I read with great interest Eul Lee’s letter in the Sept. 14 print edition and online. The subject of overdevelopment in the unincorporated areas of Sussex County is certainly not new. I have observed what appears to be unbridled growth since I started visiting as a boy, and the poor planning (or adherence to planning) since I moved here full time in 2002.
The issue is not poor planning. It is not the current comprehensive plan, adopted just two years ago. The issue is the failure of county government to adhere to that plan. What good is a (state-mandated) comprehensive plan when the interests of developers, and the county government’s eye on real estate transfer taxes, encourage developers to seek changes to the plan, knowing those changes are likely to eventually be approved?
It is too late to reverse the damage that has been done to the quality of life in eastern Sussex, but it is not too late to take action to keep it from getting worse. It starts with adherence to the comprehensive plan – if a property is zoned agricultural or low-density residential, it must remain that designation unless the developer can show a compelling reason (beyond profit ) for a change. The state must consider enacting changes to the county charter, perhaps the charters of all three counties, and establish a final process whereby the state planning commission must approve any change of zoning request that increases the density of the property in question. This process removes the influence of developers and is outside the tax-generating interest of the counties.
It is great that the state and the county have been active in preserving active farmland, but that is not enough. There needs to be a plan to preserve everywhere in the unincorporated parts of Sussex County, undeveloped lots, wooded areas, as well as all the undeveloped properties filled with swales, which serve as the last refuge for clean water, wildlife, and native plant species.
It is not too late.
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