Delaware Liberal

Workforce Housing To Blow Up Into MAJOR Scandal

That’s how I read this section of Randy Nelson’s DTR blog post.

One of the major issues: the influence of Pamela Scott on New Castle County land use and development issues, particularly with respect to crafting the legislation. Scott, a partner in the law firm of Saul Ewing, who represents one of Delaware’s biggest developers, is the wife of New Castle County Council President Paul Clark. It is clear from documents I have seen that Pamela Scott wrote specific language in the Work Force Housing ordinance that directly benefited her client, Jay Sonecha, President of Blenheim homes.

Read the whole thing because Randy’s journalist chops go up to 11.  Not only does he connect the dots, but there is a paper trail that gives me the strong impression that this saga should end with someone behind bars.

Mr. Clark voted to approve the Work Force Housing ordinance on February 26, 2008. An email from Pamela J. Scott, dated October 31, 2007, details the changes she and her client wanted to have included in what they called the “Blenheim/New Castle County affordable housing ordinance.” While one might note the audacity of naming the ordinance after the company’s name, Scott refers to the “changes that we have suggested,” in her email.

Those suggestions included “clarifying language with respect to further subdivision of an existing record plan.” It should be noted that changing that clause to include an existing plan is not a clarification. Rather, it is a significant alteration that allowed Scott’s client to apply Work Force Housing to an already approved development project – the Bayberry project, the company’s largest devolpment project. This change to the ordinance was specific and unique. No other land use attorneys attempted to apply Work Force Housing to already approved plans, according to he documents I have seen thus far.

Holy crap! Everyone knew that this was a big giveaway to developers – but who could have imagined that Clark would be so brazen about it.  People are already falling all over themselves to flee from workforce housing.   In the near future I would expect to see Clark’s remaining friends headed for the fire exit.

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