Sussex County tackles transportation troubles

Sussex County planners know transportation woes dominate the conversation among southern Delaware residents.

They also say they can't plan their way out of the problem.

“I don't want the public to think we can somehow land-use our way out of our transportation problems,” Planning and Zoning Commission Chair Marty Ross said at an Oct. 4 comprehensive plan workshop. “We can mitigate some, we can remediate some, but we're going to have to spend money.”

During the workshop, planners evaluated two drafts of the plan's transportation or mobility chapter: one authored by the Delaware Department of Transportation and the other by Ross. Commissioners voted to work with DelDOT's version and incorporate pieces from Ross's rewrite.

The draft chapter, now posted online at sussexplan.com, recognizes the county is behind the times with road improvements.

“Everybody gets that there's been a disconnect for many, many years here,” said Commissioner Bob Wheatley. “That's not the focus. The focus is moving forward.”

To do that, the draft plan suggests establishing a Mobility Improvement Committee and project-specific subcommittees to enhance public input on development and transportation proposals, as well as creating a County Transportation Trust Fund to provide matching funds for infrastructure projects.

“These are county monies, not state monies to throw away on more studies and more stuff we don't need done,” Ross said, defending the suggestion that a county fund should require a substantial match from the state, such as a 90-10 state-county split.

Ross said he also supports the county overseeing transportation impact fees collected from new developments. While DelDOT is responsible for the maintenance of new entrances and roadway improvements, Ross said there's a disconnect in DelDOT getting the money and spending it appropriately.

“If the county is going to come up with the money, the county should manage the money,” he said. Fees can't be collected for improvements that never happen, he said, referencing projects on Old Landing Road were funded but have not been completed.

Wheatley warned a county fund could be a dangerous path to take.

“It’s not DelDOT - it’s the Legislature,” he said. “That’s who you’re dealing with. They’re going to be looking for opportunities to give us less money. My great fear is if we get going down this road, it will be the state’s opportunity to give us the roads back.”

Ross said the county is 50 years behind in building roads and now faces more challenges with sprawling development and a lack of connected transportation.

“The public should not be fooled,” he said, as commissioners briefly discussed allowing higher density in some areas to curb road capacity issues.

“The low-density development has been what has led to the inability to have cost-effective and specific roadway improvements,” said Assistant County Attorney Vince Robertson. “Target higher densities to areas where you know you also need roadway improvements. Eliminate the sprawl.”

While targeting higher density in some areas can lower the cost of infrastructure projects, Robertson said the public still considers any increase in density a four-letter word.

“That's not something that is immediately embraced or welcomed,” he said.

Ross said it would be nice to have more public participation and input. Only one person briefly commented during the public comment period at the Oct. 4 workshop.

“A lot of folks know there's something they don't like, but they don't know how to comment on it because they don't know how to fix it,” Wheatley said. “There's a whole lot of people depending on us to figure it out.”