Delaware Code Title 22 Sec. 1903 – Applications for district designation
(a) At the request of the Governor, the Office shall solicit applications from municipalities and unincorporated areas to have an area designated as a Downtown Development District. Such application shall include a description of the area to be included; the need for district incentives; the district plan; local incentives offered; and such other information as may be required by the Office.
Terms Used In Delaware Code Title 22 Sec. 1903
- Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
- district: means an area within a municipality or unincorporated area designated as a Downtown Development District in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. See Delaware Code Title 22 Sec. 1902
- District plan: means the strategic plan or other detailed description of the overall strategy for the development of a proposed district submitted by the municipality or unincorporated area as part of its application for district designation. See Delaware Code Title 22 Sec. 1902
- Downtown: means that portion of a city, town, or unincorporated area that traditionally comprises its downtown or central business district, as determined by such city, town, or unincorporated area in accordance with guidelines promulgated by the Office. See Delaware Code Title 22 Sec. 1902
- Municipality: means any incorporated town or city of this State. See Delaware Code Title 22 Sec. 1902
- Office: means the Office of State Planning Coordination. See Delaware Code Title 22 Sec. 1902
- State: means the State of Delaware; and when applied to different parts of the United States, it includes the District of Columbia and the several territories and possessions of the United States. See Delaware Code Title 1 Sec. 302
- Unincorporated area: means an area of the State having a concentration of population that is not a municipality and that is eligible to apply for and receive district designation in accordance with rules promulgated by the Office. See Delaware Code Title 22 Sec. 1902
(b) The Office of State Planning Coordination shall administer the application process and establish criteria to determine what areas qualify as Downtown Development Districts. The Office is authorized to take such actions as may be necessary or convenient to fulfill its responsibilities hereunder, including but not limited to promulgating rules and regulations relating to the establishment, amendment, and termination of districts and providing assistance to municipalities and unincorporated areas in connection with the application process.
(c) The criteria for designating areas as Downtown Development Districts shall include:
(1) The need and impact of such a designation for such area, including but not limited to income, unemployment rate, homeownership rate, and prevalence of vacant or abandoned housing units in such municipality or unincorporated area. Need and impact factors shall account for at least 50 percent of the consideration given to applications for district designation;
(2) The quality of the municipality’s or unincorporated area’s district plan;
(3) The quality of the local incentives offered; and
(4) Such other criteria as may be determined by the Office.