Plans surface for Lockhaven near Milton

Neighbors of a proposed subdivision along Round Pole Bridge Road near Milton were unanimous in their concerns about a one-lane wooden bridge near the parcel, the narrowness of the road, and the absence of a buffer around a 7.8-acre man-made lagoon in the proposed community.

Limitless Development Consulting Inc. has filed an application for a 25-lot standard subdivision on a 126-acre parcel containing 66 acres of wetlands and 39 acres of woodlands about one-half mile from the Hudson Road intersection. The large lots would average 2.5 acres with an overall density of less than one-quarter unit per acre. The parcel is owned by Lockhaven Farm LLC. Carlton Savage of Scaled Engineering in Rehoboth Beach represented the developer during the June 24 Sussex County Planning and Zoning Commission hearing.

Members of the planning and zoning commission had some of the same concerns as residents. On recommendation of Commissioner Kim Hoey Stevenson, the commission voted to defer a vote and keep the public record open to obtain more information from Delaware Department of Transportation officials on the capacity and state of the bridge and road, and an updated or new soil study from Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.

Commission Chairman Bob Wheatley said the proposed subdivision has several issues. “The soil tests are old, and even the old ones are not very encouraging, and the flood plain comes all the way up into half of the site. It's not a quality site for development,” he said.

Questions about lagoon buffer

The parcel is surrounded on three sides by waterways and/or wetlands including the Broadkill River and Beaverdam Creek. Savage said more than 60 percent of the existing woodlands would be preserved.

Savage said while a 50-foot buffer is planned along wetlands, a buffer is not proposed around the lagoon because as a man-made body of water, it's exempt from county buffer regulations. He said if the subdivision is approved, the developer would likely submit a plan with the Army Corps of Engineers to construct a dock or boat ramp.

The lagoon was a borrow pit used by DelDOT during construction of the Route 1 bridges over the Broadkill River.

Assistant county attorney Vince Robertson said while buffers are required in a cluster subdivision, they are not required around man-made waterways in standard subdivisions. However, he added, it's possible the commission could require a buffer around the lagoon as a condition of approval.

Heather Kingree, who lives near the Round Pole Bridge-Hudson Road intersection, said the lagoon has not been maintained and has become part of the wetlands in the area where the habitat has adjusted to it. “Making an exception for a buffer is a horrible mistake. We need to protect these wetlands,” she said.

“The lagoon has become part of the Broadkill,” said Robert Downes, who lives off Round Pole Bridge Road.

Kingree said the soil test on the property was conducted in 2006 and the tests are valid for five years. “That needs to be addressed as well,” she said.

Separate wastewater systems would be required for each lot, and because of soil conditions, some lots would require mound systems.

Bridge, road fall under DelDOT

Several residents said the bridge could not handle heavy construction equipment.

Savage said concerns expressed about the condition of Round Pole Bridge Road and the bridge are understandable, but both fall under the jurisdiction of the Delaware Department of Transportation.

Savage said he could not find a weight restriction posted for the bridge but added DelDOT officials can put restrictions on use of the bridge by construction equipment. “There have been no issues with it to date,” he said.

Downes said he drives farm equipment along the roadway and avoids crossing the bridge at all costs.

Savage said a berm is planned along the road frontage to screen the community from surrounding properties, and entrance improvements would be required at the access point along Round Pole Bridge Road, but no other road improvements would be required.

Round Pole Bridge Road resident Janet Le Digabel had a long list of concerns she presented to the commission.

She said the tar-and-chip road is only 18 feet wide and is barely passable when two cars meet. In addition, she said, the bridge is wooden. “You should defer until the bridge and road are studied or improved,” she said. “You really need to take a look at the road and bridge.”

Le Digabel said the proposed entrance for the community is near a 45-degree turn on the roadway with limited visibility, which is heightened now by cornfields along the road.

Nearby resident Al Davis said there is an active hunting area west of the parcel. He said lots should be at least 300 feet from the center line of a creek on the border of the property, and homeowners should be informed that hunting occurs in the area.