MILFORD, DE -- Data recently put together by Milford city leaders shows the city is looking at decades of population and development growth.
The presentation comes as officials work to find ways to responsibly handle local development.
The city’s planning department reports that, on average, the city constructs 200 housing units per year. If that pace continues, it is estimated it will take 17 years to complete all currently approved housing projects. According to city leaders, it is estimated to take 20 years to complete all approved and proposed projects.
City data estimates it to take 36 years to fully develop all currently vacant residential land within the city limits at the current rate.
Milford has annexed approximately 66 acres within the last 10 years, expanding the city’s total size to nearly 10 square miles. Most of this newly annexed land consists of the Baltimore Aircoil Company site and a city electric substation.
As of this year, almost 30 percent of Milford’s total acreage remains vacant or agricultural, a decrease from 45 percent in 2018.
Council members are expected to continue reviewing long-term strategies to ensure Milford’s infrastructure, services, and planning can keep pace with the growth. City officials also invited public opinion on growth and development management moving forward.
WBOC asked some neighbors on Thursday what they would like to see from the city moving forward. Patrick Haass said he thinks development can often be like a 'double-edged sword'.
"With too much growth and development, you sometimes weed out the locals," Haass said. "You take away the small town or small state essence from the area. There is good stuff as far as tax revenue, but is that worth sacrificing the lifestyle we've had here for years?"
Haass said he was born and raised in Milford and has seen many changes over the years.
"All of a sudden, all of the stoplights on Route 1 were disappearing, and there were developments all the way up and down the highway," Haass said. "Even Route 13 and Route 113 have gotten so congested."
However, Haass said not all growth is bad.
"The development in downtown Milford has been awesome. They've brought in a lot of businesses, and they're all different types," Haass said. "But I think some of the land and housing developments are where you start to get a little iffy."
Carol Kinkle told WBOC she moved to the area about 20 years ago, and that one of the things that attracted her to Milford was the small-town feel.
"I would hope city leaders keep some of the open spaces, and the farmland would be able to stay," Kinkle said.
Kinkle said that she thinks some growth, including adding new developments, can bring better resources to the area.
"It's nice having more options for grocery stores, and we're getting more restaurants," Kinkle said.
The data was supposed to be presented at a workshop on September 24th. However, city leaders said that the original workshop had to be canceled.
According to officials, the workshop will be rescheduled, and the new date will be available on the city's website once it is confirmed. They told WBOC that they invite the public to attend that meeting.