Citizens to Preserve Dewey (CPD) is an independent, all volunteer group of
concerned Dewey Beach Property & Business Owners. CPD was organized
in the spring of 2007 out of concern that a major commercial mixed-use
development was being proposed in Dewey, which violated the town code
limiting new construction to 35 feet. The project also violated a town ordinance,
which prohibits the construction of new hotels. This proposed development on
the Ruddertowne bay front property would exceed our Town’s legal height limit
of 35 feet by 94 percent based on the original proposal which called for a 68 foot
high mixed-use structure to be constructed on the 80,000 square foot bay front
parcel. This massive structure not only violated town laws and building codes,
but property owners felt it would destroy the integrity of our small, two by twenty-
two block beach community. Making drastic changes to our zoning code is a
major decision. We feel that breaching our current height limit would be setting
a very dangerous precedent that will affect our town permanently and that the
people should have a voice in this decision
Unknown to most property owners, the Council was considering this proposal for
a vote in 2007, in the dead of winter when the majority of our property owners
had closed their homes for the off-season. Prior to a final vote by Council, CPD
quickly organized a small grass-roots group of property owners that began
disseminating information via US mail to voters (and later via email), asking
for their feedback on the proposal and their position on maintaining our 35 foot
height limit. As time went on we heard from many property owners and we
quickly realized that the only effective method to preserve our 35-foot height
limit and our coastal town’s charm was to demand that any change involving
the towns’ height limit would require a referendum vote of the people. To that
end, on July 4 weekend, 2007 we organized volunteers to disseminate a mailing
to over 1,300 property owners that contained an affidavit asking voters if they
wanted to maintain the 35-foot height limit and if they wanted any departure from
that to require a referendum vote.
Amazingly in just two short weeks we received 835 signed affidavits supporting
the 35 foot height limit and a referendum vote. On July 13, 2007 we presented
these affidavits to the town council,l who rejected them, calling our efforts
suspect. The Council ignored its Fiduciary responsibility to represent its
constituents and, after hearing hours of public testimony in opposition to the 68
foot proposed project, the Council voted to send the 68 foot proposal forward
for review to the Planning and Zoning Commission. Commissioners Dale Cook,
Claire Walsh and Mike Eisenhauer were the voting majority that moved the
project forward.
The Planning and Zoning Commission held the required public workshops and
hearings and then made a final recommendation to Town Council to reject the
proposed 68 foot plan.
The 68 foot proposal was then scheduled to go back to the Council for a
final vote. In the meantime, CPD realized the importance of getting three
commissioners elected that would respect the will of the people and the Towns’
laws and who were aligned with the property owners’ vision for our town, not a
developers or private party’s vision for the future of our town. We embarked on
this campaign by forming CPD Political Action Committee, as required by law,
and we supported three candidates that shared our property owners’ values
in preserving our small town charm, character and legal height limit of 35 feet.
CPD endorsed commissioners were committed to upholding our 35 foot height
limit, and those Commissioners were elected in September 2007 by a landslide.
When the 68 foot proposal was later presented to the new Council, it followed
the recommendation of the Town’s Planning and Zoning Commission and
rejected the 68 foot proposal. Later that year the Town Council placed on the
September ballot a referendum question asking the voters if they wanted the 35′
height limit written into the town charter, where it can only be amended by a
townwide vote. Eighty-six percent of the voters said “YES”.
Since then this developer Harvey Hanna Associates, now Dewey Beach
Enterprises, has filed six lawsuits against the town and has also filed federal
lawsuits against three of our town Commissioners personally and one town
volunteer. The developers’ pattern of harassing our Town, its elected officials
and our Town volunteers is unprecedented.
For the past four plus years CPD has been committed to representing the
property owners in defending our height limit and our town laws. We will
continue to work to better serve the people of Dewey Beach with candidates who
will represent the voters, along with providing honest accurate information.
Citizens to Preserve Dewey is guided by a Steering Committee consisting of five
member property owners including Joan Claybrook, Esquire, Rick
Judge, Marcia Schieck, Anne Duffin and Linda Winton. We are committed to
reporting factual data and information.
To contact us: info@preservedeweybeach.com
Donations accepted at: PO box 1237, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971