This is an open letter to Sussex County Council:
Soon you will be called upon to vote on CU2176. This permit has been protested, written about, talked about, every avenue available to those of us who oppose it has been taken. The arguments against CU2176 are powerful; an abuse of the conditional use application; what has changed since the rezoning effort failed last December? Then there is the very real risk to our drinking water, and a potential environmental nightmare. Traffic woes will surely follow that threaten everyone who walks, bikes or drives on Angola Road, and add Camp Arrowhead Road to that.
But at the end of the day, what influences will prevail? Will it be the will and best interests of the people, or will the interests of the developer, landowner and business interests prevail? Certainly the latter have rights, but at what cost? And what is really at the heart of the influences? A conditional-use permit enhances the value of a property. Money is to be made, lots of it. Money is to change hands, lots of it. And what do we, the residents of Angola, have to offer? Letters, petitions, a presence at your meetings, phone calls, protests and dare I say, common sense. We are an informed coalition now of at least 14 communities.
Is it worth corrupting the intent of a conditional-use permit? What is the point of zoning laws if a conditional-use permit can circumvent a zoning designation? A yes vote on this opens the floodgates for every developer to use a conditional-use permit as a mechanism to achieve the zoning they desire. Why would anyone try to get a property rezoned when they can apply for a conditional-use permit? Why have a planning and zoning commission?
So I invite you to take a field trip to Angola Road, Camp Arrowhead Road and Route 24. See for yourselves what this corner looks like and what the surrounding roads look like. The two roads I use to get out of Angola-by-the-Bay were never meant for the traffic load they now carry, let alone what will come with more development and a 7-Eleven. There are no bike lanes or sidewalks. How large trucks will navigate the corner and both roads on a regular basis is a big question for those of us who drive them daily. A light commercial use for our corner, as was suggested last December, is far more appropriate!
Judy Kane
Lewes
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