On Feb. 16, the Cape Gazette reported on the decision made by the Lewes Mayor and City Council to send back the proposed Henlopen Bluff development project to the Lewes Planning Commission for further examination.
Facing the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal, the site is located on Gills Neck Road, barely 400 yards from downtown Lewes and the drawbridge to the beach. On the canal side, the section of Gills Neck Road connecting Henlopen Bluff to the city center is narrow and totally devoid of sidewalks or a bike path. On the other side of the road, a partial sidewalk is available in front of only some of the neighborhood’s stately houses.
The result is that it’s absolutely impossible to walk the 400 yards between Henlopen Bluff and shops and restaurants of the city center without stepping on the pavement of what is already, for both pedestrians and cyclists, the most dangerous stretch of Gills Neck Road. Allowing Henlopen Bluff to proceed under these circumstances would be irresponsible.
It was therefore very gratifying to read that city council asked the planning commission to consider, among other issues, two council recommendations: first, sidewalk connectivity from Henlopen Bluff to downtown Lewes; and, second, a crosswalk on Gills Neck Road to the proposed open space along the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal. With these guidelines, council confirms that it is possible for elected officials to integrate considerations of public safety in the permitting process.
Often treated too casually, public safety is a legal mandate and the primary expectation of constituents. It is always reasonable for public officials to condition administrative decisions on the assurance that public safety will not be jeopardized.
It is interesting to note that, in its initial recommendations, the Lewes Planning Commission denied the developer’s request to reduce a corridor buffer from 50 feet to 25 feet. This decision was entirely justified. As a matter of principle, no city or other jurisdiction should agree to sacrifice green space without receiving public-interest benefits of comparable worth.
In this instance, according to your reporting, Lewes Mayor Andrew Williams seemed ready to revisit the buffer-reduction request if the developer contributes to resolving the issue of pedestrian connectivity. This innovative approach points to a compromise serving the interests of the public as well as the builder. Hopefully, the planning commission will find answers to navigate the legal obstacles that could stand in the way of a commonsense solution.
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