GEORGETOWN, Del. (AP) - A Superior Court judge has overturned an ethics ruling by Delaware's Public Integrity Commission against the mayor of Dewey Beach.
The judge ruled Thursday that the commission erred in finding that Mayor Diane Hanson had a conflict of interest in voting in 2010 to clarify 35-foot height restrictions for buildings in Dewey's resort business district. The vote came after developers wanting to expand the Ruddertowne complex sought to build a 68-foot structure.
The PIC said Hanson had a conflict of interest because a new hotel and condominiums would compete with two rental properties she owned, and because the clarifying ordinance bolstered her defense in a lawsuit filed by the developers.
The judge said the decision was not supported by the evidence and that the commission violated its own procedural rules.
