News Briefs 07/14/20
P&Z recommends denial of multifamily units
At its July 9 meeting, Sussex County Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to recommend denial of two applications filed by Matthew Hete for 14 multifamily housing units at 34360 Postal Lane between Lewes and Rehoboth Beach.
Hete has filed to rezone a 1.25-acre parcel from AR-1, agricultural-residential, to MR, medium-density residential, and for a conditional use for multifamily housing.
Making the motion for denial, Commissioner Kim Hoey Stevenson said even though other communities in the area are zoned MR, they are not high density and contain single-family homes. “It’s not appropriate for this area and not consistent with other communities,” she said. “Postal Lane is traveled heavily already and can’t support this density. There is nothing in the record to support MR over AR-1.”
Sussex County Council has scheduled a public hearing on the application at 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 28, in the county administration building, 2 The Circle, Georgetown.
Sussex recommends Route 1 rezoning
Sussex County Planning and Zoning Commission has recommended approval of a rezoning application filed by Alice Robinson, Trustee for a 3-acre parcel on the west side of Route 1 near the Cave Neck Road intersection between Lewes and Milton.
The applicant is seeking a change from AR-1, agricultural-residential, to C-2, medium commercial, to build a small business park containing warehouses, offices and self-storage units.
Sussex County Council has scheduled a public hearing on the application at 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 28, in the county administration building, 2 The Circle, Georgetown.
Rehoboth commissioner meeting July 17
Rehoboth Beach commissioners have scheduled an online meeting at 2 p.m., Friday, July 17.
The agenda calls for a public hearing and possible vote on changes to related to gross floor area and floor-to-area ratio; a report from the law oversight committee on proposed changes to the tree ordinance; and a possible vote on a change order to the contract for new mixer assemblies at the city’s wastewater treatment facility.
Members of the public will be allowed to participate in the special meeting with limited access. Those who wish to speak must preregister with Ann Womack, city secretary, at awomack@cityofrehoboth.com at least two full business days prior to the meeting.
Citizen comment will be administered by a moderator. Speaking is not allowed until called upon. Comments can be emailed to Womack at least two full business days before the meeting.
Meeting materials are accessible at cityofrehoboth.civicweb.net. For more information, call 302-227-6181.
Route 1 traffic down over July 4 weekend
Anyone on the road knows it to be true, but Delaware Department of Transportation has confirmed vehicular traffic was down on Route 1 in the Rehoboth Beach region over the July 4 holiday weekend.
In an email July 8, DelDOT spokesperson C.R. McLeod said total traffic on Route 1, in the one-mile segment from Route 24 to Camelot Drive, was down approximately 10 percent in 2020 from 2019. McLeod said in 2019, from July 3 through July 5, there were about 193,000 vehicles along that stretch of road, while in 2020, for the same area/time period, there were approximately 174,000.
