GEORGETOWN, Del. - The Georgetown Planning Commission will hold a public hearing tonight on a proposed zoning amendment that would allow cottage housing developments in the Urban Residential 1 zone and revise lot frontage and access requirements to accommodate the housing type.
Little Living LLC, a Delaware-based nonprofit, is proposing a cottage community of 22 homes on about two acres off East Market Street. The nonprofit says the project is intended to expand affordable housing options in the area.
"There’s a great shortage of affordable homes," said Tony Vinciguerra, board member and secretary of Little Living LLC. "If you believe all the statistics, around 50 percent of renters today who are spending more than 30 percent of their gross income on rent, which is above and beyond what the federal standards are. So, what we're trying to do is create homes one, two, and three-bedroom homes that are affordable."
According to the nonprofit, monthly rent would be $950 for one-bedroom homes, $1,100 for two-bedroom homes, and $1,200 for three-bedroom homes. The rents would include utilities and internet access.
A view of the kitchen and part of the living room in one of the model cottage homes.
The cottages would range in size from 430 square feet for a one-bedroom unit, to 630 square feet for a two-bedroom unit, and 800 square feet for a three-bedroom unit. Two proof-of-concept homes have already been built to give the community a chance to see what the cottages would look like.
Vinciguerra added that plans also call for a small community area with a pavilion and a tot lot for children.
"We want to make sure it's very nice, and we do everything we can to make sure that it happens," he said.
Map of the proposed development.
For Sheila Woolard, who currently rents a room in Ellendale, the proposal offers hope.
"It makes me feel there's an opportunity for me to be able to afford a home," Woolard said. "I'm a single person, and I don't have anyone else to supplement my income, so it would be great for more affordable housing in the area."
Vinciguerra explained that Little Living LLC has received donated lots, loans, and charitable contributions to help fund the project.
"All this is meant to fit in within their existing income so that they can then spend the rest of their money on health care, you know, automobiles, taking their kids to events, and so forth," he said.
He added that construction is expected to begin early next year and could take about six months to complete.
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