Across Delaware, towns are confronting the same challenge. Housing demand is rising faster than supply, especially for the people who keep communities running: teachers, hospital staff, retail workers, young families, and retirees on fixed incomes. Georgetown, in southern Delaware, is feeling this pressure acutely. For years, the town has relied on traditional single-family zoning, large-lot subdivisions, and apartment complexes, while the needs of middle-income households have continued to evolve.
A Cottage Housing Development (CHD) ordinance scheduled for Council vote on December 8 offers a thoughtful, well-structured solution. As a public affairs partner for several community and nonprofit clients working to expand attainable housing in Sussex County, Physics Services strongly supports this ordinance. It promotes choice, protects neighborhood character, and responds to real needs identified in Georgetown’s own plans.
A Proven Housing Model, New to Delaware but Not New to America
Cottage housing is not an experiment. Since 2003, towns and cities across the United States have approved and built cottage neighborhoods: modest, well-designed homes arranged around shared green space. These communities have been embraced by homeowners seeking manageable living costs, walkable layouts, and smaller footprints without sacrificing charm or quality.
The Georgetown ordinance takes this established model and regulates it with clarity and precision. It sets standards for home size, open space, parking, architecture, spacing, and maintenance. The result is a safe, predictable development pathway that invites good builders while preventing poor-quality projects.
Cottage Housing Developments across America (map)
Meeting Georgetown’s Stated Housing Goals
Georgetown’s Comprehensive Plan calls for diversified housing that serves local workers, seniors, and households seeking smaller, lower-maintenance homes. The CHD ordinance supports this goal directly. It adds a housing type the town currently lacks while keeping strong design controls in place.
Cottage homes are particularly well suited for:
- Veterans and military families attracted to compact, dignified, ownership-oriented homes
- Local workers who want to live near jobs without long commutes
- Seniors seeking to downsize while staying near friends, services, and healthcare
- First-time homebuyers trying to enter a very tight market
These are the residents who sustain Georgetown every day.
Addressing Public Concerns with Facts and Transparency
Much of the recent opposition has centered on misunderstandings. Some residents have been led to believe the ordinance allows clustered “tiny homes” jammed against sidewalks. In fact, the ordinance requires strong design standards, generous open space, and regulated footprints. It offers more protection for neighborhood form and aesthetics than the current zoning that allows large apartment blocks.
Other concerns reflect a belief that growth in any form is undesirable. Yet Georgetown is already growing, and demand will not subside on its own. Ignoring these pressures does not preserve character. It simply ensures that housing becomes more expensive and that workers and families are pushed farther away.
Well-designed cottage housing is one of the most responsible tools a town can adopt: small in scale, gentle on infrastructure, and aligned with the character of Sussex County’s historic villages.
Why Physics Services Supports This Ordinance
Our public affairs and planning practice supports policies that strengthen communities, expand opportunity, and reflect sound planning principles. We work with local governments, nonprofits, and community developers across Delaware who are trying to address the housing shortage in thoughtful ways. The Georgetown CHD ordinance is an example of the right policy at the right time.
It is:
- Clear and enforceable
- Carefully drafted
- Fair to existing neighborhoods
- Responsive to Georgetown’s own planning documents
- A benefit to workers, families, and seniors who already contribute to this community
In short, it is good governance.
A Chance to Lead
If adopted, Georgetown will become the first town in Delaware with a modern cottage housing ordinance. This is a chance to lead the state in responsible, people-focused planning that meets today’s needs while preserving neighborhood quality.
Physics Services encourages community members to review the ordinance, examine the facts, and speak up in support of a policy that reflects Georgetown at its best: practical, welcoming, and forward-looking.
Learn more:
- Click to read Cottage Ordinance fact sheet 01 – The Biggest Misunderstanding
- Click to read Cottage Ordinance fact sheet 02 – What Cottage Communities Really Look Like
- Click to read Cottage Ordinance fact sheet 03 – Cottage Housing Design Standards Are High
- Click to read Cottage Ordinance fact sheet 04 – Who Are Cottage Homeowners and Residents
- Click to read Cottage Ordinance fact sheet 05 – Property Values and Neighborhood Stability
- Click to read Cottage Ordinance fact sheet 06 – Parking and Traffic
- Click to read Cottage Ordinance fact sheet 07 – Why Cottage Housing is Not Sprawl
- Click to read Cottage Ordinance fact sheet 08 – What Is Brownfield Remediation and Who Pays For It
- Click to read Cottage Ordinance fact sheet 09 – Small Homes Have Always Been Part of Georgetown
- Click to read Cottage Ordinance fact sheet 10 – Who Backs the Ordinance and Why
- Click to read Cottage Ordinance fact sheet 11 – Veterans Deserve Cottage Housing