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It has been called a new town, the future of development and the end of the rural character of Milton.
All these things embody Darin Lockwood’s Villages of Elizabethtown project, which will bring 3,710 new houses and retail shops on 750 acres along Route 16 west of Milton.
Sussex County Council approved Lockwood’s project Tuesday, July 31, with only Councilman George Cole in opposition.
Councilman Lynn Rogers represents the Milton area and is very familiar with the project. He said it fits with the county’s current land-use plan. Rogers is also familiar with Lockwood, who served as Rogers’ campaign coordinator when he ran for his council seat.
Members of the public left council chambers shaking their heads after the decision was announced. Many were concerned the project would add too much traffic to the narrow, aging roads around Milton, as well as strain emergency services. Rogers, chief of the Milton Volunteer Fire Company, was originally concerned about emergency services when he first heard of the application, but he recommended approval anyway. In cases like this, the council has little choice about approving developments because the land-use plan allows growth adjacent to town centers. The state even recommends growth and was in favor of the Villages of Elizabethtown project, but state officials wanted it annexed into the town of Milton.
The project will include multiple types of housing, including 400 moderately priced units. It will also include retail opportunities such as a grocery story or home improvement store, eateries and possibly a church. The developers will also increase the shoulders and provide road improvements on Route 30 and Route 16 to accommodate farming equipment.
This project is the first approved through the county’s Moderately Priced Housing Unit Program.
“The integration of permitted commercial uses in the Villages of Elizabethtown will reduce the number of trips because grocery (stores) will be within walking distance,” said Sussex County Planning and Zoning Commissioner I.G. Burton. “Commercial zoning is appropriate because it is located on Route 16, close to Route 1. The property is in a developing area according to the Sussex County land-use plan.”
County planners recommended approval of the project Wednesday, July 18, following the lead of the state’s Preliminary Land Use Service.
Contact Rachel Swick at: rswick@capegazette.com
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