If the purpose of journalism is to inform and educate the reader, then the Cape Gazette did not pass its own litmus test of eternal vigilance in its reporting on the Lewes Planning Commission’s recent vote on the preliminary application for Fisher’s Cove. Fisher’s Cove is the 18-home development proposed by Burke & Rutecki LLC of which Chris Schell and Tim Tice of Schell Brothers, and Justin Healy of Ocean Atlantic Sotheby’s are principals. The “story” is the historic action taken by the Lewes Planning Commission Sept. 1, when it recommended denial of the preliminary application for Fisher’s Cove for a second time. The planning commission was very specific in its reasons for that recommendation and, in fact, identified 20 reasons for its recommendation of denial. Nick Roth’s article of the Sept. 7 Cape Gazette on that action is superficial and omits significant details on the vote and its importance. Since he failed to include information on the full extent of the planning commission’s deliberations, his coverage would lead the reader to believe the preliminary application for Fisher’s Cove was deficient on only two counts. The article itself is limited to a handful of quotes from members of the planning commission, and nearly half of the article is dedicated to quotes from Tim Willard, the developer’s attorney, and Justin Healy, a principal of Burke & Rutecki LLC. Mr. Roth appeared to refrain from most of the planning commission’s analyses of the issues and seemed to disregard the impact that the proposed Fisher’s Cove development together with other nearby developments will have on the environment. We also were disappointed to see that Mr. Roth did not seek comments from others who are stakeholders, i.e. concerned citizens and their attorney (William Rhodunda, Esq.), or any of the nearly 60 Lewes residents who expressed concerns during the Lewes Planning Commission’s 2021 public comment period for Fisher’s Cove. We acknowledge and appreciate the responsibilities of a local and regional newspaper like our Cape Gazette. Readers rely on your reporting to understand life in the Cape Region. Your motto, The price of liberty is eternal vigilance, is a high standard to meet. We trust you to keep trying to meet that standard in your reporting.
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