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PARKS, RECREATION, AND COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT COMMITTEE AGENDA SEPTEMBER 8, 2014 - 3:30 P.M. CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS 15 LOOCKERMAN PLAZA DOVER, DELAWARE Public comments are welcomed on any item and will be permitted at appropriate times. When possible, please notify the City Clerk (736-7008 or e-mail at CityClerk@dover.de.us) should you wish to be recognized. AGENDA ADDITIONS/DELETIONS 1. Review of Active Recreation Area Plan - Tall Pines at 1655 and 1665 Kenton Road (Staff recommends approval of the plan, with the recommended changes outlined in the Committee Action Form) 2. Statistics for Homeownership/Rentals in the City of Dover (Request of Councilman Hutchison) (Staff recommends seeking opportunities to build upon existing incentives for homeownership and working with private and non-profit partners in the development and real estate communities to promote homeownership) 3. Progress Report - Downtown Development District Application (Committee Action Not Required) 4. Update - Recreation Needs Assessment (Committee Action Not Required) 5. Adjournment by 4:50 p.m. /tm S:\AGENDAS-MINUTES-PACKETS-PRESENTATIONS-ATT&EXH\Committee-Agendas\2014\09-08-2014 PR&CE.wpd THE AGENDA ITEMS AS LISTED MAY NOT BE CONSIDERED IN SEQUENCE. THIS AGENDA IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE TO INCLUDE THE ADDITION OR THE DELETION OF ITEMS, INCLUDING EXECUTIVE SESSIONS.

City of Dover DATA SHEET FOR RECREATION PLAN REVIEW PARKS, RECREATION AND COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT COMMITTEE MEETING OF September 8, 2014 Plan Title: Tall Pines at 1655 and 1665 Kenton Road File Number: S-14-18 Plan Type: Active Recreation Area Plan Location: West of the intersection of Kenton Road and Chestnut Grove Road Owner: Woodbrook Ventures, LLC Site Area: 2.34 ± acres Property Use: Multi-Family Residential Dwelling Units: 24 dwelling units proposed, two (2) 3-story buildings Zoning: RG-2 (General Residence Zone) PROJECT SUMMARY The proposed project is a multi-family residential development to be known as Tall Pines. A previous Site Development Plan and Parcel Consolidation Plan (S-04-33) for the project were approved by the Planning Commission in December 2004 with Final Site Plan approval in October 2005. Some site improvements commenced, existing buildings demolished, and foundation work began but subsequently ceased; therefore, the original plan expired. The proposed project includes a total of 24 dwelling units in two (2) buildings on 2.34 acres, which is a density of approximately 10.2 dwelling units per acre. Therefore, the development qualifies for the open space exemption in the Zoning Ordinance, Article 5 – Supplementary Regulations, §10.514: 10.514 Residential developments of ten (10) or fewer acres with a density over six units per acre. These developments shall be exempt from the area requirements set forth in section 10.16, but shall be required to provide 150 square feet of active recreation area per dwelling unit or 10,000 square feet of active recreation area, whichever is greater. If the commission determines that the construction of some or all of the required active recreation area is not practical or desirable, the commission shall require a cash in lieu donation for the active recreation area determined as not practical or desirable. Cash-in-lieu amount shall be in accordance with subsection 10.173 of this article. P. O. Box 475 Dover, DE 19903 Community Excellence Through Quality Service

S-14-18 Tall Pines at 1655-1665 Kenton Road Summary Report of Active Recreation Component Parks, Recreation & Community Enhancement Committee Meeting on September 8, 2014 Page 2 of 4 Proposal for Active Recreation Plan Based on the number of residential dwelling units proposed (24 units) and the minimum area requirements, this project is required to provide a minimum of 10,000 S.F. of open space designed to function as active recreation space. The proposed plan currently shows at least 18,717 S.F. of area designated as active recreation space. The applicant has proposed to meet this requirement through a variety of amenities throughout the development. One area of Active Open Space (9,325 S.F.) is proposed with park benches, horseshoe pits, and a gazebo in the vicinity of the stormwater management pond on the southwest portion of the site. A woodchip walking path is also proposed around the stormwater management pond. The area of the pond is not counted towards the active recreation area requirement. Zoning Ordinance, Article 5§10.155 indicates that only the developed walking trail area may be counted toward the area requirement. A fence is shown between the proposed walking paths where they are close to banked areas of the stormwater management pond. A concrete sidewalk leads to the gazebo. The second area is a lawn game (bocce and croquet) area of 5,888 S.F. located between the two buildings. The third area is an additional lawn game area of 3,504 S.F. located east of the second building. The plan also shows tree plantings throughout the development, including areas adjacent to the recreation amenities. Existing trees are shown, with tree protection areas, and details of proposed tree plantings are shown on the plan and information provided in a chart. The following table provides information from the submitted Plan for the Active Recreation Area: Required Provided on Plan Active Recreation 150 S.F. per dwelling unit Total of 18, 717 S.F. Area or a minimum of 10,000 provided as follows: (Article 5 §10.514) S.F. Area 1 = 9,325 SF 24 DU x 150 = 3,600 S.F.  Gazebo therefore 10,000 S.F.  Two park benches required  Two horseshoe pits  Approximately 380  Age Oriented to feet of walking paths development with landscaping  Parking  Setbacks: 30 feet from Area 2 = 5,888 S.F. residential lots and 25  Lawn game area feet from right-of-way for street Area 3 = 3,504 S.F.  Landscaping  Lawn game area

S-14-18 Tall Pines at 1655-1665 Kenton Road Summary Report of Active Recreation Component Parks, Recreation & Community Enhancement Committee Meeting on September 8, 2014 Page 3 of 4 STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS The following are comments and recommendations from Staff of the Department of Planning & Inspections following review of the Active Recreation Area Plan. 1. Staff recommends approval of the Active Recreation Area Plan with the following recommended changes: a. Area 1: Relocate horseshoe pits to Area 2 to comply with required setbacks of game/court facilities from adjacent properties (Zoning Ordinance, Article 5 §10.15). b. Area 1: Add grills and a picnic table to Area 1. Provide accessible path to the picnic table. Revise ornamental tree plantings in the area to shade tree plantings. c. Area 1: The woodchip/mulch walking path should include a defined edging that will prevent encroachment of grass and/or weeds into the path area. d. Area 2: Add a bench near lawn game area with an accessible path. e. Area 3: This lawn game area is shown to have a sloping grading near the building. Due to its location and configuration it is not a viable area for active recreation activities. 2. To meet the objectives of Article 10 §10 2.2 of the Zoning Ordinance, Staff recommends additional outdoor bicycle parking to include a minimum of two (2) spaces per building entrance (total 8 spaces). Planned improvements on Kenton Road will include bicycle lanes, and potential improvements in neighborhoods south of the project site are anticipated to improve bicycle connectivity to parks, schools, shopping areas, and nearby recreational amenities such as the YMCA. a. The use of “Inverted-U” racks capable of supporting of two (2) bicycles each are recommended. b. Any indoor storage areas capable of secure bicycle storage, within individual units or in common, should be noted. 3. The project, including the Active Recreation Plan, is subject to review and approval of the Site Development Plan by the Planning Commission, which includes: a. Compliance of Site Development Plan with tree planning and landscape requirements in the Zoning Ordinance, Article 5 – Supplementary Regulations, §15 Landscape Guidelines and §16 Tree Planting and Preservation. 4. The applicant is reminded of the requirements for construction phasing of the recreation area as associated with the development of the residential units. 10.6 Construction phasing. The recreation and open space areas shall be completed in a proportion equal to or greater than the proportion of residential dwelling units completed, except that 100 percent of the recreation and open space areas shall be completed prior to issuing building permits for the final 20 percent of the dwelling units proposed. Building permits shall not be issued for dwelling units unless the requirements of this section are met.

S-14-18 Tall Pines at 1655-1665 Kenton Road Summary Report of Active Recreation Component Parks, Recreation & Community Enhancement Committee Meeting on September 8, 2014 Page 4 of 4 5. There shall be provisions which ensure that the common open space area including active recreation areas and amenities shall continue as such and be properly managed and maintained. The developer shall either retain ownership and responsibility for maintenance of such open land; or provide for and establish one (1) or more organizations for the maintenance of all common open space. The Parks, Recreation, and Community Enhancement Committee shall submit to the Planning Commission a report detailing the recommendations as to the Recreation Area Plan. Attachment: S-14-18 Tall Pines Landscape Plan sheet

MEMORANDUM City of Dover P.O. Box 475 Dover, Delaware 19903 Phone: 302.736.7010 Fax: 302.736.4217 Date: August 29, 2014 To: Parks, Recreation & Community Enhancement Committee From: Ann Marie Townshend, AICP, Director of Planning & Community Development RE: Homeownership Rate for the City of Dover According to the United States Census Bureau, the homeownership rate in Dover from the period of 2008-2012 was 55.1%. This is an increase over the 2000 Census when the homeownership rate was documented at 52.3%; however, the methodology for collecting and reporting this data changed between the 2000 and 2010 Census. Below is a summary of the homeownership rate reported by the United States Census Bureau for the State of Delaware, Kent County and other Delaware municipalities for the 2008-2012 period: State of Delaware 72.7% Kent County 72.9% Wilmington 47.9% Newark 54.3% Smyrna 66.8% Milford 60.4% Georgetown 49.0% Seaford 44.4% For the municipalities listed (excluding Kent County and the State of Delaware), Dover is above the median rate of homeownership; however, it is important to maintain or increase the rate of homeownership in Dover, especially in the downtown area. According to the Restoring Central Dover study, the project area (bound by William Street on the north and Hope Street on the south, State Street on the east and West Street on the West, and including Lincoln Park) has a homeownership of 25% and a rental rate of 75%. A key strategy of revitalizing the central Dover neighborhoods includes increasing the rate of homeownership. In the coming months, the City should look for opportunities to build upon existing incentives for homeownership and work with private and non-profit partners in the development and real estate community to promote homeownership.

MEMORANDUM City of Dover P.O. Box 475 Dover, Delaware 19903 Phone: 302.736.7010 Fax: 302.736.4217 Date: August 29, 2014 To: Parks, Recreation & Community Enhancement Committee From: Ann Marie Townshend, AICP, Director of Planning & Community Development Scott D. Koenig, P.E., City Manager RE: Update on Downtown Development District Application and Incentive Ideas As you are aware, City staff are actively working on putting together the Downtown Development District (DDD) application. The application is due to the State on November 1, 2014. As you recall, on August 26, 2014, this Committee recommended approval of the proposed DDD boundary. This action is on the City Council agenda on September 8, 2014 for action by City Council. The application includes a section (20% of the application scoring) about incentives. In addition to providing a listing of incentives currently in place, the application asks for additional incentives that would be offered after designation, and specifically, which incentives would be applied only within the DDD. We have discussed this and believe that the following incentives/actions should be included in the application, for implementation after DDD designation. 1. After the City receives designation for its district, the geographic boundary for the Downtown Redevelopment Target Area identified in Dover Code, Appendix C – Downtown Redevelopment, should be modified to reflect the DDD boundary. This is the area with the most demonstrated need where the incentives could make the difference between whether a project is able to proceed. 2. The City would waive Business License fees for new businesses within the DDD for a period of three years. 3. The City would provide a rebate of 50% of the real estate transfer tax upon CO for projects that qualify for the incentive. 4. The City would modify the impact fee waiver to allow it to apply to all eligible projects within the DDD. Currently it only applies to multi-story mixed, use construction. We will also evaluate other potential incentives related to impact fees. 5. The Downtown Dover Partnership would retain an architect and budget funds to provide up to $5,000 in architectural services for businesses that require renovations or code data sheets in order to occupy an existing tenant space. To date, these ideas have only been discussed internally and have not been discussed with the Downtown Dover Partnership Board of Directors. The Downtown Development District application will be discussed with the Downtown Dover Partnership Board of Directors at their meeting on September 24, 2014. We look forward to discussing these ideas with the Committee on September 8th.