Sample Letters

[DATE]

Council Member [NAME]
City of Wilmington
[District] District

Re: Please Vote No — Rezoning at Bancroft Parkway and W. 11th Street (Readings 9/3, Vote 9/17)

Dear Council Member [NAME],

I am a resident of [YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD / ADDRESS] and I am writing to ask you to vote against the proposed rezoning of two parcels at Bancroft Parkway and West 11th Street from C-1 to R-5-B and C-1 to C-2 respectively, at the first and second readings on September 3 and the final vote on September 17.

The Wilmington City Planning Commission already voted 4-1 to recommend against this rezoning after testimony from nearly 40 speakers.

Whatever building size the developer is currently proposing, that is not what this vote is about. The rezoning being requested would permanently allow buildings up to 15 stories and 180 feet on this site — for this developer or any future owner. A voluntary commitment to build something smaller is not the same as zoning the property to only allow that. Private agreements with one Councilmember are not enforceable by the City and are not a substitute for the zoning decision in front of you.

Bancroft Parkway is a residential greenway with no buildings over three stories. The city's own zoning code describes C-2 districts as appropriate for "main highways" — which Bancroft Parkway is not. This rezoning is not consistent with the corridor's character or its history.

[ADD A PERSONAL LINE: how long have you lived here, what does this street mean to you, what specific impact concerns you most]

I urge you to listen to the residents of this neighborhood and vote no on this rezoning. We are not against development. We are against a permanent zoning change that would allow a scale of building that has never existed on this street and that the community does not support.

Thank you for your service and for your attention to this issue.

Sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR ADDRESS]
[YOUR EMAIL / PHONE]

[DATE]

Council Member [NAME]
City of Wilmington
[District] District

Re: Please Vote No — Rezoning at Bancroft Parkway and W. 11th Street (Readings 9/3, Vote 9/17)

Dear Council Member [NAME],

I am a resident of [YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD / ADDRESS] and I am writing to ask you to vote against the proposed rezoning of two parcels at Bancroft Parkway and West 11th Street from C-1 to R-5-B and C-1 to C-2 respectively, at the first and second readings on September 3 and the final vote on September 17.

The Wilmington City Planning Commission voted 4-1 to recommend against this rezoning after testimony from nearly 40 speakers. That opposition reflects the broader community, not a small group. Hundreds of residents have made clear they oppose this rezoning, and a working group of a dozen people negotiating with the developer does not speak for them.

Any talk of the developer "voluntarily" building something smaller doesn't change what's actually being voted on. This rezoning would permanently allow buildings up to 15 stories and 180 feet on this site, no matter what's promised today or by whom it's owned tomorrow.

[ADD A PERSONAL LINE: how long have you lived here, what does this street mean to you, what specific impact concerns you most]

Bancroft Parkway is one of the last treasures of this kind left in Wilmington. Approving this rezoning wouldn't just change these two parcels, it would set a precedent for the rest of the corridor. I'm asking you to protect it, for the neighbors here now and for generations to come, and vote no on September 3 and September 17.

Thank you for your service and for your attention to this issue.

Sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR ADDRESS]
[YOUR EMAIL / PHONE]