Calling All New Castle County Youth! Youth Planning Board Applications Open April 3, 2023!
The Department of Land Use is pleased to open applications for its next Youth Planning Board Class (YPB)! The YPB is a nine-month program designed to expose young adults, aged 16-22, to civic engagement, planning, leadership, and comprehensive plan implementation. Since establishment in 2020, sixty-seven youth have participated in the program representing every area of the county.
As part of the YPB curriculum, Land Use Staff invite noted academics and professionals as guest speakers to share pertinent information and life lessons with the young people. In addition to County Executive Matt Meyer and Land Use General Manager Rich Hall, guest speakers have included Dr. Phil Barnes of the University of Delaware, Logan Herring of Reach Riverside, Kirsten Walther of Network Delaware, Chairperson David Burt, Esq. of the New Castle County Board of Adjustment, and Chairperson (and former Delaware State Senator) Karen Peterson of the New Castle County Planning Board. Additionally, the Delaware Chapter of the American Planning Association serves in an advisory capacity to the program and gifts each YPB member with student membership in the APA.
To learn more about the Youth Planning Board and to apply, please visit the Youth Planning Board website beginning on April 3, 2023.
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You're Invited! NCC2050 Housing Recommendations Information Session - April 26, 2023
The New Castle County Department of Land Use invites the public to attend a Hybrid Public Information Session to seek public input and discuss potential first steps regarding NCC2050 Housing Recommendations.
The objective of this workshop is to further discuss potential policies and programs designed to increase the variety and range of safe quality housing options for all, in a diversity of locations. We will also focus on revitalizing and preserving areas already developed, while responsibly guiding future development in a manner that is consistent with adjacent communities.
You are welcome to attend this event in-person or virtually. The event will be held in-person at the New Castle County Hope Center, 365 Airport Road, New Castle, DE.
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Solar-Ready Ordinance
Recognizing the importance of our natural environment and the growing climate crisis, large footprint buildings provide a suitable environment for future solar power installation. The recent adoption of Ordinance 22-091 requires new commercial buildings with a foundation footprint of 50,000 square feet or more to be built with basic infrastructure to allow a rooftop solar photovoltaic system to be easily and cost-effectively installed at a future date (i.e., that the rooftop be “solar-ready”). This ordinance applies to commercial buildings for which a permit request is submitted on or after January 1, 2023. Please review our Fact Sheet for additional information related to the Solar-Ready Ordinance.