This story was updated following the vote to pass the repeal of the cottage housing ordinance.
GEORGETOWN, Del. - The Georgetown Town Council voted 3-1 to repeal the cottage housing ordinance on second reading, as a legal battle with Springboard Delaware continues.
Springboard Delaware is also expected to return to the council with a report on the Pallet Village and address unanswered questions from the previous meeting.
The council's repealing of cottage housing comes as Springboard Delaware is suing the town, claiming Georgetown unlawfully stopped reviewing new cottage housing applications while considering whether to repeal the ordinance allowing that type of development.
Georgetown originally adopted the cottage housing ordinance in December 2025. However, in August, the mayor asked the town to reconsider the ordinance.
On Sept. 11, the Springboard Collaborative and Springboard Communities LLC filed a lawsuit in Delaware’s Court of Chancery, asking a judge to invalidate two Town Council actions and require Georgetown to process Springboard's preliminary development application.
The town denies wrongdoing, arguing that the suspension of new applications was a temporary administrative measure. Georgetown also maintains that Springboard had not submitted a preliminary application when the pause took effect.
Springboard Delaware is not asking the court to grant final approval for construction of its proposed community. Instead, the organization wants a court order requiring Georgetown to accept and process its preliminary application under the town's cottage housing regulations.
