2/17/2010
Pilot School site is rezoned - www.Delaforum.com

County Council approved the controversial rezoning of the Pilot School property on Garden of Eden Road after refusing to allow the sponsor of the ordinance to do so to table the measure.

Approval came on a nine-to-four vote after lengthy discussion and public testimony -- which mostly repeated previous arguments before Council's land use committee and the county Planning Board -- on Feb. 16. The result became a foregone conclusion when Council voted seven-to-six against Robert Weiner's motion to table. In seeking to postpone action for a week, Weiner asked for "the same consideration that is granted to other members of Council." Normally, Council routinely approves tabling resolutions by unanimous voice votes. Seven other rezoning ordinances were tabled without discussion at the Feb. 16 session. Weiner, the second longest-serving member, said he could not recall any tabling refusals during his time on Council.

Lisa Goodman, lawyer for Reybold Group, which wants to build a 147-unit age-restricted community with mixed housing types on the school site, objected to tabling. "This rezoning has had more discussion and scrutiny than most," she said. Jerome Heisser, who heads Reybold, asked for quick action because Pilot School faces a deadline to acquire property at its proposed new site. Reybold's plan still must receive approval as being compliant with the Unified Development Code. Weiner got both Goodman and land use general manager David Culver to acknowledge that the plan, which they had denied is precedent-setting, is the first of 69 approved or pending under redevelopment provisions of the code, which grants density incentives as inducements to redevelop properties.

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