Rehoboth Beach Homeowners' Association
                     Serving Property Owners & Residents of Rehoboth Beach

NEWS FROM THE RBHA

May 20, 2006

[Commissioner Dennis Barbour describes FAR proposals under the watchful eye of RBHA President Libby Stiff.]

RBHA Board Meeting

Here are highlights from the May 20, 2006 RBHA Board Meeting.

FAIR COUNTY REPRESENTATION FOR COASTAL SUSSEX

Two meetings in a row with two speakers who do not pull punches!  In April it was Councilman George Cole; today it was Joan Deaver, President of Citizens for a Better Sussex (CBS), the grassroots organization seeking better representation for residents of eastern Sussex County.

• Vance Phillips has got to go! 
• The whole county is AR [Agricultural/Residential].  I don’t think we want that.  I’ve never seen both.
• District lines are cleverly drawn.  Three of five councilman live west of Route 113.  Sixty-seven percent of voters in the 2004 election live east of Route 113 and have only two representatives.  Theoretically each councilman represents 20% of the population
• State Senator Gary Simpson and Representative Joe Booth have proposed a reasonable bill to address the representation problems.  The House passed the document 34-4.  Senator Thurmon Adams has pigeon-holed the bill and has proposed a counter measure, a “shut up and go away” bill, that wouldn’t become effective until 2012. 

Ms Deaver said she plans to become a lobbyist and to form a PAC to more effectively  carry out her mission. 

For more information about Ms. Deaver's activities and CBS, visit the website at http://www.abettersussex.com.

FARs

At the May 15, 2006 Board of Commissioners (BoC) meeting proposed changes to the FARs were discussed.  Commissioner Dennis Barbour, a principal drafter of the proposal, attended the RBHA Board meeting to explain these draft changes.  Here are some of the more significant suggestions:

• Front Porches – Will not be subject to FAR, provided that they are:

1) attached to the first floor and are roofed,

2) only one floor (usable space (ie decks) not allowed on roof above),

3) open design consisting of screens and/or plastic windbreakers and no permanent windows,

4) not heated or air conditioned. 

There will be no size limitation, but they will subject to setback requirements. 

• Basements – Are not included in FAR, provided they are not more than two feet above ground and seven feet in height (measured from the finish floor to the bottom of the ceiling joists), and not used as living space. 

Existing basements are grandfathered, regardless of ceiling height, PROVIDED that they do not protrude from the ground more than 3 feet.  “Cellar” is removed from the code.

• Residential FAR – For lots 4,200 square feet to less than 5,000 square feet: the FAR shall equal 2,500 square feet.  All other specifications apply. For residential lots of 5,000 square feet and greater the FAR shall be .5.
• Height -- Overall exterior height shall be 35 feet maximum (including architectural embellishments), sloping from 24 feet.

Commissioner Barbour said he had two rationales for the proposal: flexibility and encouraging architecture that is fairly representative of Rehoboth Beach homes.  He asserted that the incentives could result in an additional 1900 square feet.  When questioned why it was necessary to go to a.5 FAR, Mr. Barbour said it was to ensure homes are within scale.  He went on to say that the character of the community is being destroyed by development.  As to the need for notice Commissioner Barbour reminded that there will be a Public Hearing and when that meeting is scheduled the city will distribute a notice to property owners.  Mr. Barbour said that the process evolves by learning from our mistakes, by responding to what people say—“we’re trying to do what people say.”  Asked if that included responding to citizen comments from the two CDP workshops, Mr. Barbour said yes.  For more details see a copy of Commissioner Barbour’s summary, as revised after the BoC discussion here.

OTHER MEETING ITEMS

Plans will be developed for the June General Meeting and Joan Deaver agreed to appear again to address the larger membership audience. 

Current membership now numbers 426.

Hoyte Decker announced his intention to leave the Board of Directors at the end of his term in October.

MAY 2006 NEWSLETTER

The latest edition of the RBHA Newsletter is in the mail!  An electronic copy may be seen here.

PAST NEWS FROM THE RBHA

Click on the Date below for prior editions of News from the RBHA.