MILTON, Del. - Milton's Planning and Zoning Commission met at the Milton Library on Friday at 1 p.m. for a work session to continue reviewing a report on affordable housing.
Milton is growing, but so are concerns about affordable housing. Local Kathy Marks worries service industry workers are struggling to keep up.
"For people who need to work in restaurants, where do they live? It just seems so expensive for those people," said Marks.
Milton formed an Affordable Housing ADHOC Committee in January 2024.
The group sent eight recommendations to the planning and zoning commission on Feb. 3 and began reviewing the report on Feb. 18.
The following recommendations are:
Establish a working relationship with non-profit housing developers to facilitate the utilization of available infill lots for the organization's homeownership program, including, any infill lots the Town should acquire by means of negation or through a tax or a judicial sale.
As a condition of annexation, or a rezoning that allows for more housing development, require developers to provide a certain percentage of affordable housing units in market-rate residential developments and direct the Planning and Zoning Commission to prepare an Ordinance and/or a revision to our Zoning Code governing same.
Direct the Planning & Zoning Commission to prepare an Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance designating an Accessory Dwelling Unit as a Special Permitted use in all residentially zoned areas of town. If an ADU is to be in the Historical Preservation District, it must also be approved by the Historic Preservation Commission.
Direct the Planning and Zoning Commission to update the Zoning Code to require the provision of Affordable/Workforce housing in LPD developments.
Establish a working relationship with non-profit housing developers to facilitate (1) the construction of Affordable/Workforce units in newly annexed or rezoned market-rate residential communities and (2) the construction of affordable Accessory Dwelling Units.
Provide, at Town Hall, an information kiosk regarding programs such as Sussex County’s Community Development Block Grant which can provide financial assistance for the repair, rehabilitation, or reconstruction of our citizens’ homes. Information regarding non-profit developers’ rehabilitation programs should be included as well. A town employee should be designated with the responsibility of making sure that our citizens are aware that these programs exist. This knowledge can help prevent the displacement of low-income households who are struggling to keep their homes in livable condition.
The Town should designate more area on the Town’s “Future Land Use/Potential Expansion” map as zoned for “Mixed Use—Residential and Commercial.”
Direct the Planning and Zoning Commission to review the Zoning Code’s restrictions that increase housing development costs including but not limited to setbacks; parking regulations; minimum lot size and minimum square footage. These recommendations, in large part, echo “Possible Implementation Strategies” contained in the Affordable Housing Plan section of the 2018 Comprehensive Plan.
Al Guippone says it's a matter of community.
"I think we definitely need affordable housing here in Milton. No doubt about it. People can't afford houses and if we had affordable housing, we can get more people coming here and it'd be better community," Guippone shared.
Milton's Planning and Zoning Commission's next meeting is Tuesday, April 22.