Having spent many years attempting to fathom the reasoning behind eastern Sussex County’s explosive growth, I have concluded that members of the P&Z commission and county council must be taking their cues from TV game shows.
Consider these examples:
“Let’s Make a Deal” – Rezone virtually any parcel of agriculturally zoned land to accommodate more houses!
“Wheel of Fortune” – Spin away to see how many new homes can be shoehorned onto a few acres of land stripped of trees and other environmentally friendly vegetation.
“Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” – Landowners and builders, that’s for sure!
“Jackpot” – Builders high-five as complacent P&Z and council members rubber-stamp every development plan and rezoning request.
“Beat the Clock” – How quickly can the county approve more development before the state gets around to providing road and highway improvements to accommodate the additional traffic?
“Everything Goes” – Trees, topsoil and wildlife as developers strip the land bare.
“The Price is Right” – Reap profits from building homes without having to pay impact fees for schools, roads or other infrastructure needs.
“Truth or Consequences” – Face up to the fact that the current pace of unbridled growth is unsustainable, or accept the irreversible results – including clogged roads, overcrowded schools, higher utility bills, longer waits for healthcare – later on.
“Press Your Luck” or “Jeopardy” – How badly will unrestrained development be allowed to clog roads before the ability of first responders to deliver emergency services is adversely affected?
Will anything change before eastern Sussex County passes the point of no return, if we haven’t already? That’s “The $64,000 Question.”
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