Decisions will decide West Rehoboth's fate

For years, the community of West Rehoboth went unnoticed by visitors to Rehoboth Beach. Tucked behind what was for years an old strip mall and is now townhouses, this historically black neighborhood was invisible even to residents of Rehoboth.

That has all changed over the last few years.

The main artery, Hebron Road was once a dead-end street that served only West Rehoboth residents. It now runs from Church Street, off Rehoboth Avenue, to Holland Glade Road a change that has made the community more visible than ever before.

Land all around West Rehoboth has been developed, from Canal Corkran and The Grand at Canal Pointe to the Tides and Rehoboth Crossing on Route 1.

Also in the last few years, West Rehoboth residents and other community members have formed a land trust whose mission is to create livable, affordable housing so families who live in this long-ignored neighborhood can afford to continue living there.

The West Rehoboth Community Land Trust, with support of many residents, is seeking a conditional use and a variance in order to build two homes on a 7,000 square-foot lot.

This request has drawn unexpected and vocal opposition from people who own property in West Rehoboth and neighboring developments. At two public hearings, opponents have said approving the application will pave the way for future high-density housing.

The land trust’s plan is not perfect, but it could offer two families a chance at better but still affordable housing in an area where other new housing is well out of reach. Without this or a similar effort, the neighborhood of West Rehoboth is doomed to disappear.

Approving any application can have unintended consequences, but it is difficult to see how building a single duplex could open the door for an apartment complex. The neighborhood is already surrounded by townhouses and condos; one duplex will in no way change the character of the neighborhood.

Sussex planning and zoning commission and county council have a tough decision before them. Whatever they decide, it is certain to have a major impact on the people who live in West Rehoboth.