It is Landmark’s policy to provide our clients with good quality service and advice in effective planning and execution of clients’ development projects. This can only be done if we are up to date on all of the building and regulatory codes affecting development in our region, which includes, but is not limited to, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland.

The UDC
In 1997, Landmark Engineering took seriously the creation of New Castle County?s Unified Development Code (UDC) and the impact it would have on our clients. Thomas Prusak, P.E., was invited as part of a business group to meet on a weekly basis with the New Castle County Government Administration to review and comment on the proposed drafts for the Code. During 1998 and 1999, Mr. Prusak and Mr. Ted Williams monitored, and offered suggestions and comments on proposed text amendments to the UDC as they were developed and presented to the public.

Training
Once the Code was adopted in 1999, Mr. Prusak conducted in-house staff seminars on the UDC on what it meant and how to interpret and implement each section. These in-house seminars took over 12.0 hours to complete. He then conducted a 3.0 hour seminar for more than 30 of the company?s clients.

Mr. Prusak conducted a seminar on the financial impact the UDC will have on housing costs in New Castle County. The presentation was held at the Bob Carpenter Center in Newark for the Delaware Chapters of the National Association of Housing and Rehabilitation Officals (NAHRO) in conjunction with the American Planning Association, State of Delaware’s Division of Administrative Services and Housing Authority, county and municipal officials and members of the development community.

Presentations were also made by Mr. Prusak, along with two other consultants, to the Governor’s Planning Council, New Castle County Board of REALTORS® continuing education program, and staff of the State Division of Administrative Services.

Mr. Williams continues to make presentations on the UDC and other planning and subdivision codes to the legal community. Similar efforts to provide education to our staff, clients, and also to help bring about improvements to the UDC and other ordinances continue to the present.

Additional Ordinance and Comprehensive Code Update Experience
Members of our staff have participated as stakeholders in various Comprehensive Plan Updates, such as:

Smyrna’s Subdivision and Land Development Code Update, adopted in 2002 – Wrote the code;

New Castle County’s Comprehensive Plan Update adopted in 2007 - Represented the public and professional sectors as a Stakeholder;

New Castle County Affordable Housing Ordinance – Helped write ordinance and provide training to developers.