of selected economic development terms. Please note that this is not a comprehensive list but provides an understanding of more commonly used concepts and terminology. In some cases, websites will be listed to provide detailed information on a particular term or topic. In addition, because land use and comprehensive plans provide the blueprint for economic development activities, land use planning and policy terms are also defined or summarized.

Economic Development

Best Practices

Strategies or programs that have resulted in economic development successes in other communities, regions, or states. Best practice strategies provide direct economic development benefits to a community as well as indirect benefits, such as increased revenue to existing businesses, support to the local tax base (which funds essential public services), and a sense or actualization of an improved quality of life for community members.

Brownfields

Brownfields are industrial or commercial properties that were previously developed and either abandoned or underutilized due to potential or confirmed hazardous substance contamination. Sustainable economic development strategies encourage the reuse of these sites, although clean-up may be costly. In Delaware, brownfields legislation has provided financial incentives to qualified businesses that wish to conduct and investigation of and/or clean up a certified brownsfield site (see Brownsfields Fact Sheet).

Brownfields Redevelopment

This term refers to the active remediation and redevelopment of a formerly contaminated industrial or commercial property. Brownfields redevelopment projects can promote community revitalization, limit sprawl through site reuse, and improve the quality of the environment.

Business Climate

This hotly contested term refers to how favorably a business or industry views an area when considering a relocation or expansion. Some economic developers assert that public goods, such as proximity to customers and suppliers, availability of skilled labor, the quality of the infrastructure, and the supply of other factors, influence economic development. Therefore, they contend that investments should be directed at education, workforce training, and infrastructure improvement. Other stakeholders in economic development argue that private deals drive economic development and that a good business climate is determined by tax breaks and/or private deals for desirable or newly arriving businesses.

Business Incubators

This economic development tool helps emerging or new businesses in a community by providing support services such as business and marketing plans, building management skills, obtaining financing, and often securing shared work spaces or equipment with other similar businesses.

Business-Improvement Districts

A designated commercial area or central business district that levies a special tax or assessment to allow for the coordination of business-improvement activities, such as facade and streetscape improvements, maintenance agreements, or security agreements.

Business-Retention Strategies

Local economic development stakeholders, such as Main Street Organizations, often adopt business-retention strategies to retain existing and attract new businesses. Initiatives may include direct business support, training, networking, mentoring, and financial assistance.

"Cash Register Chasing"

A phrase coined in the 1990s, this refers to discretionary decisions made by local governments (particularly in California and Utah) to provide massive subsidies or other major incentives to attract malls or "big box" retail stores to increase property-tax revenue. The decision to expand local revenue sources, without regard to a jurisdiction's comprehensive plan, can lead to development in non-designated areas, sprawl, a growth in low-quality jobs, and often negatively impacts a town's central business district and business retention.

CEDS

An acronym for Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy. A CEDS is a local planning process designed to guide the economic growth of an area or region. A CEDS is required to qualify for U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) funding assistance and is a prerequisite for designation by EDA as an economic development district (EDD) (see CEDS Fact Sheet).

Central Business District

The major commercial downtown center of a community that may provide a variety of business, office, and/or residential uses.

Cluster Strategy

A collaborative effort involving government, private businesses, industry, and often universities to attract research and development in geographic clusters of related growth industries.

Community Development Block Grants

Grants funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to finance state and local economic development projects.

Community Development Corporations

These entities are local non profit organizations that promote revitalization of a community through affordable housing rehabilitation, promotion of mixed-use development, and neighborhood and central business district renewal.

Cost-Benefit Analysis

The comparison between the costs of an economic development activity and the benefit to the community.

Disinvestment

Corporate disinvestment may occur when cutbacks occur in facility maintenance, number of jobs, manufacturing, wages, and benefits. Public disinvestment of a community may occur when there is a lack of funds invested in the infrastructure, public services, and physical maintenance. Disinvestment can have a spillover effect on the vitality of the community's economy.

Distressed

This is the new, more politically correct term for "blight" used to describe an area that has either/or a high rate of unemployment, low-income households, or underemployment and therefore may be eligible for geographically targeted government subsidies such as an enterprise zone, tax increment financing district (TIF), or EDA economic development district (EDD). EDA-defined distressed areas in Delaware include Sussex County, Kent County, the City of Wilmington, and portions of New Castle County (see map of EDA-defined Distressed Areas in Delaware).

Economic Development

The mobilization of human, financial, capital, physical, and natural resources to generate marketable goods and services.

Economic Development Administration (EDA)

An agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce that provides grants and investment programs to state and local entities for technical assistance, public works, economic-adjustment assistance and other activities to support economic development efforts. For more information visit www.eda.gov.

Economic Impact Analysis

Relates the total impact of a given activity in a defined geographic area (nation, region, state, county) to a particular economic activity. Impact may be measured in terms such as employment, income, and output.

Employment Multipliers: The total number of jobs that are generated by an activity including direct jobs, indirect jobs, and induced jobs. While an economic development project will provide direct economic benefits to a community, the multiplier effect (also known as the ripple effect) magnifies the initial impact that generates the total impact on the area.

Direct Jobs
Direct economic impacts consist of the jobs and payroll created by the primary producers or activity.

Indirect Jobs
Indirect impacts consist of the additional jobs and payroll created when the primary producing company purchases goods and services from the many diverse businesses that support it. These businesses include equipment suppliers, construction services, transportation services, management services, food services, and many other types of support businesses. The direct impacts include both the payroll of the support businesses themselves, and the additional payroll created when employees of the support businesses spend their wages throughout the local economy.

Induced Jobs
Induced effects consist of the additional payroll created throughout the economy when the employees of the primary producers spend their personal incomes on consumer goods, other property, services, and taxes.

Enterprise Zones (EZ):

Located in specific geographic, economically depressed areas, EZs provide multiple subsidies such as property tax abatements, tax exemptions, and corporate income tax breaks to entice companies to locate within the zone. States may have specific names for their EZ (such as Keystone Opportunity Zones in Pennsylvania or Empire Zones in New York), and federal enterprise zones are generally called empowerment zones.

Entrepreneurial Training: Programs that provide support and instruction on basic business practices to enable an entrepreneurial business a better chance of success.

Greenfield: The opposite of a brownfield, the term refers to a development of farmland or open space. Greenfields are synonymous with sprawl, as development generally occurs in an area that has not been designated for development.

Hard Infrastructure: Tangible investments that are necessary to improve the physical environment to better retain, expand, or recruit businesses and support economic development. Programs and projects may include:

• Developing, improving and/or expanding transportation systems, including railway services, airports, ports, and roadways
• Developing, improving, and/or expanding industrial sites, commercial districts, and central business districts
• Upgrading or expanding water and wastewater systems
• Improving and expanding the telecommunications systems
• Improving and expanding the energy systems
• Preserving and protecting environmentally sensitive areas or systems
• Enhancing publicly owned physical systems or services that benefit all community members services (public safety, refuse removal, road maintenance, utility network)

Incentives: Grants, loans, tax breaks or other subsidies provided at the state or local level that are used to retain and attract businesses.

Industry Clusters: A geographically based concentration of companies and industries that are engaged in similar activities and interconnected by the markets they serve and products they produce. (See Fact Sheet on Industry Clusters)

Livable Delaware: Initiated by Governor Ruth AnnMinner in March 2001, Livable Delaware is a proactive strategy that seeks to curb sprawl and direct growth to areas where the state, counties, and local governments are prepared in terms of infrastructure investment and thoughtful planning. Guiding principles of the Livable Delaware initiative are:

• Guide growth to designated areas.
• Preserve farmland and open space.
• Promote infill and redevelopment.
• Facilitate attractive, affordable housing.
• Protect the quality of life while slowing sprawl.

For more information see www.state.de.us/planning/livedel/default.shtml.

Main Street: A downtown or neighborhood shopping area, business, and/or residential district that often has a unique character and attracts patrons.

Main Street Approach: This approach to commercial-district revitalization, advocated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, is a community-driven, comprehensive methodology used to revitalize older, traditional business districts. The Main Street Four-Point Approach encompasses work in four distinct areas (Design, Economic Restructuring, Promotion, and Organization) to address a commercial district's needs. Delaware's current local Main Street programs are located in Brandywine Village, Delaware City, Dover, Middletown, Newark, Rehoboth Beach, Seaford, Smyrna, and Wilmington.

For more information on the national program see www.mainstreet.org.

For more information on local programs see www.delawaremainstreet.com.

New Economy:  A knowledge- and idea-based economy where job creation is driven by ideas, innovation, and technology.

New Economy Initiative: Unveiled by Governor Ruth Ann Minner in February 2004, the New Economy Initiative is a comprehensive plan to direct state and matching private and federal funds to bolster the Delaware economy. The initiative includes

• A Competitiveness Fund to spur new investments in existing manufacturing businesses.
• Venture capital funding for emerging or expanding Delaware businesses.
• Seed funding for technology-based small business start-ups.
• Programs to boost Delaware's emerging technologies.
• Funding to encourage clean energy research and manufacturers.
• Investment aimed at improving research and development, especially in biotechnology.

For more information see http://www.state.de.us/governor/news/2004/02february.

New Urbanism: The creation and restoration of diverse, walkable, compact, and mixed-use communities.

Smart Growth: A term coined by Maryland Governor Parris Glendening in 1997, smart growth refers to policies that encourage development or redevelopment in designated growth areas. Glendening's initiative allowed development anywhere but provided state subsidies for development or redevelopment in areas with existing or planned infrastructure improvements, or "Priority Funding Areas." In Delaware, the comprehensive strategy to encourage smart growth and control sprawl is called "Livable Delaware."

The EPA identifies ten principles of smart growth:

• Mixed land uses
• Compact building design
• Housing opportunities and choices
• Walkable neighborhoods
• Attractive communities
• Directed development
• Transportation options
• Thoughtful development decisions
• Community and stakeholder collaboration in development decisions

Soft Infrastructure: Investments in less-tangible aspects of economic development to improve the commercial environment for businesses, such as education, quality-of-life infrastructure (recreation and leisure services), housing, job training, business support and networking, research and development funding, local-government service provision, social services, and crime-prevention initiatives.

Sprawl: Undesirable development patterns that are characterized by development in greenfields or previously undeveloped areas, reduction of open space areas, development outside an established central business district or designated growth area, increased dependence on car travel, and strict separation of residential from non-residential areas.

Sustainable Development: Economic development that targets knowledge-based industries, enhances the long-term competitiveness of a community or region, provides diverse and high-income jobs, is consistent with the overall vision for the community, and provides long-term benefits and quality-of-life improvements to the community.

SWOT Analysis: The acronym for an assessment tool that examines the Strengths (local assets), Weaknesses (obstacles to growth), Opportunities (favorable external conditions), and Threats (unfavorable external conditions) for economic growth.

Target Industry: An industry (or industries) desirable for recruiting or retaining, based on the overall vision for the community and the SWOT analysis.

Transportation Infrastructure: A critical element in economic development to ensure that companies are able to transport their products to market in a timely, cost-effective, and competitive manner.

Underemployment: Occurs when a portion of the labor force works in jobs below their earning potential (low-paying jobs).

Workforce Development: Community efforts to train individuals for specific jobs or industries that are in line with the "new economy" and provide higher-level wages for skilled workers.

Planning

Capital Improvement Plans: A long-range financial plan used by local governments that includes a capital program with an implementation schedule and projected budget for future capital improvements such as roads, infrastructure upgrades, and other public facilities.

Comprehensive Plan: The blueprint for a community's growth, development, and preservation plans that outlines a community's vision for the future and identifies specific policies that can be implemented in order to achieve that vision. House Bill 255, enacted in Delaware in 2001, requires local governments to adopt comprehensive plans showing future growth areas before they can annex and requires that zoning codes be consistent with the future land use portion of the comprehensive plan. The Office of State Planning Coordination is responsible for certifying all comprehensive plans.

Conditional Use: A use that may be allowed in a zoning district after a review hearing is held and any necessary conditions are imposed, so that the use is made compatible with other uses in the vicinity.

Conservation Easements: A legal agreement between a private landowner and an organization, such as a private land trust, which allows the property owner to maintain ownership but restricts development of the property in order to conserve the natural resources, viewsheds, habitat, or farmland.

Designated Growth Areas: Describes land already developed or appropriate for future growth.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS): A spatial database system that has become an important tool for local planning and mapping of a jurisdiction's land use, infrastructure, and key assets.

Historic District: An area designated as having aesthetic, architectural, historical, cultural, or archaeological attributes that is worthy of protection, enhancement, and investment.

Historic Preservation: The protection and maintenance of places of historical significance to a community. Historic preservation investment can maximize use of existing infrastructure, curb sprawl, boost tourism and promote a unique local identity, and stimulate new reinvestment in older communities.

Impact Fees: Financial payments made to a municipality by a developer to provide some or all of the physical improvements needed by a proposed development and its impact on the surrounding community. Many smaller municipalities are growing rapidly and are not able to fund costs to expand or maintain existing infrastructure and, therefore, must levy impact fees for capital improvements such as sewers, water lines, parks, or schools.

Improved Land: Raw land that has been improved with infrastructure such as roads and utilities and is ready for development.

Infill Development: The recycling of vacant or underutilized lands within previously developed districts.

Land Use Regulation: Adopted by ordinance, these laws regulate any aspect of land use and community-resource protection and include zoning, subdivision, and environmental protection regulations.

Mixed Use: To promote economic viability of an area, some zoning districts permit multiple land uses within a particular district. For example, many central business districts provide for mixed uses by allowing the placement of residential units above commercial properties.

Open Space: Undeveloped land that is intentionally preserved in its natural state for ecological, historical, or recreational purposes or in its cultivated state for agricultural, forested, or greenbelt purposes.

Overlay Zone: An area for which standards above those in the base zoning district apply. Overlay zones are often created in order to foster context-sensitive development in areas with unique characteristics and may be found in historic, downtown, or environmentally sensitive locations.

Permitted Use: A use permitted "by right" in a zoning district. This means that property owners have the right to engage in these land uses as long as they meet all of the requirements and standards in the applicable zoning ordinance.

Rezoning: A zoning map amendment that allows for a different set of permitted and conditional uses to take place on a parcel of land.

Subdivision: The legal division of a parcel of land into smaller lots, as permitted by the zoning code, for the purpose of development.

Transfer of Development Rights (TDR): A voluntary process where the development rights of an owner of environmentally sensitive or prime agriculture land are transferred to community-designated growth areas. A TDR enables a landowner to sell the development rights of protected land to developers building in growth areas. Benefits include the preservation of open space and agriculture areas, continued property ownership, incentives to build in designated growth areas, and adequate compensation for land owners who transfer development rights.

Zoning Code: The body of zoning laws or ordinances that are adopted by communities to regulate the use of land and to implement policies set forth in a community's land use plan. A zoning ordinance consists of two parts: a map that shows how the community is divided into zoning districts and text that provides a narrative description of the permitted uses and provides a blueprint for the future development of the community.

Zoning District: An area within a community designated for certain kinds of uses, according to the local zoning code

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Section 1.9

Section 1.9 is a detailed chart showing CEDS Timelines.

Please download the CEDS timelines as a Excel Spreadsheet.

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Section 2

COMMITTEE INFORMATION

To see a list of CEDS committees, please visit the committees page.

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Section 3.1

STATE STRATEGIES EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This is an Executive Summary of the 2004 update of the Strategies for State Policies and Spending document.

Purpose

The purpose of this document, as with the original Strategies for State Policies and Spending document, is to coordinate land-use decision-making with the provision of infrastructure and services in a manner that makes best use of our natural and fiscal resources. The importance of such coordination lies in the fact that land-use decisions are made at the local level while the bulk of infrastructure (e.g., roads and schools) and services (e.g., emergency services and social services) that support land-use decisions are funded by the state.

Thus, the cooperative development of this document with local governments and citizens helps to create a unified view toward growth and preservation priorities that all governments can use to allocate resources. To demonstrate the state's commitment to the principles of this document, state agencies are directed to fund only those projects that are in compliance with these strategies.

In essence, there are two fundamental policies that guide the State Strategies:

• State spending should promote quality, efficiency, and compact growth.
• State Policies should foster order and resource protection, not degradation.

It is important to note that none of the maps contained within this document are "parcel-based," so it is still necessary to thoroughly investigate the constraints of a particular land parcel with the local jurisdiction that controls the land-use decision. Thus, any land development activity must meet all of the relevant local codes and ordinances.

This document is intended for a diverse audience including state agencies, local governments, developers, and citizens. The various chapters are organized around topic areas and tabbed for ease of use.

Following is a brief discussion of the contents of each section of this document.

Introduction

In 1999, the Cabinet Committee on State Planning Issues approved the first State Strategies. The first document was developed to guide state investment decisions to promote efficient development patterns, protect agriculture and open space, discourage sprawl, and communicate with local governments on land-use matters. This document is a scheduled five-year update to the original document.

During the update process, the Office of State Planning Coordination consulted state agencies, county governments, metropolitan planning organizations, and local governments for comments. State-certified municipal and county comprehensive plans were also referred to during the data-gathering process.

In addition, the Office of State Planning Coordination held a total of seven public meetings, two in each of Delaware's three counties and one in the City of Wilmington to solicit the public's comments on the State Strategies text and maps. Comments were also accepted in writing, through e-mail, and via an online form.

Coordinating Government

Governor Minner developed her Livable Delaware agenda to enhance efforts to implement the State Strategies. To do this, she focused her administration's efforts on administrative and legislative initiatives to strengthen land-use planning efforts at the state and local levels. Key initiatives included

• The issuance of Executive Order 14 - directing State agencies to develop Livable Delaware plans
• House Bill 255 - a far reaching piece of legislation that created a plan-certification process and reformed the annexation process, among other things
• Senate Bill 65 - Preliminary Land Use Services (PLUS) for the review of development projects early in the development process.

Directing Growth

In this update, the map designations have been changed from names, such as "Community," "Developing," and "Rural" to Levels 1 - 4 and "Out-of-Play" to avoid confusion caused by misinterpreting names. Levels 1 through 3 identify which areas of the state are most prepared for growth and where the state can make the most cost-effective infrastructure investments, for the likes of schools, roads, and public safety. In the Level 4 areas where development is not currently preferred, the state will make investments that will help preserve a rural character, such as investments to promote open space and agriculture. Out-of-Play lands are those that generally cannot be developed for reasons including they are federal- or state-owned protected lands or parkland, the development rights have been purchased, or state or local regulations prohibit development on them.

Investing Effectively

The state makes significant investments depending on where and how growth occurs. For instance, 201 schools receive nearly two-thirds of their funding from the state, DelDOT is responsible for maintaining nearly 90 percent of the more than 12,000 lane miles in Delaware (the nationwide average for states is approximately 20 percent), and the state also funds 14 State Service Centers that deliver more than 160 programs and services to accommodate approximately 600,000 visits annually. Thus, the need to coordinate with those making land-use decisions cannot be stressed enough.

In part, the State Strategies are meant to act as a guide for adequate infrastructure provision throughout Delaware while minimizing the burden on the state's taxpayers. Thus, the three general strategies are

• Towns, counties, and the state are collectively involved in the infrastructure-planning process.
• Existing infrastructure should be utilized before new infrastructure is constructed.
• When it is necessary to expand new infrastructure, it should be expanded in a logical manner that aims to serve first those areas closest to existing services.

Improving Housing Choice

Various house-siting techniques can provide a great deal of cost savings, which ultimately can open up housing choices for many more people. In particular, use of properly designed compact development can significantly reduce housing costs. Besides the decrease in infrastructure costs (on average, about 32 percent), compact development produces a more diverse range of transportation options, a more economical extension of services and utilities, and the location near existing developed areas and higher densities enable natural qualities and agriculture areas to be preserved and protected.

Preserving Delaware

Just as "built" infrastructure such as roads, water, sewer, and electric are always carefully planned, so should "green infrastructure" be planned, designed, and fiscally supported. The state has allocated and continues to allocate significant resources for land preservation. Since 1990, the state's Open Space program has invested more than $209 million to preserve more than 43,000 acres of land. In addition, more than 76,000 acres of agriculture land have been permanently protected with more than $90 million spent for the purchase of preservation easements. Planning is essential, because much of this activity requires contiguous parcels to be effective. The Livable Delaware Advisory Council's Green Infrastructure Subcommittee was charged with recommending strategies for conservation and management of natural resources, recreational lands, and working lands. They were also asked to work towards creating an interconnected network of green spaces, which this chapter reviews.

Involving Citizens

The best opportunity for citizens to get involved with the land-use decision-making process is to attend local government public hearings and workshops for local planning commissions and boards of adjustments. The development of a Comprehensive Plan is perhaps the most important step for the town or county. This document sets the overall pattern of land use. Additionally, all land-use regulations are based on this document. Many jurisdictions conduct extensive public participation efforts to gauge citizen input on these documents.

Promoting Sustainable Jobs

Quality jobs located in areas that can support them and enhance Delaware's quality of life is the focus of Delaware's economic development programs. Some of the key issues in promoting sustainable jobs include promoting infill and redevelopment, especially of brownfield sites. Making the redevelopment of brownfields easier and more financially attractive has been a key goal of Livable Delaware. Other considerations are promoting cleaner, high-paying jobs of the future to replace jobs in the manufacturing sector and helping Delaware's cities and towns attract entrepreneurs who will help fuel the New Economy.

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Section 3.2

AN OVERVIEW OF LIVABLE DELAWARE

Livable Delaware is a positive, proactive strategy to curb sprawl and direct growth to areas where the state, county, and local governments are most prepared for it in terms of infrastructure investment and thoughtful planning. It builds on the foundation laid by the Strategies for State Policies and Spending, first approved in 1999 and comprehensively updated in 2004.

Livable Delaware is not anti-growth. It uses "carrots" rather than "sticks" to guide growth.

What is the state's role in land use?

Delaware's population is projected to grow by more than 200,000 people between now and 2030. The state of Delaware has a stake in how and where growth occurs. Unlike most other states, Delaware provides most services and infrastructure throughout the state-social services, prisons, roads and transit, the largest police force in the state, about 70 percent of school funding, 50 percent of library construction funding, and 60 percent of paramedic funding.

Governor Minner believes that state government's responsibility is to provide these services and infrastructure efficiently, not haphazardly. Sprawl wastes taxpayers' money.

What is wrong with sprawl?

A 2001 Centers for Disease Control study defines sprawl as "uncontrolled, poorly planned, low-density and single-use community growth." Besides wasting taxpayers' money, sprawl damages our quality of life in Delaware by

• contributing to the loss of about 3,500 acres of farmland a year (Source: Delaware Department of Agriculture).
• exacerbating traffic congestion and air pollution.
• lengthening response times for emergency responders.
• destroying natural habitat and contributing to groundwater depletion and pollution.
• contributing to flooding and drought problems because of the increase in impervious surfaces (buildings, roads, parking lots).
• contributing to a sedentary and unhealthy lifestyle (Source: 2001 Centers for Disease Control study)

Accomplishments

Under the Livable Delaware agenda, the Governor has established a Livable Delaware Advisory Council, provided assistance for local governments to support Comprehensive Land Use Plans at all levels of government, overseen a careful review of state laws to improve land-use planning and growth management, among other initiatives.

The Livable Delaware agenda centers on the Strategies for State Policies and Spending document, first developed in 1999 and comprehensively updated in 2004. In September 2004, Governor Minner signed Executive Order #59, directing state agencies to use the Strategies to help guide their efforts to implement the Livable Delaware agenda.

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Section 3.3

Governor Ruth Ann Minner's New Economy Initiative

"The era of opportunity we are entering presents us with the chance to diversify and fortify the Delaware economy. In February, I will unveil the details of an economic- development package. The New Economy Initiative will be a comprehensive plan to put more than $46 million in state and matching private and federal funds to work bolstering the Delaware economy."

- From Gov. Minner's State of the State Address, January 22, 2004

Components of the New Economy Initiative

Delaware Competitiveness Fund

The Delaware Competitiveness Fund will make one-time investments to preserve jobs at existing Delaware companies in the face of global competition. The fund will ensure capital investments are made in research and development as well as production. The fund is designed to:

• Provide a matching grant program to induce manufacturers to modernize their facilities, thus keeping traditionally high-wage jobs.
• Assist existing manufacturers in transforming to newer processes and products that will keep the facility in operation.
• Bring in or diversify new product lines.
• Find buyers for idled facilities (such as VPI Mirrex) that have an available workforce and the capability to produce products.
• Bring research and development operations related to existing manufacturing, abate taxes, provide specific training for new processes, provide low-interest loans, etc.

Thousands of jobs could be preserved with the Delaware Competitiveness Fund. A facility must not have any unresolved environmental violations in order to receive funding.

Gov. Minner's Fiscal Year 2005 budget proposal included $12.5 million from the capital budget to create the Delaware Competitiveness Fund.

Venture Capital

Venture capital is generally used by firms with an established viable business that requires funding for future growth. Investments range from $300,000 into the millions and are made with an expected rate of return. This proposal by Gov. Minner will:

• Provide $3 million in capital to a Delaware-focused private-sector venture fund for investment in emerging businesses.
• Potentially leverage up to an additional $6 million in federal funds from the Small Business Administration through this investment.
• Continue an initiative begun in the mid-1990s by providing a new one-time investment in venture funding.

DEDO has already provided some funding for venture capital, leading to investments in companies like Foxfire Printing in Newark (growing Foxfire from 15 to 65 jobs) and Solstice Systems in North Wilmington (from 5 to 17 jobs). The $3 million for venture- capital investments would come from the FY05 capital budget. This proposal fulfills a major recommendation of the Governor's Strategic Economic Council.

Technology-Based Small-Business Seed Funds

Seed money has been cited by many business leaders, nationally and locally, as a critical need in Delaware. Small businesses are a critical piece of our state's economy, comprising 98 percent of the businesses in Delaware and employing two-thirds of the state's workers. Recognizing the need and the opportunity to foster high-wage small businesses in technology fields, Gov. Minner proposes the creation of Technology-Based Small-Business Seed Funds, to be used to:

• Fund technology-based small-business start-ups from Delaware's bright minds, including entrepreneurial engineers and scientists from local companies, including those that have been downsized (such as DuPont, Invista, Playtex, etc.), as well as researchers from higher education institutions or scientists from research labs.
• Provide equity or grants up to $50,000 for start-up expenses such as lab equipment, working capital, lab and office space, patent filings, or prototyping, with competitive grant awards recommended to the Delaware Economic Development Office from an outside team of experts.
• Ensure a commitment from the recipient to grow the company in Delaware.

Technology-Based Small-Business Seed Funds will help stimulate an entrepreneurial spirit in Delaware using one-time money. This proposal fulfills a recommendation of the Governor's Strategic Economic Council and would be funded with $1.5 million from the proposed FY05 capital budget.

Technology-Based Small-Business Seed Funds will help stimulate an entrepreneurial spirit in Delaware using one-time money. This proposal fulfills a recommendation of the Governor's Strategic Economic Council and would be funded with $1.5 million from the proposed FY05 capital budget.

Virtual Emerging-Technologies Incubator

Traditional business incubators are physical buildings that have support services located on-site to assist start-up firms. The traditional approach is very capital-intensive and can assist a limited number of start-up businesses. Gov. Minner proposes a Virtual Emerging-Technology Incubator that will:

• Provide services needed by start-up technology firms-including general legal advice, accounting, marketing, financial, patent and trademark services-via the Internet, through webcasts, interactive sessions, chat rooms, self-paced learning modules, etc.
• Be made available to start-up high-technology-based businesses anywhere in Delaware.
• Support and encourage scientists, engineers and others with emerging-technology entrepreneurial ideas to start and grow their businesses.
• Provide services and education necessary to move an idea to commercialization, as well as assist spin-out efforts from existing companies and higher education research facilities.
• Leverage and enhance existing support services for small businesses (such as SBDC, DSU, UD, DTCC, MWUL, private-sector firms, etc.).

The Virtual Emerging-Technology Incubator fulfills a recommendation from the Governor's Strategic Economic Council and would be funded with $1 million from the FY05 capital budget.

Clean-Energy Research Center

Delaware is home to two industry leaders in fuel-cell research and development - DuPont and W.L. Gore. Gov. Minner proposes that Delaware establish a fuel-cell research center in partnership with the private sector and the University of Delaware to:

• Establish a goal of making Delaware a center of the evolving fuel-cell industry.
• Leverage a $1 million match from the federal government.
• Leverage monies invested by DuPont, Gore, and potentially others to create the research and business infrastructure necessary for this emerging industry.
• Make Delaware competitive as major automakers look at introducing fuel cells to their automobiles by 2007.

Creation of a Clean-Energy Research Center requires a commitment of $1 million over five years, with an initial $200,000 from the capital budget in Gov. Minner's FY05 proposal. This proposal fulfills a recommendation by the Governor's Energy Task Force for fuel-cell and hydrogen storage research.

Clean-Energy Performance Grants

Clean-Energy Performance Grants will be used to attract manufacturers of clean-energy technology, such as photovoltaic cells, fuel-cells and wind-energy components. The grants will

• Be awarded to companies based on their sales of these components.
• Attract clean-manufacturing jobs to Delaware.
• Be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Complement efforts to build a fuel-cell industry in Delaware.

Gov. Minner's proposed FY05 capital budget includes $800,000 for Clean-Energy Performance Grants. This fulfills a recommendation of the Governor's Energy Task Force.

EPSCoR

The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, or EPSCoR, is a National Science Foundation program that provides states with the opportunity to significantly improve their scientific infrastructure, by providing two dollars in federal funds for every dollar in funds committed by a state. This portion of Gov. Minner's New Economy Initiative will:

• Enable Delaware's colleges and universities to work together through a statewide partnership to develop a biotechnology-focused research, education, and economic- development project.
• Ensure that Delaware's college and university students are prepared for the science and technology jobs of the 21st century, and that Delaware's academic researchers continue to make the scientific discoveries that are the bases for new companies and jobs in the First State.
• Result in a two-for-one federal match of $9 million from the National Science Foundation over three years.

EPSCoR will require $4.5 million over three years and is recommended for $1.5 million in Gov. Minner's FY05 capital budget proposal. Bolstering Delaware's R&D efforts is another recommendation of the Governor's Strategic Economic Council.

Strategic Fund

The foundation for Delaware's economic-development efforts, the Strategic Fund is used primarily for job creation, relocation and expansion. Current uses include

• Job creation incentives (Palmetto Management & Engineering, Baltimore Air Coil, Newspaper Services, Napro Therapeutics)
• Small business innovative research grants for small businesses engaged in research and job creation (Sorportion Technologies and M-Cubed)
• Brownfield matching grants for redevelopment and job creation (Cannery Village);
• Job retention incentives (M&T Bank/Allfirst, ClientLogic)
• Significant re-training programs for large employers (DaimlerChrysler)
• Public infrastructure improvement (Bank One, downtown Milford fire recovery, Town of Clayton)

Since January 2001, the Strategic Fund has been used to gain commitments to create or retain more than 11,000 jobs, allowing Delaware to maintain a lower unemployment rate than the rest of the country during the national economic recession. Gov. Minner's FY05 capital budget proposal includes $10 million for the Strategic Fund.

Other Minner Administration Economic-Development Initiatives:

Gov. Minner has recently completed a reorganization of the Delaware Economic Development Office to allow a more proactive focus on growing those industry "clusters" that are the engine of Delaware's economic prosperity and diversity while identifying emerging opportunities. The clusters are

• Financial Services
• Biotechnology
• Automobiles
• Chemicals
• Tourism
• Corporate/Legal Services
• Agriculture

This new cluster-based strategy will ensure that DEDO provides expertise in international trade, workforce development, infrastructure requirements and permitting as well as access to the capital needed to grow Delaware businesses.

Gov. Minner's proposed FY05 includes continued emphasis and investment in the Port of Wilmington and the Wilmington Riverfront. The Port, which recently signed a new five-year agreement to import Volkswagen vehicles, will receive $15 million. The Riverfront, soon-to-be home of the new headquarters of AAA Mid-Atlantic, will receive an investment of $9 million.

The Governor will soon announce changes to the Workforce Investment Board process to better direct funding through this board toward sustainable, high-wage, new economy jobs.

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Section 3.4

Online Resources and Contacts

Air Quality

Selected Contacts
Betsy Frey, QA Coordinator, Delaware DNREC Air Surveillance Branch, 302-323-4542


Information Sources
Air Quality Conformity, July 2005
www.wilmapco.org/RTP/RTP.pdf

Air Quality Partnership. About Air Quality, June 2005
www.dvrpc.org/aqpartnership/aboutAir.htm

Delaware Annual Air Quality Report 2003
www.dnrec.state.de.us/air/aqm_page/docs/pdf/anrpt03.pdf

Opening the Door to Change: Regional Transportation Plan 2025, March 2003.
www.wilmapco.org/RTP/RTP.pdf

Brownfields

Selected Contact
Jim Poling, Brownfields Administrator, DNREC, 302-395-2600, jim.poling@state.de.us


Information Sources

DNREC Division of Air and Waste Management Brownfields Home Page and Program Overview
www.dnrec.state.de.us/dnrec2000/Divisions/AWM/sirb/brownfield.asp

EPA's Brownfield Program
www.epa.gov/brownfields/index.html

Energy

Selected Contacts
Mary Paskey, Consumer Energy Education Group, Delaware Public Service Commission, 302-739-3227 ext. 32
Lee Ann Walling, State of Delaware, Special Assistant to Governor
Steve Baccino, Delmarva Power
Charlie Smisson, State Energy Coordinator
John Byrne, Center for Environmental and Energy Policy, University of Delaware
Armetta McRae, Delaware Public Service Commission
Arthur Padmore, Delaware Division of the Public Advocate

Information Sources

Delaware Energy Task Force Report to the Governor
www.state.de.us/planning/livedel/etfminutes/etfinal.pdf

Energy Information Administration, Petroleum Profile: Delaware
www.tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/state/de.html

Delaware Pollution Prevention Program
www.dnrec.state.de.us/dnrec2000/p2/

Delaware Energy Office
www.delaware-energy.com

Delaware Public Service Commission
www.state.de.us/delpsc

Energy Information Administration, Petroleum Profile: Delaware
www.tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/state/de.html

2004 Vital Economy Report
www.vitaleconomy.com

Funding Opportunities

Information Sources

Community Development Block Grants sponsored through U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/ommunitydevelopment/programs/index.cfm

Economic Development Agency Investment Programs
www.eda.gov/xp/EDAPublic/AboutEDA/Programs.xml

Environmental Protection Agency's Nonpoint Source Section 319 Grant Program
www.epa.gov/owow/nps/319hfunds.html

Environmental Protection Agency's Wastewater Programs
http://cfpub.epa/fedfund/index.cfm

Federal Brownfield Incentives
www.epa.gov/swerosps/bf/html-doc/taxfs_2.htm

HSCA Policy on Mixed Funding and Brownfield Grants
www.dnrec.state.de.us/dnrec2000/Divisions/ AWM/sirb/docs/pdfs/misc/Mixed%20Funding.pdf

U.S. Department of Agriculture-Rural Development Programs
www.rurdev.usda.gov

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/economicdevelopment/programs/ bedi/bfieldfinance.cfm

Glossary of Terms

Information Sources

A Glossary of Terms-Land Use Planning,
www.sactaqc.org/Resources/primers/Glossary_Land_Use.htm

Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, Municipal Implementation Tools #1 - #8, April 2002 - June 2004.
Good Jobs First Research Manual
www.goodjobsfirst.org/research.htm

Land Use Law Center, Pace University School of Law, Universal Glossary of Land Use Terms and Phrases, 1998, www.nymir.org.zoning/Glossary.html

Office of State Planning Coordination
www.state.de.us/planning

The Language of Economic Development, BrandNewFlorida.com

World Bank Urban Development Division, Local Economic Development, Washington, D.C., 2001.

Land Use

Kent County

Selected Contacts
Michael Petit de Mange, AICP, Director, Kent County Department of Planning Services, 302-744-2471
David Edgell, AICP, Circuit-Rider Planner for Kent County, Office of State Planning Coordination, 302-739-3090

Information Sources
Kent County Comprehensive Plan Update, 2002.
www.co.kent.de.us/PlanningDivision/PlanningSection /Documents/CompPlan%20approved%203-23-02.pdf

New Castle County

Selected Contacts
Charles Baker, General Manager, New Castle County Department of Land Use,
302-395-5463
Herb Inden, Circuit-Rider Planner for New Castle County, Office of State Planning Coordination, 302-739-3090


Information Sources

New Castle County Comprehensive Plan Update, 2002.
www.co.new-castle.de.us/LandUse/CompDevelPlan/CompPlan2002.pdf

Sussex County

Selected Contacts
Lawrence Lank, Director, Sussex County Planning and Zoning Department, 302-855-7878
Ann Marie Townshend, AICP, Circuit-Rider Planner for Sussex County, Office of State Planning Coordination, 302-739-3090

Information Sources

Sussex County Comprehensive Plan Update, 2003. www.sussexcounty.net/departments/countycouncil/CompleteCompPlan.pdf

Statewide

Selected Contacts
Connie Holland, AICP, Director, Office of State Planning Coordination, 302-739-3090

Information Sources

Links to municipal comprehensive plans can be found on the Office of State Planning Coordination's website at www.state.de.us/planning/coord/municipal.htm

Delaware Population Consortium Annual Population Projections September 29, 2004.
www.cadsr.udel.edu/demography/consortium.htm

Strategies for State Policies and Spending, 2004.
www.state.de.us/planning/strategies


Recommended Readings
State Economic-Development Strategies


Information Sources

A Governor's Guide to Cluster-Based Economic Development
http://preview.nga.org/Files/pdf/AM02CLUSTER.pdf

A Governor's Guide to Building State Science & Technology Capacity
http://preview.nga.org/Files/pdf/AM02SCIENCETECH.pdf

Innovative State Policy Options to Promote Rural Economic Development
http://preview.nga.org/Files/pdf/0203RURALDEV.pdf

Nurturing Entrepreneurial Growth in State Economies
http://preview.nga.org/Files/pdf/ENTREPRENEUR.PDF

The Role of the Arts in Economic Development
http://preview.nga.org/Files/pdf/062501ARTSDEV.pdf

Enhancing Competitiveness: A Review of State Economic Development Initiatives
www.nga.org/cda/files/0501COMPETITIVENESS.pdf

Rural Economic Development

Information Sources

Entrepreneurship in Rural America
www.ruraleship.org/content/pdf/Article-SRRD%20Center.pdf

Smart Growth at the Frontier: Strategies and Resources for Rural Communities
www.nemw.org/RuralSmartGrowth.pdf

State Entrepreneurship Policies and Programs
www.entreworld.org/Bookstore/PDFs/RE-020.pdf

Promoting Tourism in Rural America
www.nal.usda.gov/ric/ricpubs/tourism.html

Competitiveness in Rural U.S. Regions: Learning and Research Agenda
www.eda.gov/ImageCache/EDAPublic/documents/pdfdocs/ eda_5frural_5fregions_5ffinal_2epdf/v1/eda_5frural_5fregions_5ffinal.pdf

Controlling Sprawl

Information Sources

Big-Box Sprawl (and How to Control It)
www.nationaltrust.org/issues/smartgrowth/big_box_sprawl.pdf

Smart Growth Tools for Main Street
www.nationaltrust.org/issues/smartgrowth/toolkit/index.html

Historic Preservation

Information Sources

Federal Highway Reauthorization Legislation
www.nationaltrust.org/issues/transportation/hwy_reauthorization.pdf

Quality Housing
www.nationaltrust.org/issues/housing/index.html#toolkit

Chain Drugstores Success Stories

www.nationaltrust.org/issues/drugstores/success_index.html

Telecommunications

Information Sources

Connecticut's Broadband Infrastructure: A Distinct Competitive Advantage
www.youbelonginct.com/pupload/12_04%20Print%20version.pdf

Ranking of States' High-Speed Technology Lines
www.youbelonginct.com/pupload/high_speed_%20lines.PDF

Cluster Industries

Information Sources

Cluster-Based Economic Development: A Key to Regional Competitiveness
www.eda.gov/ImageCache/EDAPublic/documents/pdfdocs/ 1g3_5f5_5fcluster_2epdf/v1/1g3_5f5_5fcluster.pdf

Telecommunications

Information Sources

Delaware Department of Technology and Information
www.dti.delaware.gov/

"The Ever-Shifting Internet Population", April 16, 2003
www.pewInternet.org/PPF/r/98/report_display.asp

"Rural Areas and the Internet", February 17, 2004
www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/153/report_display.asp

International Telecommunications Union
www.itu.int/home/

Utah Telecommunications Open Infrastructure Agency
www.utopianet.org/

Cnet.com News
www.news.com

Governing.com
www.governing.com

Transportation

Kent County

Selected Contacts
Juanita Wieczoreck, Executive Director, Dover/Kent County MPO, 302-760-2713.
David Edgell, AICP, Circuit-Rider Planner for Kent County, Office of State Planning Coordination, 302-739-3090.
Joe Cantalupo, Transportation Planning Supervisor, DelDOT, 302-760-2112.


Information Sources

Getting From Here to There: A Long Range Transportation Plan for 2025. Dover/Kent MPO. July 5, 2001. www.doverkentmpo.org/tip.html

Statewide Long-Range Transportation Plan. DelDOT. September 2002.

New Castle County

Selected Contacts
Herb Inden, AICP, Circuit-Rider Planner for New Castle County, Office of State Planning Coordination, 302-730-3090.
Tigist Zegeye, Executive Director, WILMAPCO, 302-737-6205.
Joe Cantalupo, Transportation Planning Supervisor, DelDOT, 302-760-2112.


Information Sources

Statewide Long-Range Transportation Plan. DelDOT. September 2002.
Regional Transportation Plan (RTP 2025) Opening the Door to Change. WILMAPCO. March 2003. www.wilmapco.org/RTP/RTP.pdf

Sussex County

Selected Contacts
Ann Marie Townshend, AICP, Circuit-Rider Planner for Sussex County, Office of State Planning Coordination, 302-730-3090.
Joe Cantalupo, Transportation Planning Supervisor, DelDOT, 302-760-2112.


Information Sources

Sussex County Long-Range Transportation Plan Update. November, 2001, DelDOT.

Statewide

Selected Contacts
Connie Holland, AICP, Director, Office of State Planning Coordination, 302-730-3090.
Joe Cantalupo, Transportation Planning Supervisor, DelDOT, 302-760-2112.
Ralph Reeb, Director of Planning, DelDOT. 302-760-2111


Information Sources

DelDOT Capital Transportation Program FY 2005-2011. July 1, 2005. www.deldot.net/static/pubs_forms/ctp05-10/final/pdf_toc.html.

Delaware Freight and Goods Movement Plan, Technical Report, June 2004. www.deldot.net/static/pubs_forms/freight_plan

Delaware Population Consortium Annual Population Projections September 29, 2004. Center for Applied Demography and Survey Research. www.cadsr.udel.edu/demography/consortium.htm.

Delaware Transportation Facts, 2004. www.deldot.net/static/pubs_forms/statewide_long_range_trans_plan/

TransportationPlan.pdf. September2002.
Statewide Long-Range Transportation Plan. DelDOT. September 2002.
Transitioning to Transit: Delaware's Long Range Transit Plan for the 21st Century. www.dartfirststate.com/reports/00-25/dtclrp.pdf.

State Strategies for Policies and Sending, 2004. www.state.de.us/planning/strategies/strategies.shtml.

Wastewater

Kent County

Selected Contacts
Reinhold Betschel, Assistant Director of Kent County Department of Public Works/Wastewater Facilities Division, 139 Milford Neck Road, Milford, DE 19963.


Information Sources

Kent County Department of Public Works, Wastewater Facilities Division website, www.kentcountydpw.com.

New Castle

Selected Contacts
Dave Hokuf, New Castle County Department of Special Services, Wastewater Section, Airport Road, New Castle, Delaware


Information Sources

Wastewater Management Facility Plan for the Southern Sewer Service Area, Tatman and Lee, June 1999.

Sussex

Selected Contacts
Heather L. Sheridan, Director of Operations, Sussex County Engineering Department, P.O. Box 589, Georgetown, DE 19947.


Information Sources

Heather Sheridan, Sussex County Engineering Department, 302-855-7718

Water Quality

Kent County

Selected Contacts
Kevin Donnelly, Director, Delaware Division of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Division of Water Resources, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901.


Information Sources

Delaware Source Water Assessment Program Susceptibility Reports, 2003 and 2004, see www.wr.udel.edu/swaphome.

New Castle

Selected Contacts
Kevin Donnelly, Director, Delaware Division of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Division of Water Resources, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901.


Information Sources

A Watershed Restoration Action Strategy (WRAS) for the Delaware Portion of the Christina Basin: A Clean Water Strategy to Protect and Restore the Watersheds of the Brandywine, Red Clay, and White Clay Creeks and Christina River in Delaware. University of Delaware, Institute for Public Administration, Water Resources Agency for the Christina Basin Clean Water Partnership. June 2003.
Delaware Source Water Assessment Program Susceptibility Reports, 2003 and 2004, see www.wr.udel.edu/swaphome.

Sussex

Selected Contacts
Kevin Donnelly, Director, Delaware Division of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Division of Water Resources, 89 King's highway
Ed Lewandowski, Exec Director, Center for the Inland Bays.


Information Sources

Source Water Susceptibility Reports for Sussex County, 2003 - 2005, see www.wr.udel.edu/swaphome.

Inland Bays TMDL Pollution Control Strategy, see www.dnrec.state.de.us/water2000/Sections/ Watershed/ws/ib_pcs_draft.htm.

Water Supply

Kent County

Selected Contacts
Kevin Donnelly, Director, Delaware Division of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Division of Water Resources, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901.


Information Sources

Delaware Source Water Susceptibility Reports for Kent County, 2003 and 2004. see www.wr.udel.edu/swaphome.

New Castle

Selected Contacts
Kevin Donnelly, Director, Delaware Division of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Division of Water Resources, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901.


Information Sources

First through Seventh Reports to the Governor and General Assembly Regarding the Progress of the Delaware Water Supply Coordinating Council, 2000 - 2005.
Estimates of Water Supply and Demand in Southern New Castle County, Delaware. University of Delaware, Institute for Public Administration, Water Resources Agency for the Delaware Water Supply Coordinating Council, draft June 2005.

Sussex

Selected Contacts
Kevin Donnelly, Director, Delaware Division of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Division of Water Resources, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901


Information Sources

Source Water Susceptibility Reports for Sussex County, 2003 to 2005, see www.wr.udel.edu/swaphome.

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Section 4.1

AIR QUALITY

Relationship of Air Quality to Economic Development

• Delaware's air quality is a key factor in protecting public health, especially for sensitive populations such as children, the elderly, and asthmatics.
• Proper air-quality levels are needed to protect the public against decreased visibility, damage to crops, vegetation, and buildings.
• Delaware must develop and implement adequate plans to meet air-quality standards, or else millions of dollars in federal transportation funding will be unavailable to fund certain types of projects.

Existing Trends & Conditions

• In 1970 Congress passed the Clean Air Act that authorized the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to launch National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for pollutants shown to threaten human health and welfare.
• Delaware fails to meet federal standards for PM2.5 and ground-level ozone, which occurs when sunlight mixes with nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds.

• Currently, New Castle and Kent County are classified by the EPA as in "severe non-attainment" for meeting the one-hour NAAQS for ozone.
• New Castle County exceeds the annual average standard for PM2.5, while Kent and Sussex counties meet the standard.

Projections & Plans

• The State of Delaware has established an air-monitoring network to determine the ambient levels of pollutants for which NAAQS have been established. Currently, monitoring takes place statewide at the following locations:
  
  
  • Brandywine
  • Bellefonte
  • Wilmington - MLK Blvd.
  • Ommelanden
  • Newark
  • Delaware City
  • Summit Bridge
  • Dover
  • Felton
  • Seaford
  • Lewes
    
    
• The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 required EPA, states, and cities to implement a series of programs that would further reduce emissions of VOCs and NOx from cars, fuels, industrial and chemical facilities, power plants, and consumer and commercial products, among other sources.
• The EPA has required DNREC to submit "Rate-of-Progress Plans" every three years to show that the region is making progress towards achieving the standard.
• A great deal of improvement in our air quality as been achieved through addressing "point sources," such as power plants, solid-waste landfills, refineries, and emissions from automobiles.

Below is a chart that forecasts the region's air quality.

IV. Identified Opportunities & Constraints

Opportunities

The main goal is to conserve energy and use alternative forms of transportation.
Air Pollution can be reduced in the following manner:

• Limit single passenger trips and form a car pool
• Increase use and availability of public transportation
• Enforce stricter air quality standards
• Promote growth in less sprawled land use patterns

  Constraints

• Air pollutants spread rapidly, almost instantaneously, for that reason polluters rarely feel affected by their decision to pollute.
• Trends in ozone concentrations are difficult to discern due to the effect of meteorology.
• Standardized monitoring methods are relatively new, especially for one of Delaware's criteria pollutants PM2.5, therefore more data still needs to be collected before accurate comparisons can be made.

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Section 4.2

BROWNFIELDS

Relationship of Brownfields to Economic Development

Delaware's Hazardous Substance Cleanup Act (HSCA) defines a brownfield as "any vacant, abandoned, or underutilized real property, the development of which has been hindered by the reasonably held belief that the real property is environmentally contaminated." These areas include former industrial sites, gas stations, dry cleaners, tanneries, and salvage yards.

Sustainable economic-development strategies encourage the beneficial re-use of brownfield sites. Many states have developed programs to encourage the reclamation and re-use of brownfields as a smart-growth strategy to prevent sprawl and the spread of new development to open-space areas. "Infill" development projects, which target developme