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Townhouse project density draws opposition

Developer seeks 52 units on seven acres near Five Points
December 12, 2017

Density was front and center as Sussex County Councilman George Cole, R-Ocean View, questioned a pair of applications for townhouses along Shady Road near Five Points outside Lewes.

MDI Investment Group LLC has filed applications to rezone a 6.8-acre parcel from AR-1, agricultural-residential, to MR, medium-density residential, and a conditional use for 52 multifamily units.

John Murray, an engineer with the Kercher Group, said the proposal calls for 7.58 units per acre, with four acres of open space and central water and sewer.

He said road improvements along Shady Road would be required if the application is approved. In addition, the entrance to the adjacent Lewes Wellness Center near the Shady Road-Plantation Road intersection would be abandoned and combined with the townhouse project entrance.

Cole asked applicant attorney Hal Dukes to rationalize going from the current AR-1 zoning on the parcel, which allows two units per acre, to MR zoning with multifamily housing totaling 52 units or more than seven units per acre.

“It's an in-fill in an area with high density all around,” Dukes responded, adding the parcel is in an area designated for high-density housing by the county and state.

Dukes said council approved the Arbors of Cottagedale apartments, which border the parcel, with a density of nine units per acre.

Cole said because the proposed site plan includes no amenities, it would force residents to drive to other areas. “It's better to have amenities on site and keep the population off the roads. This would mean more trips. I don't see this application relieving and easing traffic. I see the increase in density just exasperating the whole issue,” he said. “I have trouble supporting this increase in density with no amenities,” Cole said.

Dukes said no amenities are included to eliminate fees in an effort to keep the housing more affordable to middle-class families who want to live near where they work in the resort area. He said prices per unit would start in the high $200,000s and be designed as a working-class community. Dukes said the parcel is the last one available for this type of housing between Five Points and Lewes and Rehoboth Beach.

Councilman Rob Arlett, R-Frankford, asked whether restrictions would be in place to market the houses to middle-class buyers and not vacationers.

“The price is fair to families but who knows what the units will be used for,” Dukes responded.

“To make it clear, the houses may or may not be for those who work here,” Arlett said.

Traffic and density are concerns

Several nearby residents spoke in opposition to the applications with concerns about additional traffic and the proposed density of the project.

Steven Smith, an Eagle Point resident, said he was not against the land being used for housing. “But you need to take a look at how many homes per acre. The area was going to develop as single-family homes; this density is just too much,” he said.

Eagle Point would share a border with the proposed project.

Diana O'Hagan, who lives in Henlopen Landing across from the proposed project, said county council set a precedent when it denied a phase of townhouses in her community. “You kept us single-family homes,” she said.

She also expressed concern with additional traffic using Salt Marsh Boulevard in Henlopen Landing, which connects to Shady Road at the Plantation Road intersection.

That concern was echoed by Henlopen Landing resident Fred Stroba who said the road has become a race track and shortcut for motorists in the Five Points area. The road is owned and maintained by the homeowners association but is a public road.

Ray Grabiak, president of the Eagle Point Condo Association, said the project should mimic his community with a density of four units to an acre. He said buffers with trees and fencing should be part of the plan to provide security and privacy to Eagle Point residents.

Local realtor Pat Campbell White, who lives in Eagle Point, asked council to reject the applications and ask the applicant to come back with a project more in keeping with the density in other area communities. “As a realtor I have represented good, quality development. This can be a better project,” she said.

She said the engineer and developer have done their due diligence in presenting the project to council. “But what does not check off is the reality of the density we are facing here. How do you go from 12 to 24 to 52 units?” she asked.

Residents also pointed out council has already approved a similar townhouse project on Shady Road, Sommerset Green, that is under construction.

During the Dec. 5 meeting, council followed the planning and zoning commission's lead and deferred on a vote.

 

Are you a NIMBY or BANANA?

Most people have heard of NIMBY – Not in My Backyard – but a new development acronym surfaced during a Dec. 5 Sussex County Council public hearing.

During testimony, local realtor Pat Campbell White wanted to make it clear that she supported good development and was not a NIMBY or BANANA person. What?

It's real. BANANA stands for Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything.

And here's another one that hasn't surfaced, but it probably will: CAVE – Citizens Against Virtually Everything.

 

Understanding the density numbers

6.86-acre parcel

Current AR-1 zoning (density of two units per acre) = 13.72 units.

Allowed in MR zoning (density four units per acre) = 27.44 units

Proposed MR with conditional use for multifamily housing = 52 units or 7.58 units per acre

The math: The number of units x the acreage = density. Example: AR-1 zoning, 6.86 x 2 = 13.72

 

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