Proposed Lewes-area projects in same vicinity
Two Lewes projects – an expansion of an existing senior-living and healthcare facility, and a new independent-living facility – were on the Jan. 24 Office of State Planning Coordination Preliminary Land Use Service agenda.
During the process, state agencies review proposed projects before applications are made to county or local agencies. Dorothy Morris of the planning office said PLUS is a technical advisory committee and can take no action on land-use projects.
Project planned on Kings Highway
LIC Housing presented plans for a three-story independent-living facility with 94 units plus an attached 4,000-square-foot restaurant and a 2,165-square-foot fitness center on a 5-acre parcel on the west side of Kings Highway, 900 feet south of the Clay Road intersection. The property is owned by the Gelof Family.
Zach Crouch, an engineer with Davis, Bowen & Friedel, said there are nontidal wetlands on the western edge of the property that will be delineated and not disturbed. He said buffers would comply with county regulations, and central water will be supplied by Artesian Water Co. and sewer services by Sussex County.
Crouch said the project’s entrance would have to be coordinated with the Delaware Department of Transportation’s plan to widen Kings Highway. He said internal sidewalks would connect to DelDOT’s multi-use path along the roadway. The average weekday trip count at buildout would be 772 vehicles.
County planner Mike Lowery said the developer would have to submit environmental assessment and public facilities reports to the county.
In addition, he said, the property is in a wellhead protection area, and the project would have to comply with county regulations relating to impervious cover.
Joe Pika of the Historic Lewes Byway Committee said Kings Highway is a designated byway, and the frontage of the property would have to be consistent with the byways master plan. “We can work with the developer to discuss the plans,” he said.
The developer will have to submit a conditional-use application to Sussex County. The parcel is zoned AR-1 agricultural-residential and is in the county’s Coastal Area, which is a growth area.
Moorings has plans to expand
Springpoint-Moorings at Lewes on Gills Neck Road has expansion plans to build 21 stand-alone cottages and a three-story, 32-unit apartment building. To make way for the project, seven existing units will be demolished for a net of 46 new units. The facility would have a total of 271 units.
The Moorings at Lewes, which opened in 2007, has a mixture of independent-living apartments and cottages, skilled-care units and assisted-care units, including 10 units in the memory-care program. Residents have to meet financial qualifications and have a medical evaluation prior to living there. The average age of residents is 85.
The property is zoned MR-RPC, medium-density residential planned community.
Steve Fortunato of Bohler Engineering said the new units would use the same access as the rest of the facility off Gills Neck Road.
Morris said the planning office has no objections to the project.
Gail Van Gilder of the Historic Lewes Byway Committee said a landscape plan for plantings along Gills Neck Road, a designated byway, will be needed. “We would like to work with you before this goes to the county to make sure the plans are amenable to Moorings and the byways,” she said.
Morris said state agency comments would be submitted to the developers and posted on the state website on or before Wednesday, Feb. 21.
The corrected version contains the name of the owner of Moorings – Springpoint-Moorings.
