Sussex County officials often have their hands tied when making decisions on proposed developments. If land-use ordinances permit a project, a developer is virtually assured of approval by meeting all the specified requirements. Officials’ decision amounts to little more than making sure the checklist of requirements is met.
Cool Spring Crossing is not that kind of decision. For Cool Spring to move forward, the land must be designated a growth area, accomplished by amending the future land-use map, which was finalized in 2018 as part of the county’s last comprehensive plan.
This is a decision of a different kind – altering the only part of the comprehensive plan that imposes enforceable limits on development. Under state law, the FLUM has the force of law, making it much more than a mere guide as comp plans are for the three Delaware counties.
There is no recent precedent for what the Cool Spring Crossing developer is asking county council to approve.
Sussex has approved nine FLUM amendments since 2019, and only two involved changing a parcel from a low-density area to a growth area. The larger of these parcels was 2.1 acres in size. Cool Spring Crossing is 637 acres and projects to a final population of 4,500 to 5,000.
The Cool Spring Crossing saga began in 2018 when county council rejected a request from the owners of the Cool Spring lands to have their property included within the Coastal Area, the growth zone in eastern Sussex. Ever since, the owners have sought to reverse that decision, and the recent public hearing was the latest attempt.
County comprehensive plans are updated every 10 years, and the Sussex plan will be due in 2028. Before the hearing, it was announced that the process of developing that plan will begin right away rather than waiting until the end of 2026.
It makes no sense to amend the current FLUM on the eve of discussions to revise the next one. Cool Spring Crossing, the largest pending development in Sussex, poses critical questions about the future of the most important east-west arterial highway in Sussex. It will impact traffic, classroom space, medical services and emergency services in eastern Sussex.
More time, more public participation and more voices need to weigh in on a decision of this magnitude. Rushed decisions are seldom good decisions, and that includes Cool Spring Crossing.
-
A letter to the editor expresses a reader's opinion and, as such, is not reflective of the editorial opinions of this newspaper.
To submit a letter to the editor for publishing, send an email to viewpoints@capegazette.com. All letters are considered at the discretion of the newsroom and published as space allows. Due to the large volume of submissions, we cannot acknowledge receipt of each submission. Letters must include a phone number and address for verification. Keep letters to 400 words or fewer. We reserve the right to edit for content or length. Letters should be responsive to issues addressed in the Cape Gazette rather than content from other publications or media. Letters should focus on local issues, not national topics or personalities. Only one letter per author will be published every 30 days regarding a particular topic. Authors may submit a second letter within that time period if it pertains to a different issue. Letters may not be critical of personalities or specific businesses. Criticism of public figures is permissible. Endorsement letters for political candidates are no longer accepted. Letters must be the author’s original work, and may not be generated by artificial intelligence tools. Templates, form letters and letters containing language similar to other submissions will not be published.
