Preliminary plan approved for Raley Farm near Georgetown

A preliminary site plan for a large subdivision along Avalon, Zoar and Lawson roads in a rural area east of Georgetown and north of Millsboro has been approved by the Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission.

At its Sept. 28 meeting, commissioners voted 4-0 for the 55-plus, age-restricted cluster subdivision called Raley Farm, which includes 646 single-family home lots on 359 acres.

The commission placed a limit of no more than 60 building permits issued per year to allow the developer to keep pace with required road improvements.

The development will have entrances along Lawson and Avalon roads. The plan includes 162 acres (45%) of open space, a 20-foot forested perimeter buffer, pool, clubhouse, walking trails, central water and sewer service, sidewalks on one side of all interior streets and signage every 300 feet noting the buffer is a no-disturbance area. A 3- to 5-foot berm will be built along Zoar and Avalon roads.

Up to two units per acre are permitted by right on land zoned AR-1, agricultural-residential; the density of Raley Farm will be 1.8 units per acre.

Developer DE Land Devco LLC will be required to make road improvements, including realignment of Lawson and Zoar roads, 11-foot travel lanes and 5-foot shoulders along the property frontage on Lawson and Avalon roads, and 12-foot travel lanes and 8-foot shoulders on Zoar Road, which is classified as a major collector road by the Delaware Department of Transportation.

The parcel contained 222 acres of forests that were harvested in 2015.

Two manmade ponds on the parcel will be integrated into the site with walking trails around them and the clubhouse looking over one of the ponds.

At buildout, the average daily trip count will be 3,000 vehicles, which includes round trips of 1,500 vehicles in and out of the development.

The final site plan must be reviewed and voted on by the commission.