Nassau Commons Boulevard reopens in Lewes
Nassau Commons Boulevard – a common path between Routes 1 and 9 west of Lewes that a developer said was inadvertently closed without notice in early December – was reopened the day before Christmas, a contractor said Dec. 30.
A-Del Construction of Newark estimated in early December that the road would remain closed for three months while work was done to install storm drains and rebuild the roadway.
“Some utility conflicts stopped the work,” said Tom Moore Jr., project manager for A-Del Construction. “We were asked to get the road back open.”
Moore referred additional questions to Fernmoor Homes, the Jackson Township, N.J.-based developer that commissioned the work. A representative for Fernmoor could not be reached Monday morning.
Work is being done on Nassau Commons Boulevard to make it a state-maintaned road and clear the way for resumption of construction at the adjacent Vineyards housing and commercial development that fronts on Route 9.
The Delaware Department of Transportation has told Fernmoor it cannot continue the Vineyards project until the roadwork is complete and a traffic light is installed at the intersection of Route 9 and Nassau Commons Boulevard.
Fernmoor Homes apologized in early December for the lack of notice on the initial road closing. A letter drafted by A-Del was supposed to be distributed by Fernmoor Homes to nearby businesses and landowners, but that never happened, said Steve Kessler, Fernmoor general counsel, at the time.
A construction crew began clearing trees and business signs Dec. 2 along Nassau Commons Boulevard, surprising neighbors, and prompting complaints to the contractor and developer.
Moore said he had not yet been told when work might resume.
“When it will close back off again, I’m not sure,” he said.
Kevin Conlon came to the Cape Gazette with nearly 40 years of newspaper experience since graduating from St. Bonaventure University in New York with a bachelor's degree in mass communication. He reports on Sussex County government and other assignments as needed.
His career spans working as a reporter and editor at daily newspapers in upstate New York, including The Daily Gazette in Schenectady. He comes to the Cape Gazette from the Cortland Standard, where he was an editor for more than 25 years, and in recent years also contributed as a columnist and opinion page writer. He and his staff won regional and state writing awards.
Conlon was relocating to Lewes when he came across an advertisement for a reporter job at the Cape Gazette, and the decision to pursue it paid off. His new position gives him an opportunity to stay in a career that he loves, covering local news for an independently owned newspaper.
Conlon is the father of seven children and grandfather to two young boys. In his spare time, he trains for and competes in triathlons and other races. Now settling into the Cape Region, he is searching out hilly trails and roads with wide shoulders. He is a fan of St. Bonaventure sports, especially rugby and basketball, as well as following the Mets, Steelers and Celtics.
