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Lewes committee looks at annexation

Group aims to make annexation more attractive
July 29, 2016

Twice in recent years have developers started the process to annex land into Lewes, but withdrawn their applications and submitted their subdivision plans with Sussex County.

In an effort to keep potential annexation opportunities from slipping away, the city has formed an annexation regulation committee, which is charged with analyzing the city's current annexation process and providing recommendations to bring more annexation to Lewes.

Committee Chairman Fred Beaufait, deputy mayor, said the process has been perceived as too cumbersome by applicants. “It takes too long, and it has been discouraging to potential property owners,” he said.

The developers of Showfield on Gills Neck Road, now under construction, and Harbor Point, just off New Road, started to work toward annexation with city officials. However, in both cases, the annexation requests when coupled with the proposed subdivision plans became bogged down in dozens of committee and council meetings.

When withdrawn and submitted with the county, each subdivision earned swift approval.

Beaufait said a good place to start is to explore incentives for the owners of undeveloped land.

In order for a parcel to be considered for annexation, it must be contiguous with the existing city limits of Lewes. Two vacant properties, in particular, are for sale – the 60-acre Mitchell farm on Kings Highway and a 31.22-acre parcel abutting Canary Creek on New Road.

“The city cannot just walk in and start an annexation process,” Beaufait said. “But we can go in and talk with [landowners] about the opportunities and why it might be a good thing. [We could] put incentives on the table that might be attractive to them, and we can ask them what they might be looking for.”

For already-developed land just outside Lewes, Beaufait said, the city needs to revisit the pre-annexation agreements that developers sign with the Board of Public Works when the BPW agrees to provide water and/or sewer service. By signing a pre-annexation agreement, a community/ developer gives power of attorney to the mayor, who may vote to annex the community at his or her discretion.

“BPW does serve a large area outside city limits,” Beaufait said. “We've not enforced [pre-annexation agreements]; I don't know that they've even had enough teeth to enforce.”

The annexation committee will continue to work toward recommendations at its next meetings, scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 16, and Friday, Aug. 26. Both meetings are slated for 1:30 p.m., at city hall.  

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