Planning commission recommends council approve land‑use and rezoning changes for two Davidson Realty parcels

The Georgetown Planning Commission recommended that town council approve amendments to the Town of Georgetown comprehensive plan future land‑use map and to the official zoning map for two parcels associated with Davidson Realty during the Aug. 20, 2025 public hearing.

The decision matters because the proposals would reassign small portions of a larger parcel between multifamily residential and commercial designations and rezone those portions to MR‑2 (multifamily residential), and would add a 1.326‑acre portion of a separate parcel from highway commercial to multifamily residential. Those changes would clear the way for the developer to consolidate areas for multifamily/townhouse‑style development, as described by the applicant’s representative.

Doug Liberman of Larson Engineering, representing developer Bill Davidson, presented two related applications. The first involved a 24.64‑acre parcel identified in the record as Sussex County tax parcel 135‑14‑34. The application sought to amend the future land‑use map for a 0.191‑acre portion of that parcel from multifamily residential to commercial and to amend a 1.2‑acre portion of the same parcel from commercial to multifamily residential; Liberman said the submitted plans showed a line drawn in the wrong direction and that the filing corrects that mapping and the corresponding rezoning to MR‑2. Liberman told the commission that the comprehensive plan language supports townhouse‑style multifamily development for those areas.

The second application, recorded as case 2025‑16 in the meeting record, concerns a separate parcel associated with a former lumberyard. Liberman said the parcel owner contacted the developer about adding the area behind a stormwater pond to the proposed multifamily development. The application seeks a comprehensive plan amendment and rezoning for a 1.326‑acre portion of a 6.295‑acre parcel, identified in the record as Sussex County tax parcel 135‑14‑34.01, changing that portion from highway commercial to multifamily residential.

Liberman said the Office of State Planning approved a minor variation for the first property and expressed no objection to the second property's proposed future‑land‑use change and rezoning. The hearing record shows no written comments for or against and no members of the public signed up to speak for or against the applications.

Commissioners moved and seconded separate motions to recommend that town council approve each comprehensive plan amendment and each corresponding zoning map amendment. The commission took roll‑call votes on each motion; the roll calls recorded affirmative votes from Commissioner Bridal, Commissioner Allen, Commissioner Roach, Chris LaCates and Michael Briggs, and each motion passed. The commission’s actions were recommendations to town council; final approval rests with the council.

Next steps in the public record are town council hearings and any staff follow‑up required to implement the land‑use map and zoning changes if council approves them.