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Rezoning request on Shady Road a big mistake

November 30, 2017

The Sussex County Planning and Zoning Commission held a hearing Nov. 16 on two ordinances that would allow, if approved, a change of zoning from AR (agricultural) to MR (medium density) for a 6.86-acre parcel of land. This parcel is wedged between the Lewes Wellness Center at the intersection of Shady Road and Plantation Road and private homes which face onto Shady Road.

These zoning changes would lay the groundwork that would allow the developer to seek permission from Sussex County Council for the building of a second 52-unit townhome community on Shady Road in Lewes. This does not sound dramatic until other factors are considered. The issues facing current area residents are:

• A new 52-unit townhouse community is already in the process of being built directly across Shady Road. Adding a second 52-unit townhouse community would have a significant negative impact on existing traffic.

• Shady Road already supports 18 individual homes, five businesses, school bus routes, the DelDOT DART bus terminal and the Eagle Point condominium community with 120 individual units.

• Add that to the normal crossover traffic from Coastal Highway to Plantation Road via Shady Road which increases dramatically during the tourist season.

• The use of the Shady Road/Plantation Road intersection by general traffic and by homeowners in the large Henlopen Landing development of private homes.

• It would take only a single accident or a stopped delivery truck, and the small two-lane Shady Road would be completely compromised.

Our concern goes further. Planning and zoning and county council have previously approved the construction of The Arbors of Cottagedale, an apartment complex which is slated to have 168 apartments. This site is located directly adjacent to the 6.86-acre parcel proposed for the second group of 52 townhomes. Both of these projects abut private housing and a significant portion of the Eagle Point condominiums.

If all these buildings are allowed to be built, they and the accompanying hardscape would have a serious negative effect on the groundwater drainage. The current open land is free of any hardscape. It should be noted that the adjacent land on which the Arbors of Cottagedale is to be built was formerly known as the Jackson Pit, an unauthorized dump site. The land has yet to undergo removal of the hazardous materials.

We ask the members of the planning and zoning commission and county council to recognize that there is no need to overburden Shady Road or its surrounding residents with another new townhouse community. Please deny these zoning requests.

Marc and Elizabeth Collard
Lewes

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