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News Briefs

September 11, 2016

Belle Terre, Arbor-Lyn on council agenda
Sussex County Council will meet at 10 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 20, in the county administration building, 2 The Circle, Georgetown. Included on the agenda is a public hearing on an amended sign ordinance during the afternoon session that begins at 1:30 p.m. Also included on the agenda are pending applications for a pair of projects in the Cape Region. Developer Sussex Real Estate Partners LLC is making a request to withdraw a rezoning application for the 378-unit Belle Terre project off Mulberry Knoll Road near Lewes.

At its Aug. 25 meeting, the Sussex County Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend denial of the application. Council has yet to vote. Lawrence Lank, director of county planning and zoning, said the developer will refile the application as a cluster subdivision utilizing the existing AR-1, agricultural-residential zoning already in place on the parcel.
In addition, council could vote on two applications filed by Lockwood Design and Construction Inc. for the 202-unit Arbor-Lyn community off Warrington Road between Lewes and Rehoboth Beach. At its April 14 meeting, the planning and zoning commission recommended approval of the applications.

Milton P&Z meeting, hearing set for Sept. 20
Milton Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a meeting and public hearing at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 20, at the Milton library. The public hearing is for a special permitted use request from the Cape Henlopen School District for the new H.O. Brittingham Elementary School on Mulberry Street. The commission also will review a zoning map amendment for the same parcel and review the district's preliminary site plan for possible approval. For more information, go to www.milton.delaware.gov or call 302-684-4110.

Rehoboth planners cancel Sept. 23 meeting
The Rehoboth Beach Planning Commission has cancelled its meeting scheduled for 3 p.m., Friday, Sept. 23. The meeting was canceled due to lack of agenda items.

Rehoboth board to meet Sept. 16
The Rehoboth Beach commissioners will meet at 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 16, at the Rehoboth fire hall, to hold a permit of compliance hearing for Fins restaurant.

Owner Jeff Hamer is seeking a permit to modify the floor plan of the existing restaurant at 243 Rehoboth Ave. Fins was granted a variance in August by the board of adjustment to conduct substantial renovations to the building. The commissioners will consider setting a public hearing on an ordinance defining brewpubs and changing the square footage requirements for restaurants that serve alcohol. Public hearings would also be set for ordinances clarifying that no more than one single-family home can be built on a lot in all zoning districts and requiring the entrance to multi-unit residential developments to be located near a public street. Finally, the commissioners will consider adoption of ordinances changing violations of the hours of construction from a criminal to civil offense and creating a new chapter in the city code for the international property maintenance code.

Sussex libraries to close Sept. 22 for conference
On Thursday, Sept. 22, staff from the 15 public libraries throughout Sussex County will meet at Delaware Technical Community College in Georgetown for the 26th annual conference, a daylong session to study current trends and core services. Libraries in Sussex County strive to provide residents with first-rate library service. To support this mission, the Sussex County Department of Libraries provides continuing education and professional staff development for the four county-owned libraries and 11 independent libraries.

Sessions will be provided by nationally-recognized library and community leaders. Libraries will reopen at their regularly scheduled times Friday, Sept. 23. For more information on library hours, contact a local library.

Lewes planners meet Sept. 21
The Lewes Planning Commission will meet at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 21, at city hall. The topic of discussion will be a request to change the table of permitted uses for the general commercial zone. For more information, call city hall at 302-645-7777.

Lewes Parks and Rec meets Sept. 19
The Lewes Parks and Recreation Commission will meet at 6 p.m., Monday, Sept. 19, at city hall. The meeting will open with a presentation from Lewes in Bloom regarding its plan to build a new Children's Learning Garden in the new section of Stango Park adjacent to the new Lewes Public Library. The commission will also accept other ideas for the park at the meeting. At its regular meeting beginning at 7 p.m., parks and rec commissioners will consider a request from the Historic Lewes Farmers Market to remain in George H.P. Smith Park for three more years. Officials will also discuss the city's park rules and noise ordinance. For more information, call city hall at 302-645-7777.

Parking free in Dewey beginning Sept. 16
Parking in Dewey is free beginning Friday, Sept 16. The town's parking season began May 15.

Parking-related revenue is the town's single largest source of revenue. The town's anticipated revenue for fiscal year 2017 – between parking permits, fines, vehicle booting, and delinquent parking fines – was $858,000 on a $2.9 million budget. Transfer and accommodation taxes, at $500,000 and $468,000, are the next two largest anticipated sources of revenue.

Dewey election slated Sept. 17
The 2016 Dewey Beach municipal election is Saturday, Sept. 17, in the Dewey Beach Life Saving Station, 1 Dagsworthy Ave. Polls are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

There are three candidates, incumbents Gary Mauler and Courtney Riordan and challenger Gary Persinger, for two seats.
Eligible voters had to register by July 9. An eligible voter is defined by town code as a person 18 or older, who is a resident of the town; is a property owner; holds a valid lease for five years or more on property within the town, provided that the lease is recorded with the Sussex County Recorder of Deeds; or is both a settler/creator and trustee of a valid trust that is the owner of real property located within the limits of the town.

Route 1/Bay Crossing intersection closing
The crossing on Route 1 at Bay Crossing Boulevard will be closed for approximately two months while crews reconstruct and make drainage improvements to the median. Delaware Department of Transportation contractor JJID Inc. is scheduled to begin work on Monday, Sept. 26. Route 1 northbound and southbound between Bay Crossing Boulevard and Postal Lane/Melson Drive will have left-lane closures and left-turn lanes closed from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Monday evenings until Friday, Oct. 1. There will be no lane closures on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. After Oct. 1, work hours will be from 7 p.m. until 7 a.m., Monday evening through Friday morning. The project is anticipated to be complete by Thursday, Dec. 1, pending weather. Access to all businesses and residences within the project limits will be maintained throughout the duration of the work.

Cohan to address Republicans Sept. 19
Questions regarding what can be done to alleviate traffic congestion and also facilitate new uses of land in Eastern Sussex will be addressed at a public meeting organized by the Eastern Sussex Republican Club. The Secretary of the Delaware Department of Transportation Jennifer Cohan will offer a presentation and discuss with the audience regarding new DelDOT initiatives in Eastern Sussex,.

The meeting will take place Monday, Sept. 19, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Lewes Public Library, 111 Adams Ave. The meeting will be held in the East Side Large Meeting Room with seating in the room beginning at 5 p.m.
Cohan will speak about the Aug. 30 agreement between DelDOT and Sussex County Council to develop a Henlopen Transportation Improvement District. The agreement supports work over the next year by staff of both public agencies to develop a land-use plan for the Henlopen TID area, and possible transportation improvement options for the targeted area. How to fund the transportation improvements will be part of the planning process. Public hearings and agreement on the details is expected to conclude with the council and DelDOT finalizing an agreement that leads to action.

Cohan will also provide updates on other work underway at DelDOT, including the testing of using driving mileage to raise funds for road construction and improvements. For further information, contact Phoebe Cottingham, president of the Eastern Sussex Republican Club, at eastsussexrepclub@earthlink.net or 571-242-0354.

Police chiefs to discuss community relations
The Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice will host a panel of police chiefs from Cape Region departments at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 20, at the Trinity Faith Christian Center at 15516 New Road in Lewes. The police chiefs will talk about their positive and proactive initiatives to build supportive relationships with their respective communities, and how they avoid the kind of tension and violence that have wreaked havoc in many places around the country. The audience is invited to voice their concerns and make recommendations to improve relations between law enforcement and the citizens of southern Delaware.

Police officials from Lewes, Rehoboth, Milton, Georgetown and State Police Troop 7 have been invited to participate in this important exchange between police who are charged with enforcing the law, and at the same time protecting the safety and well-being of citizens. For more information, go to www.sdarj.org and www.facebook.com/sdarjde.

 


 

Dewey Beach - www.townofdeweybeach.com

Henlopen Acres - www.henlopenacres.delaware.gov

Lewes - www.ci.lewes.de.us

Milton - www.milton.delaware.gov

Rehoboth Beach - www.cityofrehoboth.com

Sussex County - www.sussexcountyde.gov

Delaware State Parks - www.destateparks.com

 

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