FENWICK ISLAND – Fenwick officials voted last week to approve a full review of the town’s comprehensive plan.
Last Friday, the Fenwick Island Town Council voted to support and fund a full review of the town’s comprehensive planning document. While the town’s planning commission began a five-year review process earlier this year, Chair Amy Kyle said commission members have since recommended a full review for recertification.
“We started off doing the five-year review,” she said, “and now we’re proposing something a bit bigger than that.”
In February, the town council voted unanimously to a $5,000 funding request from the planning commission to engage the services of consulting firm AECOM in the commission’s comprehensive plan review. As Fenwick’s plan was completed and approved in 2017, officials noted the town was required to complete a five-year review in 2022.
“In 2022 we need a five-year update,” Kyle said last week. “That’s mandated by the state, you have to do that. The resolution before you explains what our charge was and why we recommend that we do the longer review.”
Kyle said the commission’s review of the comprehensive plan revealed the need for a much larger update.
“We’re asking that you pass this recommendation today. If you do that, then the next step is to notify the state …,” she said. “We’re planning to do this from June of this year to May of 2023.”
Councilwoman and commission member Natalie Magdeburger said she supported the request.
“We have so many of these big projects – the dredging, the resiliency [plan], the infrastructure needs that we have – we really could benefit from this …,” she said. “The synergy is there to really do a product that would get us through 2033, if we get it all done.”
Mayor Vicki Carmean agreed.
“Some of the things that were the focus of the previous plan are no longer relevant and we have other concerns, stormwater management, etc., the infrastructure issues,” she said, “and I think you have my support.”
After further discussion, the council voted 5-0, with Councilwoman Janice Bortner and Councilman Bill Rymer absent, to approve the commission’s request.
Officials noted the full review of the comprehensive plan would be funded in the upcoming budget, at an amount to be determined.
“I am wholeheartedly behind this 10-year rewrite,” Councilwoman Jacque Napolitano said. “It’s important. Our town is changing dramatically. We have needs we’ve never had before.”
