Get Involved: Will Georgetown ban tiny homes? Could New Castle restrict data centers?

Why Should Delaware Care?
Government works best when its citizens are knowledgeable and engaged. Delaware’s government has scores of commissions, working groups, agencies and legislative committees. All must hold meetings that are open to the public. Below we highlight a few of those meetings that are happening this week.

Below are some of the most important or interesting public meetings happening around the state this week.

• Georgetown could end tiny homes
• City of New Castle considers data center rules
• State budget office to talk next year’s spending
• Kent County planners consider new Felton-are homes
• Record store asks Newark to let it host live music 

Georgetown could ban tiny homes

The Georgetown Town Council is set to vote Monday night to repeal a long-debated ordinance that would allow up to 12 tiny homes to be built on a single acre of land.

The repeal is likely to pass the five-member council, as three council members have publicly expressed their support, and another plans to recuse herself from the vote.

The measure has been a topic of debate in Georgetown for more than a year. The previous town council originally approved the ordinance in December 2025, before a new council makeup elected last May began taking steps to repeal it.

Recently elected Mayor Angie Townsend has been a vocal advocate of the repeal, citing a belief that many residents do not want tiny homes in town, and that the previous town council went against residents’ wishes by approving the measure.

Adding to the complicated picture is an ongoing lawsuit against the town by Springboard Delaware, a local organization that already operates its pallet village, a transitional homeless shelter, in town and also is seeking to build a 122-unit tiny home development. 

Springboard sued the town in September, after council members enacted a pause on reviewing all new tiny home projects in July. That pause has prevented Springboard’s project from moving forward.

📍 The Georgetown Town Council will meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday inside Georgetown Town Hall, located at 39 The Circle in Georgetown. For more information, including on virtual attendance, click here.

Another town to consider data center regulations

The City of New Castle is considering regulating data centers, and could soon add itself to a list of local governments that have imposed restrictions on the fast-growing industry. 

The New Castle City Council will hold a public hearing Tuesday on a proposed ordinance that has similar regulations to those passed in New Castle County. 

The draft ordinance would require data centers to be located a thousand feet from homes and schools, and to use energy-efficient backup generators, among other regulations. 

The council on Tuesday will also do a first reading of a potential moratorium on data centers and will host a public hearing at a future date.  

📍The New Castle City Council will conduct a public hearing about the data center regulations at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at 400 South St in New Castle. Residents can submit comments about the proposal via email to [email protected]. until 3 p.m. on the day of the hearing. For more information about the hearing, click here. 

State gets a head start on budget discussions

Delaware’s government could be flush with cash during the upcoming fiscal year, which begins next July. And this month, its budget office is holding a series of hearings to begin discussions about how the spending might look.

Distinct from the legislature’s budget hearings to be held next year, these will involve discussions between agencies and budget officials from the Delaware Office of Management and Budget. Included within the discussions will be mandatory reports showing how agencies could cut their respective budgets by 1%.

Still, any such cuts could be unlikely following a report last month that the state could bring in more than $360 million more than previously estimated, according to an article from Delaware Public Media.  

This week will feature three days of hearings about the budgets of 12 state offices or agencies. Included within those are the University of Delaware’s budget on Monday; the new Office of Inspector General’s budget on Tuesday; and the state judiciary’s budget on Thursday. 

📍 The Delaware Office of Management and Budget will meet 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday and then from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. The meetings will take place at the Delaware Public Archives, located at 121 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Dover. For more information, including about virtual attendance, click here.  Additional hearings will take place the following week. Click here for the full November hearing calendar.

New subdivision near Felton?

The Kent County Regional Planning Commission will consider a proposal to build 265 new homes near Felton on Thursday.

Dubbed Spartan’s Village, the plans call for 265 single-family homes to be built on a 100-acre plot of land on Killens Pond Road near its intersection with South Dupont Highway just south of Felton town limits. 

The property is located within Kent County’s growth zone overlay, meaning it falls within an area where county leaders typically anticipate and welcome growth.

📍 The Kent County Regional Planning Commission will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday inside Levy Court Chambers, located at 555 Bay Rd. in Dover. For more information, including on virtual attendance, click here.

A new music venue in Newark?

Delaware’s third largest city could get a new spot for live music. 

On Monday, the Newark City Council will discuss a request from Rainbow Records to allow the company to host live music at its location along East Main Street. City planners previously recommended that the city approve the permit request. 

📍 The Newark City Council is scheduled to meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Council Chambers at 220 South Main Street in Newark. For more information, including on virtual attendance, click here.

The post Get Involved: Will Georgetown ban tiny homes? Could New Castle restrict data centers? appeared first on Spotlight Delaware.