Milton council sets Sept. 21 date for annexation hearing

A public hearing will be held Monday, Sept. 21, on a proposed annexation and rezoning of a 26-acre parcel on Route 16 that would be used to build 239 residential housing units and have six pad sites for commercial businesses.

Milton Town Council accepted the Planning and Zoning Commission’s advisory report in favor of the annexation and rezoning July 27, the last hurdle before a public hearing can be held. 

The proposal by Milton Attainable Housing LLC, a joint venture from developer Preston Schell and Rehoboth Beach restaurateur Eric Sugrue, calls for annexing a portion at the intersection of Country Road and Route 16 into Milton. Five acres fronting Route 16 currently in town and zoned C-1 commercial will remain that way, with the rest of the parcel to be zoned R-3 residential, which allows for multifamily housing projects. Milton Attainable Housing plans to have two townhouse buildings and three apartment buildings with a total of 239 units, along with commercial sites that the developers have said would be used for small businesses and/or a bank. 

Town officials have largely been on board with the project, finding that it offers plenty of positives, including an expanded tax base and impact fees, and few negatives, with the only real expense to the town being the use of administrative staff. The project has not met with any real public controversy during review by the three-man Special Review Committee and planning and zoning.