MILTON, DE - The town of Milton is working on charting its course for the future with the introduction of a community design plan.
The plan centers on several key principles for external design of new developments, homes, and businesses. Some include designing for comfort and safety, creating gathering spaces, and maintaining the community's character. Mayor John Collier says a key principle is building upon existing precedents to ensure Milton retains its historic and unique identity.
"The whole idea with growing is you try to preserve what you already have and augment it for additional growth. We just don’t want to find ourselves getting to a spot where you approach Milton, and the newest parts will have an exterior that it gives you garish modernist look and no one ever comes to the core," said Collier.
Different parts of town are considered in the plan, with developments like Canary Village treated separately from single-family homes around the town center. While the plan isn't enforceable by law, it serves as a guide for future projects.
"The historic original core is gonna be the most unique part of it [Milton], and we’re just trying to mirror that throughout the whole town without being a cookie-cutter model of it," said Collier.
For many, preserving Milton's historic character amidst continued development is essential.
"The buildings and the houses have a lot of historic character to them, and I think preserving that is a wonderful consideration." said local Tom Kelly.
The design plan has undergone discussion by the town council and is now with the Historic Preservation Commission for review and recommendations, and will then return to council.