City of Rehoboth Beach contracts for planning services

The City of Rehoboth Beach has contracted with Thomas West, AICP, of Greener Planning, LLC, based in West Chester, Pennsylvania, to provide planning services to the city and Planning Commission. West will provide planning services for the city for up to 16 hours per week through the remainder of the fiscal year, which ends March 31, 2022.

This is the first time that the City of Rehoboth Beach has contracted with a planner to provide long-term services.

“We’re excited to have Tom join our team and provide his expertise and services,” says City Manager Sharon Lynn. “We believe that having a professional planner on staff, even on a part-time contracted basis, will improve the city’s processes and analysis of planning applications while also providing for a more streamlined and well-defined experience for applicants, the Planning Commission, and Board of Commissioners.”

West will provide plan compliance review of all subdivision applications and applications that require a site plan review. In addition, he’ll analyze applications to determine if they meet zoning code requirements and the vision and intent of the city’s comprehensive development plan, are compatible with existing nearby uses, and if the proposed use is the highest and best use for a particular location. He’ll attend Planning Commission and Board of Commissioner meetings and work with the planning commission chair to develop application processes and schedules.

West previously was city planner and development officer with the City of Lewes from 2017-19 and, before that, worked for 30 years with the Chester County Planning Commission, most recently as division director. In 2019, West founded Greener Planning, LLC, which provides specialized planning and GIS services in the Mid-Atlantic region.

The company, he says, has an environmental focus, providing modeling that determines the value of natural resources.

West began his work with the City of Rehoboth Beach August 3.