The City of Lewes is in the process of creating a comprehensive plan that will guide growth and development in Lewes for the near future. After an initial round of public meetings that drew about 80 participants, the City of Lewes Planning Commission is now seeking additional input from citizens who live, work, or own property in Lewes.
In support of the process, UD’s Sea Grant Marine Advisory Service prepared a questionnaire to better understand the interests and concerns of Lewes residents about growth in their town. The Lewes Resident Survey has been sent to all households and businesses in incorporated Lewes — an approximate total of 3,000 surveys.
“While we would ordinarily sample a percentage of the total population, the planning commissioners wanted to make sure that everyone had an opportunity to be heard,” says survey coordinator Joe Farrell, marine resource management specialist for the Sea Grant Marine Advisory Service. “We hope that Lewes citizens will take this opportunity to express their views on issues that could enhance or detract from their quality of life. We also hope that survey questions stimulate discussion and further public involvement as the comprehensive plan begins to take shape.”
Questions deal with topics ranging from why residents moved to Lewes to how to preserve Lewes’s unique character while encouraging growth that is compatible with sustaining the city’s economic health.
“While we did not provide a deadline for survey returns, we hope that respondents will return the surveys by mid-March,” Farrell notes. “The sooner we get them back, the sooner we can tally the results.”
A summary report of the survey will be provided to the Lewes Planning Commission and to local newspapers upon completion.
If any household or business in incorporated Lewes did not receive a survey and would like to complete the questionnaire, please contact Joe Farrell at 645-4250 or jfarrell@udel.edu.