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Angola by the Bay flooding a concern

June 7, 2014

I am one of 900 property owners residing in Angola By The Bay, a community that is completely owned and operated by the property owners. We all own our own home and the land it occupies and share ownership of all commom ground, marinas, roads and amenities. Our board of directors is elected by the property owners.

Angola By The Bay is located on the south side of Angola Road, between Route 24, and Camp Arrowhead Road. A new development of 34 building lots, Bay Pines, is slated to be placed on the farmland on the north side of Angola Road directly across from Angola By The Bay, but some distance back from Angola Road.

After speaking with Sussex County Planning and Zoning and the Delaware Office of Sussex Conservation, I assume that proper safeguards will be in place to protect the environment when this new subdivision is complete.

However, placed between the new 34-home Bay Pines subdivision and directly along Angola Road are six, three-quarter acre building lots, of which three are already sold. This is not a subdivision. These homes are considered "Road Frontage." Each property will individually access Angola Road.

These six properties are on farmland that slopes partly from the east and partly from the west to a low area in the center and southward to Angola Road where a culvert pipe goes under Angola Road to Angola By The Bay. During very heavy rains water drains off the farmland to the pipe and under the road and floods property in Angola By The Bay.

Replacing some of the farmland with driveways and house roofs will cause faster and more water runoff into the pipe and into Angola By The Bay. According to Delaware, Sussex Conservation no plans are required for a "catch basin" or any control of runoff water and there is "Nothing they can do" because these new six homes are "road frontage" not a subdivision.

Angola By The Bay is a private community, but we all do pay taxes and deserve some protection from what coulnd be a greater flooding situation for some homes in our community.

Jack A. Noel
Angola By The Bay

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