NEWS AND UPDATES
Agenda for November PLUS Meeting Posted
An agenda has been posted for the November 25 (PDF) meeting of the Preliminary Land Use Service (PLUS). State agency planners will meet to review land use change proposals and planning documents prior to giving input to local governments, who make the final land-use decisions. 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.
(11/5/09)
Delaware Population Consortium Releases 2009 Projections Series
| Delaware Population Projections | ||||
| . | 2000 | 2009 | 2020 | 2040 |
| Delaware | 786,418 | 881,532 | 977,567 | 1,115,443 |
| Kent Co. | 127,103 | 157,430 | 178,257 | 204,317 |
| New Castle Co. | 501,856 | 532,083 | 564,944 | 603,835 |
| Sussex Co. | 157,459 | 192,019 | 234,366 | 307,291 |
| Source: Delaware Population Consortium | ||||
The Delaware Population Consortium has released its 2009 Population Projections Series (PDF). The projections, which are now extended to 2040, are developed over a series of months by Delaware Population Consortium members, who include staff from state agencies, county governments, municipal governments, metropolitan planning organizations and the University of Delaware. The 2009 Projections series was approved at the 2009 annual meeting of the Consortium, in Dover.
Also at the annual meeting, the position of Consortium Chair passed from Janelle Cornwell, of the City of Dover, who had served since October of 2008, to Jim Galvin, of the Dover/Kent MPO, who had been Vice Chair. Consortium members elected Barbara Gladders, of the Department of Health and Social Services, to serve as Vice Chair. She will become chair at the next annual meeting. Mike Mahaffie was elected Secretary of the Consortium.
The Delaware Population Consortium was organized in the 1970s to provide an annual, independent series of population projections for Delaware, the counties, and the three largest cities.
(10/30/09)
Delaware Population Consortium to Hold Annual Meeting
The Delaware Population Consortium will hold its 2009 annual meeting on Thursday, October 29, starting at 10:00 a.m., in Room 219 of the Haslet Armory, in Dover. The agenda (PDF) includes consideration and approval of the 2009 population projections series and election of officers for the coming year.
(10/23/09)
on the Green |
The Green, in downtown Dover, has been named one of the "Great Places in America" by the American Planning Association (APA). The Green, which straddles State Street and includes the Kent County Courthouse, the Delaware Supreme Court, and the site of the first ratification of the US Constitution among other historic properties, was named as one of the Great Public Spaces by the APA.
The APA names great places each year, recognizing those that "represent the gold standard in terms of having a true sense of place, cultural and historical interest, community involvement, and a vision for tomorrow."
As the APA designation states:
The Green has witnessed the passions of revolutionaries, the birth of a nation, deep divisions along Union and Confederate lines, and a ghostly burial. Today it is part of Dover's downtown business improvement district and is surrounded by a mix of uses that keeps things going nearly round-the-clock.On October 17, 2009, starting at noon, the City of Dover will host a short presentation commemorating the honor in the old State House, on the Green. A schedule of outdoor events on the Green has had to be cancelled due to the inclement weather.
(10/9/09, Updated on 10/16/09))
October PLUS Agenda Posted
An agenda has been posted for the October 28 meeting (PDF) of state agency planners to review land-use change proposals under the Preliminary Land Use Service (PLUS). The PLUS meeting will allow planners to review proposals in order to offer advice and assistance to local governments, who make the final land use decisions. 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.
(10/2/09)
Census Bureau Publishes Estimated 2008 Data for States, Counties and Large Places
This data release includes all housing data and all of the social and demographic data from the ACS except those data sets that are cross-tabulated with poverty, family income, and food stamp receipt data. Those data products will be released on September 29, 2009. The Bureau will release estimated data based on surveys from 2006 through 2008 -- which will include data for some smaller areas -- in late October.
It is important to note that these data are released along with margin of error data that should always be considered when using the data.
(9/22/09)
Holland to Speak on State Land Use Processes
State Planning Coordinator Connie Holland will take part in a forum on land use planning in Sussex County on Wednesday, September 16. The forum -- Elements of Land Use -- is sponsored by the Sussex County League of Women Voters. It will start at 10:00 a.m. in the Bob McCurry Conference Room at the Beebe Health Campus on Route 24, one-half mile from Route 1.
The forum will be moderated by Lee Ann Walling, of DNREC, and will also include Vince Robertson, legal advisor to the Sussex County Planning and Zoning Commission; attorney Heidi Balliet, who will speak from the perspective of private developers; and environmental consultant Bill Moyer, who will present the public's perspective. The discussion is expected to cover a wide range of topics, including the county land use process, interaction among different levels of government, the role of the State Planning Office and the PLUS process, public participation, comprehensive plans, and zoning.
This will be the first forum in a series of forums that are expected to cover open space and farmland preservation, the economics of land use, natural resource issues, water and sewer, transportation, housing, quality of life and smart growth. The series runs through April of 2010.
(9/11/09)
Agenda Posted for Quarterly GIS Coordination Group Meeting
A draft agenda (WORD) has been posted for the September 17 meeting of the Delaware Geographic Data Committee (DGDC). The meeting will start at 9:00 a.m. in Room 220 of the Kent County Administration Building, in Dover. Agenda items include updates on several data projects and the work of DGDC subcommittees working on data standards issues, a technical framework for data sharing, and plans for GIS day this fall and a statewide GIS Conference in February. There will also be discussion of the state GIS Strategic Planning project that is just under way, funded by a federal grant. DGDC meetings are open to all persons interested in the use and sharing of geospatial data in Delaware.
(9/3/09)
Agenda Posted for September PLUS Meeting
An agenda (PDF) has been posted for the September 23 meeting of the Preliminary Land Use Service (PLUS). The PLUS meeting will allow state agency planners to review land use change proposals and local comprehensive plan updates in order to offer advice and assistance to local governments, who make the final land use decisions. 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.
(9/3/09)
Wanted: Presentation Ideas for 2010 Delaware GIS Conference
The Conference Planning Subcommittee of the Delaware Geographic Data Committee (DGDC) has issued a Call for Presentations for the 2010 Delaware GIS Conference. The conference, scheduled for February 10, 2010, at the Dover Sheraton Inn, brings together GIS professionals and geospatial data users from state, county and local governments; academia; and the private sector to discuss data sharing, data uses, and new ways to serve the public.
The Call for Presentations notes the need to create, and share, spatial data together:
The conference theme -- Think Spatially, Connect/Act/Lead Globally -- highlights the connected nature of the physical world, as reflected in the geospatial data we all share. It also celebrates the importance of the GIS Community as a network of professionals who work together, develop and share data, and support each other's efforts to serve our clients and constituents.The deadline for presentation submissions is November 2, 2009. The subcommittee has also issued a Call for Posters, with a submission deadline of December 11, 2009.
The DGDC is a cooperative effort among all levels of government, the academic sector, and the private sector, to build a Delaware GIS Community and improve the coordination of the use of GIS tools and spatial data in Delaware.
(8/26/09)
August PLUS Meeting Agenda Posted
An agenda has been posted for the August 26 meeting (PDF) of the Preliminary Land Use Service (PLUS). This meeting will allow state agency planners to discuss land-use change proposals and local planning ordinances submitted for review under PLUS. The comments from the PLUS process serve as a guide for developers and for the local government leaders who make land use change decisions. The meeting will start at 8:30 a.m., in the first floor conference room in the Haslet Armory, on William Penn Street, in Dover.
(8/10/09)
GIS In Education Contest Announced
The Delaware GeoEducation Subcommittee has announced a GIS K-12 Contest for 2010. This is the latest in a series of GIS contests for Delaware students designed to bring out student excitement about geography, GIS and the world around them.
The theme of the contest -- Maps Tell the Story: Plan for the Future -- gives students an opportunity to investigate how maps can help communities plan for the future. Teachers are encouraged to interpret "plan" broadly to fit existing curriculum goals. The contest might, for example, focus on landscaping a yard, improving the health of a local watershed, planning a vacation, protecting eco-systems, planning to help those in need, or investigating alternate energy sources. The contest is limited only by the imaginations of teachers and their students.
The contest will conclude in February 2010 as part of the 2010 Delaware GIS Conference (Think Spatially, Connect/Lead/Act Globally) to be held at the Sheraton Conference Center, in Dover. Entries are not due until December 18, 2009. Teachers will have time after the start of the school year to fully explore this topic with their students.
(7/17/09)
"Planning Meetings" Calendar Upgraded
The calendar of planning-related meetings maintained by the Delaware Office of State Planning Coordination (OSPC) has been upgraded from a text-based list to a Google Calendar widget. The new calendar application allows visitors to view planning-related events in either calendar form (a week or month grid) or in agenda (list) format. Google Calendar users can now import the Delaware Planning Meetings calendar directly into their own calendars and have the automatically updated. As always, OSPC staff will try to include any events of general interest to planners, local communities, and those interested in planning and land-use issues. To suggest additions, please contact Mike Mahaffie.
(7/16/09)
July PLUS Meetings Cancelled
The July 22 and July 29 meetings of state agency planners to review land use change proposals submitted under the Preliminary Land Use Service (PLUS) have been cancelled. There were no land use change proposals or local comprehensive plans or ordinances submitted for review. The next deadline for PLUS submission is Monday, August 3, 2009.
(7/7/09)
Population Estimates for Cities and Towns Released
| Estimated Population Change, Top 5 by Percent Growth | ||||
| . | 2000 | 2008 | # Change | % Change |
| Middletown | 6,319 | 12,152 | 5,833 | 92.3% |
| Smyrna | 5,862 | 8,603 | 2,741 | 46.8% |
| Wyoming | 1,153 | 1,410 | 257 | 22.3% |
| Milford | 6,980 | 8,511 | 1,531 | 21.9% |
| Camden | 2,110 | 2,565 | 455 | 21.6% |
| Source: US Census Bureau | ||||
The US Census Bureau has released a new set of population estimates for incorporated places for the years 2000 through 2008. The release includes a table showing estimated population for Delaware's 57 cities and towns (EXCEL). Since 2000, the Town of Middletown has shown the largest growth by percent among all Delaware towns, nearly doubling its population from 6,319 to 12,152 -- an estimated growth of 5,833 residents. Smyrna, the next fastest grower by percentage, gained an estimated 2,741 residents to grow by nearly half. Wyoming, Milford, and Camden round out the top five list, by percent growth.
Middletown was also at the top of the list when ranked by numerical growth (PDF), followed by Dover, which gained an estimated 3,907 residents. Smyrna, second by percentage, was third by numerical growth, followed by Milford and Newark.
The Census Bureau Population Division uses a variety of data sources to estimate the number of housing units within each geographic area. It uses the housing unit estimates to distribute the county population estimates to subcounty areas within each county.
(7/1/09)
Downtown Re-Development Charrette and Policy Discussion in Dover
The Kent County Association of Realtors (KCAR), in partnership with the Delaware State News, is offering a Downtown Dover Re-Development Charrette (PDF) on Tuesday, June 23, 2009, at Wesley College, in Dover. Association President Todd Stonesifer has announced that the KCAR Smart Growth Work Group has obtained a grant from the National Association of Realtors to help defray costs. Attendance is free to the three-hour event, which will include a panel discussion, four break-out sessions, and a consolidation/conclusion of the session at the end.
"Although we named this program 'Downtown Dover Re-Development,' the object of this program is not really targeted at Dover. We hope to develop a framework that any small town or city could employ to re-develop or revitalize a central business district, or any neighborhood within a city in need," Mr. Stonesifer said.
The panel includes Bill Green, City Councilman At-Large from Philadelphia; Mike Purzycki, Executive Director of the Riverfront Development Corporation of Delaware in Wilmington; Pat Maley, Senior Planner for Design and Review for the City of Wilmington Planning Department; and Joe Molinaro, Managing Director of the National Association of Realtors Community and Political Affairs Division. Phil McGinnis, chair of the KCAR Smart Growth Work Group, will serve as Facilitator for the program.
Downtown Re-Development will also be the focus of the Association's monthly Policy PubNite (PDF) that evening at 5:30 p.m. at Frazier's Restaurant in Treadway Towers, in Dover. The Policy PubNite panel includes Connie Holland, Director of the Office of State Planning Coordination; Tim Slavin, City of Dover 3rd District Councilman; Arden Bardol, AIA, an architect with the Becker Morgan Group in Dover; and Jack Corrozi, of Robino Builders in Wilmington.
For any questions, or to pre-register for the charrette, please call the KCAR office at (302) 678-9750.
(6/18/09)
Draft Agenda Posted for June 24 GIS Coordination Meeting
A draft agenda (WORD) has been posted for the next meeting of the Executive Council of the Delaware Geographic Data Committee (DGDC). The Executive Council, which is charged with helping to set state policy on the use of GIS data and tools, will meet starting at 1:00 p.m., June 24, 2009, in Room 219 of the Haslet Armory, at 122 William Penn Street, in Dover.
(6/17/09)
Coastal Programs Offers Training in GIS Tools for Coastal Areas
Delaware Coastal Programs is offering two two-day GIS training courses for Delaware's coastal resource managers, emergency response officials and elected and appointed officials in coastal-area governments in August. The training is part of the Coastal Training Program offered by the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve (DNERR). An introduction to GIS course is offered August 11 and 12 and a Coastal Inundation Mapping course is offered August 13 and 14. The Coastal Inundation Mapping course requires GIS experience or the basic GIS introduction course. Space is limited and registration is required. Further information and registration information are available on-line.
(6/5/09)
June PLUS Meeting Agenda Posted
An agenda (PDF) has been posted for the June 24, 2009 meeting of state agency planners reviewing land-use change proposals and local comprehensive plans submitted for review in June under the Preliminary Land Use Service (PLUS).
Reviews under PLUS allow state planners to provide comments to developers and to local government leaders who make land use change decisions. The meeting will be held in the first floor conference room in the Haslet Armory, on William Penn Street, in Dover, starting at 8:30 a.m.
(6/4/09)
Agendas Posted for May PLUS Meetings
Agendas have been posted for the May 27 (PDF) and June 3 (PDF) meetings of state planners reviewing land use change proposals and comprehensive planning documents under the Preliminary Land Use Service (PLUS). The PLUS process allows for guidance from state planners for developers and for local government leaders, who make land use decisions in Delaware. Both meetings will start at 8:30 a.m., in the first floor conference room in the Haslet Armory, on William Penn Street, in Dover.
(5/7/09)
Agenda Posted for Delaware Population Consortium Meeting
An agenda (PDF) has been posted for the April 30 workshop meeting of the Delaware Population Consortium. The Consortium is a collaborative group of state, county and local government agencies that works in concert with the academic sector to produce an annual series of state and county population projections for the Delaware. This workshop meeting will serve to start the development of the 2009 projections series. The meeting will start at 10:00 a.m. in Room 219 of the Haslet Armory, in Dover.
(4/24/09)
Registration Now Open for the Delaware by Design Mobile Workshops
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"Delaware by Design" is a three-day mobile workshop series highlighting Delaware communities that exhibit traditional neighborhood design principles that have experienced a surge in appeal in recent years. New developments designed in this style provide a variety of convenient and attractive housing choices usually absent from our current development patterns. Delaware’s families will increasingly be drawn to these options due to demographic changes, market preferences based on lifestyle choices, and economic realities.
The mobile workshop series will consist of different development topics on three consecutive Thursdays and will include a bus tour of sites, expert presentations, and lunch.
- May 21 -- Historical and Infill Development
- May 28 -- Attainable Housing
- June 4 -- Mixed-Use and Compact Development
A single day's tour will cost $30, two days will cost $55, and the whole series will cost $75. A discounted registration fee is available to legislators, local government elected and appointed officials, and to students.
(4/22/09)
Agenda Posted for April 2009 PLUS Meeting
An agenda has been posted for the April 22 meeting (PDF) of the Preliminary Land Use Service (PLUS). The PLUS meeting allows state agency planners and resource management experts to review and provide comments on land use change proposals and local government comprehensive plans. State comments are provided to local government leaders who make the final decisions. The April PLUS meeting is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m., Wednesday, April 22, in Room 133 of the Haslet Armory, in Dover.
(4/7/09)
Census Bureau Releases 2008 County Population Estimates
| Estimated Population, 2007 and 2008 | ||
| . | 2007 | 2008 |
| Delaware | 861,953 | 873,092 |
| Kent | 151,705 | 155,415 |
| New Castle | 526,408 | 529,641 |
| Sussex | 183,840 | 188,036 |
| Source: US Census Bureau | ||
Overall, the Census Bureau estimates that two of the fastest growing counties between 2007 and 2008 were in the New Orleans area, where St. Bernard Parish was the fastest-growing county at 12.8 percent growth and Orleans Parish was third-fastest at 8.2 percent growth. The second fastest growing county for that period was Pinal County, in Arizona, which grew by an estimated 8.8 percent. Kent County ranked 197th in growth rate out of more than 3,000 counties in the US. Sussex ranked 234th and New Castle County 1,198th. Since you were about to ask, Loving County, in Texas, came in last. It lost more than 22 percent of its population, according to the Census Bureau estimates.
The Census Bureau uses administrative records to estimate components of population change, such as births, deaths, domestic and international migration in order to estimate county population.
(3/19/09)
March PLUS Meeting Agenda
The agenda (PDF) for the March 25, 2009 meeting of the Preliminary Land Use Service (PLUS) has been posted. The meeting is scheduled for 8:30 a.m., in the first floor conference room of the Haslet Armory, on William Penn Street, in Dover. The PLUS meeting allows state agency planners to review land use change proposals and planning documents prior to giving input to local governments, who make the final land-use decisions.
(3/5/09)
Agenda Posted for February PLUS Meeting
An agenda has been posted for the February 25 meeting of the Preliminary Land Use Service (PLUS). State agency planners will meet to review land use change proposals and planning documents prior to giving input to local governments, who make the final land-use decisions. 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.
(2/4/09)
January PLUS Meeting Rescheduled to February 4
The January PLUS meeting, originally scheduled for January 28, has been rescheduled for February 4. The January 28 meeting was cancelled, due to inclement weather that prompted a delay in the opening of state offices that day. The agenda (PDF) has been re-posted. The list of land-use change proposals to be reviewed remains the same. The PLUS meeting starts at 8:30 a.m. in the first floor conference room of the Haslet Armory on William Penn Street, in Dover.
(1/29/09)
Delaware Nature Conservancy Offers Landowner Workshops
The Delaware Chapter of the Nature Conservancy is offering a pair of public workshops (PDF) for Delaware landowners (and others) who want to learn more about conservation easements, tax incentives and other strategies that can protect land for future generations. The workshops are set for 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, February 19, at the St. Jones Estuarine Research Reserve, at 818 Kitts Hummock Road, south of Dover, and from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 24, at the Carvel Research and Education Center, at 16483 County Seat Highway, west of Georgetown. The workshops are part of the Conservancy's outreach to landowners who want to protect wildlife habit, save their land for future generations, or perhaps reduce their property taxes. For more information, please contact The Nature Conservancy (by e-mail) or at (302) 584-2170.
(1/9/09)
Agenda Posted for January PLUS Meeting
State agency planners will meet on Wednesday, January 28, to review land-use change proposals for local governments. Under the Preliminary Land Use Service (PLUS), planners use the PLUS meeting to explore proposals with applicants in order to provide comments and advice to the applicants and to local officials, who make the final decisions. The PLUS meeting starts at 8:30 a.m. in the first floor conference room of the Haslet Armory on William Penn Street, in Dover.
(1/7/09)
New Census Data for Places of 20,000 Persons or More
The US Census Bureau has released new 3-year data that provide a "statistical portrait" of places of more than 20,000 in population. Until now data from the American Community Survey (ACS) were only available for places of 65,000 or more in population; limited in Delaware to the state, the counties, Wilmington, and a handful of school districts. The new data combine three years (2005 to 2007) of ACS responses to provide a previously unavailable update of 2000 Census data for a wide range of key socioeconomic and housing topics for areas with populations as small as 20,000.
The new ACS data are available for Delaware, the counties, Wilmington, Newark, Dover, and more school districts. The following are excel spreadsheets with ACS data profiles for Delaware's counties and major cities:
Data are also available from the Census Bureau's American Fact Finder for the following Delaware school districts: Brandywine, Cape Henlopen, Caesar Rodney, Capitol, Christina, Colonial, Indian River, Lake Forest, Milford, Red Clay, Seaford, and Smyrna.The new ACS estimates are based on data collected nationwide from about 250,000 addresses per month from 2005 through 2007. For cities, counties and states, the official 2007 population estimate from the Census Bureau was used to determine whether or not an area met the 20,000 population threshold. For school districts and other areas, population estimates were derived from the ACS survey data. As is the case with all surveys, statistics from sample surveys are subject to sampling and nonsampling errors. Data users should review the How to Use The Data documentation provided by the Census Bureau and be aware of the margin of error (MOE) data that are published with the data.
(12/09/08)
Deadlines and Meeting Dates for PLUS in 2009
The 2009 Schedule for the Preliminary Land Use Service (PLUS) has been posted. Land use change proposals, draft comprehensive plans and other items submitted for PLUS review by the first working day of each month are added to that month's PLUS meeting agenda. Two meetings are scheduled for each month, in case there are more items for review than time would allow in just one meeting. PLUS meetings are listed on the Statewide Calendar of Meetings and on the PLUS web site.
(12/8/08)
