Thursday, October 15, 2026 · 7:00 AM ET
Middletown DE 19709 · Odessa · Townsend
Good morning. A question that comes up again and again in local groups is some version of "how did that get approved and why didn't anyone tell us?" The short answer is that it was public the whole time, in places nobody looks. This week's issue tells you where.
The Build List
Who approves what, and where to watch. The first thing to know is which side of the town line a project sits on, because there are two separate systems.
Inside Middletown town limits. Plans go to the Planning and Zoning Commission, which meets the third Thursday of each month at 7 PM. Then they go to Mayor and Council, which meets the first Monday at 7:30 PM. Both meet in council chambers at Town Hall, 19 W. Green St., per the town's site. Agendas are posted ahead of each meeting. Green Giant Elementary went this route: Planning and Zoning in June, then Mayor and Council.
Outside town limits. A lot of what people call Middletown is unincorporated New Castle County, including the Village of Bayberry area. Those projects go through the county's land use process instead and never appear on a town agenda. The Scott Run warehouses from Issue 1 are a county project. You can look up any county project in the county's project database.
Before either one. Larger projects often show up first at the state's PLUS review (Preliminary Land Use Service). It's a free advisory review where state agencies send comment letters on a plan. It does not take over the town's or county's power to decide, per the state planning office. A PLUS review is not an approval. It's the earliest public sign that something is coming. Agendas are posted on the PLUS meetings page. For example, a plan for two four-story apartment buildings with ground-floor commercial space at 870 Middletown Warwick Rd. (Summerton West) was on the Sept. 2 PLUS agenda.
Odessa and Townsend each run their own town meetings. Odessa's Mayor and Council meets the first Monday of the month at 7 PM at the Old Academy, 315 Main St. The next one is Nov. 2. Odessa's Planning Commission meets tonight, Oct. 15, at 7 PM in the same building. Townsend's Council meets the first Wednesday at 7 PM at the Municipal Building, 141 Main St. Its Planning Commission meets the second Wednesday at Town Hall. Check the town calendar for the time: this month's meeting was listed at 6 PM, not the usual 7.
Three things to know before you show up:
By the time a project reaches a final vote, most of the decisions are already made. The early meetings, where a concept plan or rezoning is first presented, are where comments carry the most weight.
"By right" means the land is already zoned for that use. New Castle County's development code calls it a use "permitted as a matter of right." No rezoning or special approval is needed, though the plan still has to meet the code's standards. If the plan meets the code, the body generally has to approve it, no matter how many people object.
The town's comprehensive plan, adopted in 2022 and certified by the state in January 2023, maps where the town expects growth to go. It's long, but the future land use map (Map 5) is a single page, and it's the best preview of where Middletown will look different in ten years.
If you don't want to read agendas, we do it for you every week.
Also on the list
Planning and Zoning meets tonight, Oct. 15, at 7 PM at Town Hall, 19 W. Green St. The item to watch: a request to open a reservation-only indoor golf simulator at 128 Patriot Dr., Suite 3, open 24/7 with automated security monitoring. Also on the agenda: Dependable Construction of Delaware's request to run its business and Bargain Barn warehouse sales of scratch-and-dent appliances, grills and lawn mowers at 693 Industrial Dr., and a historic review of exterior renovations at 41 W. Main St. Last month's agenda included a self-storage plan of about 126,760 sq ft at 735 and 745 Levels Rd., with a second building of about 93,600 sq ft planned later.
Mayor and Council next meets Monday, Nov. 2, at 7:30 PM at Town Hall. Election Day is the next day, but the town's calendar still lists Nov. 2.
DelDOT plans to widen Boyds Corner Road from two lanes to four between Route 13 and Cedar Lane Road, with four roundabouts, for about $24 million. Construction is proposed for fall 2029 to fall 2031, and the plans are not final, per WDEL.
This Weekend
Cabaret at The Everett. Friday, Oct. 16 and Saturday, Oct. 17 at 7:30 PM; Sunday, Oct. 18 at 2 PM. 47 W. Main St., Middletown. $22, students $18. It also runs Oct. 23 to 25. Tickets
Blackbird Creek Fall Festival. Saturday, Oct. 17, 10 AM to 4 PM at Blackbird Creek Reserve, 801 Blackbird Landing Rd., Townsend. Free. There are hayrides through the reserve, local artisans and vendors, kids' crafts and an estuary scavenger hunt, and the state's TEDI program is giving away 200 native trees. Details
Last Middletown Farmers Market of the season. Saturday, Oct. 17, 10 AM to 1 PM, in the Appoquinimink Library parking lot, 204 E. Main St. Free to browse. The state market guide lists the season as May 2 to Oct. 17.
Family Fun Fest. Saturday, Oct. 17, 11 AM to 3 PM, downtown Middletown, with the visitor entrance at 19 W. Green St. There will be games, crafts, live music, face painting and a scavenger hunt. Free. Details
Fall craft fair at the firehouse. Saturday, Oct. 17, 8:30 AM to 3 PM, Volunteer Hose Company, 27 W. Green St. The fire company's annual fall craft fair, just down the street from Family Fun Fest. Details
Live music: Tell Me Lies at Elkton Music Hall, Elkton, MD. Saturday, Oct. 17. Doors open at 8 PM. 107 North St., a short drive over the state line. Tickets from $38. Details
Award Winners XXVI. The last week of the exhibit runs through Sunday, Oct. 25 at Historic Odessa, 201 Main St., Odessa. It shows work by Delaware Division of the Arts fellowship winners. General admission is $15 for adults, $10 for students and seniors, and free for children under 6. Historic Odessa's visitor hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 10 AM to 4 PM, so call (302) 378-4119 before a Sunday visit. Details
Hops & Horrors Beer Dinner. Monday, Oct. 19, 6 to 9 PM, First State Brewing Company, 109 Patriot Dr. Five courses, each paired with a First State beer, for $79 including fees and gratuity. 21 and over, limited to 60 seats. Tickets
Bywater Call at Elkton Music Hall, Elkton, MD. Thursday, Oct. 22, with lower case blues. Doors open at 8 PM. $31.99 to $43.99. Details
Coming up: CharBOOterie Crawl. Thursday, Oct. 29, 5 to 7 PM, downtown. Check in out front of The Everett. $35, 21 and over. Tickets were still on sale Tuesday, with no sold-out notice. Tickets
Coming up: free Halloween party and haunted gym maze. Friday, Oct. 30, 6 to 8:30 PM, Supreme Loyalty Cheer, 117 and 119 Patriot Dr. Free, and you don't need to be a member to go. Details
New and Open
Why chains keep picking Middletown for their Delaware debut. Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers opened its first Delaware restaurant at 645 S. Ridge Rd. on Jan. 14, a 76-seat spot with a patio and drive-thru, per the company. Potbelly picked 455 Middletown Warwick Rd. for its first shop in the state, per What Now. We haven't seen an opening date yet. Titan Hospitality opened its first Delaware Farmhouse on Aug. 11 at Westown Town Center, 416 S. Ridge Ave., per Spotlight Delaware. They're all here for the same reason: thousands of new households, and not many places to eat relative to the population. Expect more of these.
This week: The Farmhouse holds its chamber ribbon cutting Thursday, Oct. 22, from noon to 1 PM. Hours are 11 AM to 11 PM Monday through Thursday, 11 AM to midnight Friday and Saturday, and 10 AM to 11 PM Sunday, with a Sunday brunch buffet from 10 AM to 3 PM. Entrees average $27 and range from $16 to $42, and kids' entrees are $10, per Spotlight Delaware.
The Housing Number
DAYS TO SELL · 19709 · AUGUST 2026
49 days
Up from 48 a year ago
Homes in 19709 took a median of 49 days to sell, one day more than a year ago. The median sale price was $501K over the three months ending in August, down 8.9% from a year earlier. Sales rose to 197 homes in August, up from 175. In Townsend (19734), homes took 45 days to sell, up from 19 a year ago, and the median price was $440K, down 1.7%. Prices are softening and homes are sitting longer, so buyers have a bit more room than last year. Source: Redfin 19709, Redfin 19734, checked Oct. 13.
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Ask Middletown Weekly
When does yard waste pickup end? Casella collects yard waste in the town's green, yellow-lidded bins from April 1 to November 30. Bags aren't allowed, and neither are root balls, dirt, potting soil or sod. The town's Streets Department picks up leaves and branches that don't fit in the bin on its regular weekly schedule. For an extra pickup, call Public Works at 302-378-2211. Source: Town of Middletown.
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