I write to express my concerns about the newly appointed Sussex County land-use panel. This group was created to address the unchecked and poorly planned residential growth in southern Sussex County, and to make recommendations. This group predominately consists of panel members representing home builders and developers. This panel was selected by the Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission and Sussex County Council. I add my comments on guidelines for the panel's use.
Approving new development before intelligently revising and enlarging the present region's infrastructure to handle growth is the poorest of planning ideas.
Claiming that our highways and intersections, which are so overcrowded and gridlocked now, can handle 10,000 more cars a day, as one panel member suggested, is folly. Do any county officials and panel members drive on our highways and at our intersections now? We have long lines of cars everywhere.
Addressing growth and crowding is a priority, but we must also address the issue of quality of life in this area, and those things that presently adversely affect our quality of life.
If you look at some older developments on Old Landing Road, you will see that the developers built berms and planted full-screen trees wherever homes butted against roadways, maintaining the beauty of the neighborhood. Today, if you drive down New Road in Lewes, you will see the rear of new homes a stone's throw from the road with no berms and scant screen trees. Developers today seek the most profit with the least investment and with no oversight from county officials.
There needs to be a moratorium on billboards and advertising before the entire region is swallowed up beneath signage. Sales signs that advertise a new development should be limited to one at the development entrance, no more. There needs to be a county policy on the posting of signs which now proliferate on every street corner and neighborhood, as well as a time limit.
All of the above, and more, slowly detract from our quality of life in this potentially attractive region.
Lastly, residents must be able to voice their opinions in chorus and affect the land-use panel's recommendations. Mark Twain once said that everybody talks about the weather, but no one does anything about it. Residents who complain about the unchecked growth in this region need to make their voices heard.
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