It appears that the building and development on New Road in Lewes is out of control. Along this 2.5-mile artery into Lewes, there are presently three developments in the works – approximately 400 new homes – with a fourth development approved on New Road near Nassau Road. For the past year, New Road has been constantly reduced to one lane or completely closed. Add to this DelDOT's long-overdue plan to replace the Canary Creek bridge, which will require closing New Road for approximately eight months. Now another developer, No. 5, Glenwood, is proposing to build 131 homes on New Road.
It is clear that the intent of developers is to build on every piece of green in Lewes, and the Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission and county council plan to approve every building request that comes across their desks. Our roads, infrastructure and traffic cannot handle these rapid increases. One example is the intersection of Routes 9 and 1, traveling east and west, now totally and dangerously clogged, and backed up in both directions for miles with cars in the intersection stuck in the middle of Route 1. We must institute a moratorium on developments until we have evaluated our roads, infrastructure and traffic with the appropriate engineering and planning studies. These areas need to be updated and improved before any more building can be approved. This intelligent approach can withstand any developer's challenges. We've already passed the point of crisis in this region and are experiencing gridlock everywhere.
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