Burton faces Ledogar in County Council District 3

• I.G. Burton, III •

Party: Republican

Occupation: Retired, businessman

Residence: Lewes

Family: Married with four adult children

Relevant experience: I have been active in the community my entire adult life. I am chairman of the Bayhealth board of directors. I am a trustee of the University of Delaware. I am serving as a member of the committee on transportation and on Sussex County Planning and Zoning Commission.

Party: Democrat

Age:  55

Education:  B.A. biology, UNC-Greensboro; M.S., forestry, North Carolina State University; J.D., Temple University, Beasley School of Law; certified mediator, American Arbitration Association

Occupation: Candidate for Sussex County Council District 3

Residence: Lewes

Family: Partner of 15 years

Relevant experience: Almost 30 years of professional experience including eight years as a consulting forester managing thousands of acres of timberland throughout the south; 15 years as an environmental attorney – five in private practice, 10 as regulatory council for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection; three years of volunteer work in Sussex County, including in-depth involvement with the League of Women Voters of Sussex County's Comprehensive Land Use Plan Forums.

I.G. Burton – Smart growth by definition accepts that growth and development will continue to occur and seeks to direct that growth in an intentional, comprehensive way. It involves growth zones, open space, transportation, affordable housing, density and population demographics. A new plan must be based on this definition, developed in detail and then followed.

Leslie Ledogar – Smart growth means making sure we have the infrastructure to handle growth as it develops. The payoff – jobs, a strong economy and healthier residents - makes the investment a bargain. Smart growth also means planning for our retirees. For people of all ages, smart growth means strong economic development in Sussex County. We need to expand our fiber optic and wireless networks and help small businesses use that technology to manage their supply and distribution chains. Our schools, businesses and state and local governments must collaborate to bring about dynamic economic growth.

I.B. – The new ordinance is simpler and should require less need for variance from the code. Six hundred feet between signs is a major improvement. The new code took months and many meetings to develop. I think we should let it work.

L.L. – The new maze of regulations will allow taller and larger signs on our highways. It will allow advertisers to put those stupefying electronic signs in residential neighborhoods with a mere conditional-use permit. The new rules will be equally as difficult to enforce as the old ones. For instance, electronic signs are not permitted to flash, but they can be animated and images can dissolve. I understand that the sign companies have a right to make a living, but I believe that we need clear regulations that are enforceable. Signs in residential neighborhoods make no sense.

I.B. – Unless we know where we are going, we won’t get where we want to go. A new plan is essential. Public input must be vigorously sought. A narrative outlining a vision for our future in District 3 should be developed. This narrative should be widely distributed and carefully vetted by all interested groups. Reasonable compromise must be sought to produce a common understanding and a shared vision. When this is achieved, and only then, should the various codes be adopted to see that the vision is carried forward in law and then followed.

L.L. – What we need is to plan well and plan for smart growth. What does that require? Planning for smart growth requires thinking about what zoning means in the first place. We create zones for development because we want reasonable, livable, healthy margins between residential and agricultural and commercial areas, between neighborhoods and farms and stores and industries.  Zoning is important to protect our quality of life and the value of our investment in our homes and our communities. And once we agree on the zoning, we can then agree on the infrastructure to support it.