[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6550342,"mediaKeyId","5398865-d1612f785ac4bc018205054a34c944be","parentId",5398865,"title","Land use committee reviews Falconer’s Row subdivision, proposal to add historic overlay to one lot","audioSeconds",934,"startMs",61000,"endMs",995000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5398865-d1612f785ac4bc018205054a34c944be&start=61&end=995","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5398865-d1612f785ac4bc018205054a34c944be/thumbnail_61000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6550342/New-Castle-County/Delaware/Land-use-committee-reviews-Falconers-Row-subdivision-proposal-to-add-historic-overlay-to-one-lot","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6550342-2a650469251f09ec642f70e12f12068e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771106161&Signature=bQ4RQIQ5K5WxmVL6jrDX0nHHgFvAjRV6UAXUe6-6WKpbZZUc1XQHDiBoq2omQ8iYu8jRmiJDskFmfu2V2bnM0LTa1LpGPWEwlu2YQo9h0d64BEH6S8BIMg3ZVtQUbPV~RmCDMN4oDfD0GoR~KmIgPgEDvwQ221Pdf8d6gpu6myd2rqXBDTyseZgvmZwilb9RlkF6jugpt2BIqExmK-Muvnwi~P3ThW4nP~ev7wpS3yA1-WzDgSeUiWq7k1Zff0wphwDsmjnKYfF3wPucJW-LwNUPoNcONy-amBFAopgd9qyNI0KzKZ9jiylRMkn2gRB-wIFsPPgNbrBezhheQATQYw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","New Castle County","date","2025-07-15T00:00:00Z","article","The New Castle County Council Land Use Committee heard a presentation on the Falconer’s Row major subdivision and an accompanying ordinance to place an H (historic) overlay over one parcel containing a 1927 house during its meeting. The plan would reconfigure five parcels to create 11 residential lots, preserve about 48% of the site as open space and leave two existing lots outside the proposed subdivision.

The project team told the committee the parcel proposed for the historic overlay is about 1.7 acres and contains a house built in 1927 that meets multiple criteria under the Unified Development Code. Sean Tucker, representing the applicant, said the County Department of Land Use and the Planning Board recommended approval of both the major plan and the ordinance and that a cultural resources survey and other documentation are on file with the department.

The historic overlay would “drop on top of” a single lot, Tucker said, noting the owner agreed voluntarily to the H designation in front of the Historic Review Board. Tucker said approximately 48% of the site would remain as open space and showed photos of the house on the lot. He said FEMA issued a related approval on June 16, 2025, and that the county fire marshal signed off on the project in a letter dated Aug. 31, 2023. Tucker also said the team has met repeatedly with nearby residents and adjusted the plan — pulling proposed lots back from Buck Road and moving the new road behind those lots — to preserve existing large trees along Buck Road.

Committee members asked about occupancy, future use and lot sizes. The project team told the committee the house is currently occupied by a renter and that an addition previously approved by the Historic Review Board remains on file. Tucker said the owner may sell the historic lot in the future and that an accessory dwelling unit is a possible future use. When asked about lot sizes, the applicant’s representative said the new lots are large under the SE (Suburban Estate) zoning — roughly about an acre or just over per lot — and would use individual septic systems. Tucker also said prospective homes on the lots are likely to be large given area character, with builders estimating house sizes in the multiple-thousand-square-foot range.

Committee members noted the Department of Land Use and the Planning Board reviewed the standard rezoning criteria — consistency with the comprehensive plan, character of the area, conformity with nearby zoning and suitability of the site — and recommended approval. The applicant cited UDC criteria, including a referenced provision “40.1511” and other historic standards that the Historic Review Board found satisfied.

No formal vote on the ordinance or the resolution was recorded in the Land Use Committee transcript excerpt. Tucker said he expects the project team will hear from a neighbor before the scheduled vote next week. The committee’s discussion closed after questions about septic, lot sizes and neighborhood outreach.

If the council moves forward with the ordinance and major plan, the council’s formal legislative schedule will determine next steps and any required public hearings or final votes.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","New Castle County - Land Use Committee - Jul 15, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The New Castle County Council Land Use Committee heard a presentation on the Falconer’s Row major subdivision and an accompanying ordinance to place an H (historic) overlay over one parcel containing a 1927 house during its meeting.","taxTitle","New Castle County, Delaware","taxId",12637,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6550337,"Council members ask administration for reassessment briefing as residents report tax increases; auditor to announce review",199,1005000,1204000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5398865-d1612f785ac4bc018205054a34c944be&start=1005&end=1204","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5398865-d1612f785ac4bc018205054a34c944be/thumbnail_1005000.jpg","/articles/6550337/New-Castle-County/Delaware/Council-members-ask-administration-for-reassessment-briefing-as-residents-report-tax-increases-auditor-to-announce-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6550337-195208d8b5c459a7576fa61160d84c29/orig.mp4?Expires=1771106161&Signature=n8MC~1eoCRqQxNrrZ7biM7r2IpjscgWzH3P-0DyArrIji5QWyfxFRAQmheXtNFTT93QPZHZYZHQIJzWu5aYoE5xVwdqhzN5RowIXKwjc8RQUOBtmHQaKDlvq5tLgI-iP1ybvqO2FAyt6NtfpHjkgnXsfZa20MSS72nJR3VFIelaYXlJZJ5x5fuvbpE5vV222t5Gcl8YEKEvPCTLKKCa4PkaIGuozToS5wLsLfxVVsJuLr-SppFFxEh02mfcXhk0cnVJiMq6yys1NBQU8SgB0-MLV3i6vfIJ3mBQR3mEiVc2DL4nL-ahoNuwJnzT3T8PX9i-ymCmSF1BoV6PGQv1Zhw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Several New Castle County council members used the Land Use Committee meeting to request a public briefing from the county administration and to flag constituent concern over recent property tax changes tied to the countywide reassessment.

A councilmember asked that the administration explain differences between pre- and post-reassessment assessments, the split between residential and nonresidential valuation changes, and how school tax referendums and phase-ins affected bills. Councilmembers said constituents are reporting residential tax increases in the range of several hundred dollars to about $1,500 depending on location and individual circumstances; the transcript records the range as “anywhere from $500 to probably $1,500” as reported by council members during the discussion.

Council members said the matter will be placed on the agenda of the finance committee for next week so county staff can present detailed information. One councilmember who spoke in the meeting said they had contacted county administration staff to arrange attendance; another councilmember said the outreach to the administration had already been made and a county representative is expected to attend the finance committee meeting.

In the meeting, a councilmember reported receiving confirmation from Lydia York of the county auditors that she planned to announce the start of some form of audit the following morning; the transcript attributes that confirmation to a councilmember who cited Lydia York by name. Council members discussed that state law, court actions and referendums at the school-district level factor into how tax rates and phasing operate, and several members urged that the county explain what is within local control and what results from state law or court mandate.

Committee members emphasized they have been receiving calls, emails and texts from constituents and said clarifying the record was important even when actions stem from state law or school-district referendums. Speakers noted commercial property valuations have fallen in some cases and that appeals on commercial parcels predated the reassessment; they said those appeals and phased-in referendum amounts also affect tax bills.

No formal committee vote or legislative action on reassessment was recorded in the provided transcript; council members requested the administration present to finance committee and reported the auditor\u000027s intention to conduct a review.","Council members asked the administration to present a public explanation of the recent reassessment and how it affected residential and commercial tax bills; members said the item will go to the finance committee next week and an auditor (Lydia York) was reported to be preparing an audit announcement.","actionData","errors"]

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Land use committee reviews Falconer’s Row subdivision, proposal to add historic overlay to one lot

Council members ask administration for reassessment briefing as residents report tax increases; auditor to announce review