News Briefs 2/17/23

Sussex council meeting on Feb. 21

Sussex County Council will meet at 10 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 21. Included on the agenda is a possible memorandum of understanding with the Delaware Office of Management and Budget regarding parking in the Sussex County Family Court building, yet to be constructed. Also on the agenda are three conditional-use applications filed by Turning Point Energy for solar farms on Elks Road near Seaford, Gravel Hill Road near the Route 9 intersection east of Georgetown, and East Trap Pond Road between Millsboro and Laurel.

A full agenda and meeting materials are available at sussexcountyde.gov/agendas-minutes/county-council. Meetings are held in person, livestreamed at sussexcountyde.gov/council-chamber-broadcast, and available by phone at 302-394-5036 using code 570176.

Dewey names new town clerk

Dewey Beach Town Manager Bill Zolper announced in January that Kate Banaszak was named town clerk. Banaszak had previously been the town administrative supervisor. The position became open when former Town Clerk Ashleigh Sander took the position of assistant town manager of Millsboro.

Dewey commissioners approve rezoning

Following a recommendation from the planning and zoning commission, Dewey Beach commissioners voted unanimously Jan. 13 to approve an ordinance to rezone a property at 100 Buena Road from business to residential and to rezone the comprehensive map accordingly. The application now heads to the Office of State Planning Coordination for PLUS review, where approval is anticipated, said Assistant Town Manager Jim Dedes.

Rehoboth animal committee to meet

The Rehoboth Beach Animal Issues Committee will meet at 2 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 21, in the city hall commissioners room, 229 Rehoboth Ave. The agenda calls for discussions on options for a dog park or dog run, installation of poop bag dispensers near city parks and an awareness campaign about not leaving animals in vehicles. 

 A full agenda, meeting materials and a livestream are accessible at cityofrehoboth.civicweb.net. Only in-person attendees may make comments. For more information, contact the city at 302-227-6181 or information@cityofrehoboth.com.

Lewes officials table parking permits

Following a public workshop and detailed internal discussions, Lewes Mayor and City Council has tabled discussions about a parking permit program on Lewes Beach.  City Manager Ann Marie Townshend said Feb. 13 that a bicycle master plan is being developed for the entire city, and Deputy Mayor Khalil Saliba believes it's important to hold off on the Cedar Street suggestions for the present.

Officials are also waiting for completion of a city-wide parking study being performed by Councilwoman Candace Vessella, who has said she believes a holistic approach is necessary.

To clarify, Mayor Andrew Williams said there will not be paid parking at Roosevelt Inlet this summer as a result of other areas remaining free. 

Discussions have been deferred until more information is available.

Lightship Cove applies for temp tank permit

SB Lightship Cove LLC has submitted an application for a temporary holding tank permit to service the Lightship Cove subdivision. According to a Feb. 1 notice from the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, the system has been designed to accommodate 3,600 gallons per day of wastewater. For more information, call 302-739-9949.

Heritage Creek developer seeks site-plan approvals

Fernmoor Homes, developer of Heritage Creek, has asked the Milton Planning and Zoning Commission for preliminary site-plan review of the development’s proposed Phase 9. The commission will meet Tuesday, Feb. 21, at Grace Church. This section of Heritage Creek, to be built at the corner fronting Route 5 and adjacent to Mariner Middle School, calls for 32 new units, including 22 single-family homes, four duplexes and six triplexes. 

Heritage Creek’s large-parcel development plan was approved in 2005, permitting a total of 425 units on a 127-acre site. The master plan for the development was revised in 2019 to increase the number of single-family homes and decrease the number of townhomes. Fernmoor Homes also eliminated a proposed retail area that would have been part of Phase 7.

Overall, the development will have 262 single-family homes, 54 duplexes and 109 townhomes, most of which will be triplexes.