News Briefs 5/28/24

Dewey appoints commission chair

Dewey Beach commissioners voted unanimously May 17 to reappoint Mike Harmer to a three-year term as chair of the planning and zoning commission.

Milton board of adjustment to meet

Milton Board of Adjustment will meet at 7 p.m., Tuesday, May 28, at the Cannery Village clubhouse to hear an application from Route 16 Five Property LLC for two variances.

Route 16 Five Property is seeking a variance to permit parking in the front-yard setback on the Mulberry Street Extended side of the parcel and a variance to reduce the parking space separation in the right of way from 4-feet to 1-foot.  The Route 16 Five Property parcel is located next to the proposed Royal Farms property at the corner of Route 16 and Union Street Extended. The five-acre parcel is in the rear of the property, backing up to Cedar Creek Road, and plans call for an office park with attached storage garages. 

Royal Farms gets extension in Milton

Milton Planning and Zoning Commission granted a one-year extension of final site-plan approval to Royal Farms May 21 for building a new gas station and convenience store at the corner of Route 16 and Union Street Extended.

The Delaware Department of Transportation has not yet granted an entrance permit for the project, according to Royal Farms engineer James Taylor. However, Taylor added that traffic-improvement plans for the site have not changed since DelDOT gave a letter of no objection to the site as part of the original site-plan approval.

Royal Farms needed the extension because Milton code stipulates that upon final site-plan approval, an applicant has a year to begin construction. If that deadline is not met, an extension can be sought.

Royal Farms originally planned to break ground in summer 2023, but issues with getting DelDOT approvals for traffic improvements at the Route 16/Union Street Extended intersection have slowed the project down. The improvements include turn lanes, reconfiguring the traffic signal and pedestrian walkways. The planned Royal Farms will include a 4,700-square-foot convenience store and a 5,100-square-foot area for gas pumps with a canopy over top. 

Rehoboth BOA OKs variance, delays one

During a meeting May 20, the Rehoboth Beach Board of Adjustment approved an area variance for Michael Gregor and John Pantalo, owners of 53 Sussex St. They requested a variance for an increase in area of 293 square feet over the allowable floor-to-area ratio. City code says that floors or stories, or a portion of such, with a ceiling height greater than 12 feet shall be included twice in the computation of gross floor area. The proposed construction of a single-family dwelling unit is over the allowable FAR because the design incorporates a cathedral ceiling that has an impact on the calculation of allowable area.

Following the approval, a variance request for Baja Bob’s, a new taco stand on the Boardwalk, was delayed after it was discovered that the board’s attorney works with the applicant’s attorney. The variance is needed because the applicant would like to serve alcohol at the restaurant. The applicant requires a variance to allow the operation of a restaurant containing liquor service above the allowable 2,500 square feet contained within the entire building.