News Briefs 10/25/19
Milton Board of Adjustment to meet Oct. 29
Milton Board of Adjustment will meet at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 29, at Milton library to hear a variance request for 207 Federal St. Owner Jolynn Esham is seeking a variance to town side yard setback requirements, from the required 10 feet to 2 feet on the north side of the property and from 15 feet to 12 feet on the south side. The board will first hold a public hearing on the request before holding discussion and a possible vote.
Shop Talk at Lewes Cycle Sports Oct. 28
Bike Delaware will host Shop Talk starting at 5:30 p.m., Monday, Oct. 28, at Lewes Cycle Sports, Savannah Road, Lewes. James Wilson, executive director, will lead a discussion on cycling issues, including efforts to make the area safer for cyclists, and will solicit feedback and ideas from attendees. The event is the first in a series of Shop Talks at bike shops in the state. Refreshments, including Dogfish Head beer, will be served.
Lewes police committee meets Oct. 28
The Lewes Police Department Review Ad Hoc Committee will meet at 9 a.m., Monday, Oct. 28, at city hall. The group will discuss police scheduling and duties, what police information should be available to the public, community police, and administration and management. For more information, call city hall at 302-645-7777.
Rehoboth committee members approved
During a meeting Oct. 18, Rehoboth Beach commissioners approved Mayor Paul Kuhn’s full slate of proposed appointments to the city’s commissions and committees. There was public and comimssioner discussion about the validity of some appointments to the planning commission and board of adjustment, but ultimately all the nominations were approved. A full list of appointments can be found at www.cityofrehoboth.civicweb.net, under a link for the Oct. 18 commissioner meeting.
Rehoboth bandstand committee to meet Oct. 28
The Rehoboth Beach Bandstand, Convention Hall, Special Events Committee has scheduled a meeting for 10 a.m., Monday, Oct. 28, in the commissioners room of city hall, 229 Rehoboth Ave. The agenda calls for an update on hourly rates and other initiatives. For more information call 302-227-6181. A full copy of the agenda can be found at town hall or online at www.cityofrehoboth.civicweb.net.
Joint Rehoboth meeting set Oct. 28
There will be a joint meeting of the Rehoboth Beach Board of Commissioners and the planning commission at 1 p.m., Monday, Oct. 28, in the commissioners room of city hall. The agenda calls for a discussion on the status and data reveal of the comprehensive development plan with consultant Debbie Pfeil of KCI Technologies Inc. For more information call 302-227-6181. A full copy of the agenda can be found at town hall or online at www.cityofrehoboth.civicweb.net.
Special Rehoboth meeting set Oct. 28
Rehoboth Beach commissioners have scheduled a special meeting for 4:30 p.m., Monday, Oct. 28, in the commissioners room of city hall. The agenda calls for a possible vote to award the bid for the replacement of water meters in North Shores, a possible vote to award the bid for the city’s street-paving project, and a possible vote to modify the budget to authorize the expenditure of up to $278,660 relating to Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the wayfinding signage program developed by Merje Design. For more information call 302-227-6181. A full copy of the agenda can be found at town hall or at www.cityofrehoboth.civicweb.net.
Special Rehoboth planners meeting set Oct. 28
The Rehoboth Beach Planning Commission has scheduled a special meeting for noon, Monday, Oct. 28, in the commissioners room of city hall, 229 Rehoboth Ave. The agenda calls for an introduction of the four new commission members and an overview of what work has been done on the 2020 Comprehensive Development Plan. For more information call 302-227-6181. A full copy of the agenda can be found at town hall or online at www.cityofrehoboth.civicweb.net.
Rehoboth Board of Adjustment meeting set Oct. 28
The Rehoboth Beach Board of Adjustment has scheduled a meeting for 7 p.m., Monday, Oct. 28, in the commissioners room of city hall, 229 Rehoboth Ave. The agenda calls for a consideration and vote on a motion to rehear a case for the property located at 240 Rehoboth Ave.
During a hearing in August, the board unanimously upheld Building Inspector Damalier Molina’s decision that a parking space was required after a deck increased the gross floor area. The board then voted 3-2 to deny a variance request that asked for no new off-street parking to be required. For more information call 302-227-6181. A full copy of the agenda can be found at town hall or online at www.cityofrehoboth.civicweb.net.
Sussex County Council meeting is Oct. 29
Sussex County Council will meet at 10 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 29, in the county administration building, 2 The Circle, Georgetown. Included on the agenda are presentations from Delaware Center for the Inland Bays and Delaware 4-H Association. See a complete agenda at www.sussexcountyde.gov. Meetings are broadcast live on the county website.
DNREC announces plover season success
The data is in, and DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife is reporting another successful nesting season for piping plovers in Delaware. For the second year in a row, Delaware established its all-time high number of recorded nesting piping plover pairs, with 19 pairs producing 52 fledglings.
Last year, Delaware had 16 pairs producing 36 fledglings. In 2019, four pairs of piping plovers nested at the Point at Cape Henlopen State Park, with 15 pairs nesting at Fowler Beach at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, a relatively new nesting site used by nesting piping plovers starting in 2016 following a habitat restoration project.
For the third year in a row, piping plovers did not nest at Gordons Pond within Cape Henlopen State Park, possibly due to the combined factors of encroaching vegetation limiting sandy nesting habitat, and the availability of more attractive nesting habitat at Fowler Beach.
The piping plover is a federally listed threatened species and a Delaware state-listed endangered species. Recovery of the species involves partnerships between DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife and Division of Parks and Recreation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Wildlife Services.
In other beachnesting bird updates, two pairs of American oystercatchers nested at the Point at Cape Henlopen State Park and one pair nested at Delaware Seashore State Park, but none successfully hatched chicks. Approximately 23 pairs of least terns were found nesting at Cape Henlopen State Park this year, hatching two chicks, one of which fledged. For additional information call Henrietta Bellman at 302-735-3600.
Cabinet maker seeks approval to relocate
A furniture-making business wants to relocate from Dagsboro to Harbeson.
Imagination-Renovation LLC has filed a conditional-use application for the business on a 5-acre parcel at 20601 Rust Road south of Harbeson Road.
During an Oct. 17 Sussex County Planning and Zoning Commission public hearing, the owner’s attorney, David Hutt, said the plan calls for the business to occupy two buildings at the rear of the property. Hutt said the company specializes in custom cabinets and employs two to four people. He said there would be no retail sales and very little traffic. Hutt said all design and sales work is done in customer homes.
Proposed hours would be 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday, and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday. Planning and zoning commissioners deferred a vote to a future meeting. Sussex County Council will have a public hearing at 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 19, in the county administration building, 2 The Circle, Georgetown.
Chase Oaks requests sewer annexation
Sussex County has set a public hearing for 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 19, for the annexation of the Chase Oaks subdivision into the county central sewer system. The 254-lot subdivision, recently given final-site plan approval, is located along Robinsonville Road and Webbs Landing Road near Lewes. The connection charge for households would be $6,360.
Women’s March Sussex sets Nov. 5 workshop
The Women’s March Sussex will sponsor an Advocacy Training workshop and seminar Tuesday, Nov. 5, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Lewes Public Library. In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn how to advocate for issues in the General Assembly, why it is necessary, and some proven advocating approaches. In addition, attendees will get practice preparing advocacy strategies and materials. Bring a computer or writing materials to use in developing these tools.
The Delaware General Assembly is only in session from January through June. All new and reconsidered bills must go through the intense process of becoming laws in just six short months. Advocating before and early during the legislative session can be most effective when correspondence as well as contacts with state representatives and state senators are coordinated and focused on a desired outcome.
The event is free, but everyone must register in advance to reserve a seat. For more information and to register, go to Women’s March Sussex: https://womensmarchsussex.com.
