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For years, Mike Mock has been beating a drum about overdevelopment and political shenanigans in Sussex County.
The Rehoboth Beach real estate entrepreneur is hoping his newest endeavor, a short novel titled “The County,” will inspire others to take action.
Mock’s book, which is published by Judson Bennett of Lewes, takes a hard look at people in his own business and the leaders of fictional Nassau County.
Bennett and Mock stress the book is fictional, yet the story revels what they perceive is going on in real-life Sussex County.
Mock writes that in real life “people wouldn’t allow out-of-state builders to create thousands and thousands of houses when they already have thousands more than we can sell.”
And “people wouldn’t elect two real estate agents, two building supply owners and a sign shop owner and expect them to throttle back building.”
“Councilman Coleman” is the “doubting Thomas of the county council,” used to being the lone dissenting vote for any development up for approval.
His heroine and head of the county Realtors, Barbara West Feathers, tries to ignite a revolution among her compatriots with words like this: “If we allow this out-of-control destruction of our farms and forests to continue to protect and promote the right of the farmer to sell out for $50,000 per acre and developers to install ‘superior’ communities with four houses per acre and a pool and a clubhouse, we are going to kill the patient.”
Many readers will find Nassau County closely resembles real life in Sussex County.
Mock, 46, who has lived in the county his entire life, said he wrote the book to get people thinking.
“It’s fictional and not about specific people, but there are some characteristics of people we all know who live around here,” he said. “And it’s not about the county council, but it contains issues like zoning, gays and eminent domain that we deal with here.”
On the campaign
The 75-page book may also go down as one of the most unique forms of political campaign literature in recent history.
There is no mystery who Mock is supporting in the upcoming race for the 3rd District Sussex County Council seat. On the book’s back cover, he urges readers to vote for Jud Bennett.
In November there could be a rematch when Bennett faces 12-year incumbent Lynn Rogers. The veteran councilman has yet to file, but has indicated he plans to run again. In the 2004 race, Bennett lost by just three votes.
Bennett said he is handing the book out during his campaign and will donate all proceeds to the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition.
“Although the book is a complete and absolute work of fiction, Mike Mock provides a significant message at the end that fits nicely with my platform and message,” Bennett said.
“Because he is a developer and involved in real estate, it makes his concepts even more interesting. We are the market and we have the right to determine our own future in regard to land use in Sussex County.
“Considering my wife has had breast cancer twice, I can help the cause of curing breast cancer by donating all the profits of the sale of the book during my campaign to the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition. It seems like an innovative and natural fit that will help people in two different ways,” Bennett said.
The real county
Beyond the book, Mock feels the real Sussex County is headed in the wrong direction – actually heading for a train wreck, he said.
Why? It boils down to one thing – too many lots.
“It’s the county lot machine. The county keeps adding farmland in one end of the machine and spits out developments at the other end,” he said.
Mock said there is an excess of 30,000 lots – without counting developments currently in the pipeline. “That should hold us for another 40 years or so,” he said.
He said it’s no wonder there is a slump in the housing market. People are losing investments on their homes because lots and homes are falling in price.
“Development after development are full of empty lots, and yet the county keeps approving new ones,” he said.
People who invested in condominiums as rentals are feeling the pinch because of a saturated market, and foreclosures are on the rise.
He said the system only works when there are buyers, and there aren’t many of them these days. “Maybe the big rush is over. Just maybe those who are coming are already here,” he said. “Maybe we already got our share.”
Mock said there is only one solution for county officials. “They need to freeze everything now and stop making lots. They have to admit that they screwed up,” he said.
And he said it could happen quickly if one county councilman would be brave enough to stand up and speak the word no one wants to hear – moratorium.
“They can call it a correction if they want, but the overdevelopment needs to be stopped,” he said.
Tougher zoning and a “correction” could be achieved quickly if the council was willing to take action, Mock said. “But they are cowards because they are all in the business,” he said.
Mock said Sussex officials are guided by the principle of protecting property rights and they feel they are doing the right thing in protecting those rights.
And, he said, there is nothing wrong with protecting property rights if there is equal protection for everyone.
“It’s time to do something unique and responsible – it’s time to take care of what we’ve got,” he said.
He said for the next 18 months, someone like a lot czar is needed to select which lots would be sold. “It matters to everyone because we are all stakeholders,” he said.
This would allow time for market correction, and in the end would benefit everyone. “Scarcity drives price and we definitely don’t have scarcity right now,” he said.
Mock said his worst nightmare is that 10 to 15 years from now, people will say, “I wish we had listened to what Mike Mock had to say.”
“Am I right?” he asked. “You might say where does he get off telling the county how to run its business. I think someone needs to speak up – maybe I need to.”
Do these words hint that Mock is considering a run for political office – perhaps Sussex County Council?
“Always,” he answered.
But that doesn’t mean he is throwing his hat in the ring just yet. “If there was an uprising, I would step up,” he said.
One thing is for sure – this is not the final installment of “The County.” Mock said a sequel is planned.
The book is available for $8.95 at Browseabout Books in downtown Rehoboth Beach.
Contact Ron MacArthur at ronm@capegazette.com
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