DEWEY BEACH, DE -- The Dewey Beach Town Council will discuss and possibly vote on an ordinance that would increase the minimum requirements for green space on properties in the town's Neighborhood Residential District, and prohibit parking on green space.
Under the current town code, properties must have a minimum of 15% of gross lot area dedicated to planting and beautification area. A minimum of 50% of this requirement must be located in the front yard.
However, some residents say they are seeing increasingly more stone and less green.
"Almost everybody now is buying the land and they're putting up new homes," says Steve Dallachiesa. "In doing that, they will take a lot of the green space out. A lot of the trees they're taking down, and we're losing a lot of the shade and the beauty of the area."
According to the new ordinance, properties must have a minimum of 25% of gross lot area dedicated to green space -- that's grass, trees, shrubs, and other permanent plants. All front yard space must be green space, excluding driveways and a 4-foot walkway. Parking on green space will be prohibited.
"By town code, you can only have two, 10-foot drive way entrances or one 20-foot driveway entrance, and when you put stone all across your 50 foot front yard, the people staying there, renting there assume that the whole front is a driveway and it's not," says Dewey Beach Town Manager Bill Zolper.
Others say fewer trees and less grass has led to increased stormwater runoff and flooding on their streets. But homeowner Larry Yumkas sees it a bit differently. He supports more vegetation, but says the change could lead to a greater parking problem.
"I understand if the town is trying to raise more revenue, if they want to put more parking on the streets, but it only works if there's available parking on the streets and there isn't," says Yumkas.
If the ordinance is adopted, it would only apply to new properties built after the fact. Town officials will discuss and possibly vote on the ordinance at their next Town Council meeting Friday at 3 p.m.
