Belle Mead rezoning approved by Sussex council
Sussex County Council narrowly passed a zoning change Dec. 16 for a project to build 344 multifamily units and 72,000 square feet of commercial space on a horse farm off Route 24 near Rehoboth Beach.
The 3-2 vote came after council unanimously approved eight amendments to the conditions set by the county planning & zoning commission. Among them, they tighten requirements for forest preservation, coordinate timing of infrastructure improvements and create additional affordable housing.
The recommendations were offered by Councilwoman Jane Gruenebaum. She and Council Vice President John Rieley cast the only votes in opposition to the zoning change.
The rezoning for the 30-acre parcel from AR-1, agricultural-residential, to C-4, planned commercial, was the first C-4 project under county zoning rules, and Gruenebaum cited concerns about setting a precedent.
The current site of equestrian facility called Love Creek Farm, which will be converted to housing and commercial space, is near two schools, raising safety concerns among some council members.
Councilman Matt Lloyd said he supported the plan because it aligns well with the county’s development plans. Councilman Steve McCarron emphasized the affordable housing portion of the project, which is desperately needed in the fast-growing county.
Several residents who attended the meeting expressed disappointment with council, noting the election of three new members to the five-member council was expected to bring controls on the ongoing housing boom.
Neighbors at a Sept. 16 public hearing held by council urged denial of a zone change, saying it would change the area’s character and worsen traffic and school crowding. Cape Henlopen School District was among those that opposed the zone change.
Council delayed a decision at the September meeting to seek information from the Delaware Department of Transportation and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control before its vote.
This is a developing story. A full story will appear in the Friday, Dec. 19 edition of the Cape Gazette.
Kevin Conlon came to the Cape Gazette with nearly 40 years of newspaper experience since graduating from St. Bonaventure University in New York with a bachelor's degree in mass communication. He reports on Sussex County government and other assignments as needed.
His career spans working as a reporter and editor at daily newspapers in upstate New York, including The Daily Gazette in Schenectady. He comes to the Cape Gazette from the Cortland Standard, where he was an editor for more than 25 years, and in recent years also contributed as a columnist and opinion page writer. He and his staff won regional and state writing awards.
Conlon was relocating to Lewes when he came across an advertisement for a reporter job at the Cape Gazette, and the decision to pursue it paid off. His new position gives him an opportunity to stay in a career that he loves, covering local news for an independently owned newspaper.
Conlon is the father of seven children and grandfather to two young boys. In his spare time, he trains for and competes in triathlons and other races. Now settling into the Cape Region, he is searching out hilly trails and roads with wide shoulders. He is a fan of St. Bonaventure sports, especially rugby and basketball, as well as following the Mets, Steelers and Celtics.
