I grew up in Delaware and attended the University of Delaware. Most of my employment has been out of state, but my most recent employment was at Tunnell Cancer Center. I am now retired.
When relocating back to Delaware, my wife and I found the Saddle Ridge community. We liked that an elementary and middle school are nearby, and there is ready access to shopping, restaurants and the beaches. What attracted us mostly was that the surrounding area was zoned agricultural-residential. Hence, we expected there would not be commercial/retail businesses next to us. So, we invested almost three-quarters of a million dollars on a home.
If the Belle Mead property is rezoned to C-4, we would have commercial/retail businesses directly adjacent to us. There is no need for this. The applicants suggest their project would bring convenient coffee access to the surrounding residents. This is not needed! There are two Starbucks, a Wawa, a Dunkin’ Donuts, and westward on Route 24 is the Greenman restaurant where coffee is available, all within a few miles, as well as hundreds of other businesses close by where there is just about anything one would ever want or need.
Also, this project will not provide low-cost, affordable housing. A tenant would need to make more than $85,000 per year to afford to live there.
The negative impact of approving this request includes: more traffic (6,800 additional vehicle trips per day, a 37% increase), more noise at all hours, more waste, dirty water runoff into adjacent properties and other issues.
An important reason to deny this rezoning request is that it is not consistent with the goals of the comprehensive plan. Under Goal 4.2, Objective 4.2.1, it states: “Engage in planning that considers the efficient location of public services and infrastructure.” The expected increased traffic will make it more difficult to provide police, fire, emergency and transportation services. Also, under Goal 4.4, Objective 4.4.1, it states: “Ensure that new development complements the character of the existing surrounding communities.” This project will provide no improvement or benefit to the surrounding communities. Finally, under Goal 12.1, Objective 12.1.1, it states: “Consider whether the design of new development fits the character of existing neighborhoods.” There is nothing existing around this that is even remotely akin to the project. It will stand out like a sore thumb.
Finally, approval will certainly result in significant reduction in property values in our and other nearby communities, which is undesirable to existing homeowners.
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