Thank you to BPW Director Tom Panetta for raising serious questions during the Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission’s public hearing on Mitchell’s Corner, the proposed subdivision at the corner of Kings Highway and Gills Neck Road. Panetta raised concerns about Mitchell’s Corner because of its potential adverse impact on water supplied by BPW.
A significant portion of Mitchell’s Corner falls within the recharge area for the BPW’s wells. Although the purchase of the nearby Jones Farm protects part of that critical area, the well head protection area extends to the other side of Kings Highway and includes both the site of Village Center and a portion of Mitchell’s Corner. Spokespersons for Henlopen Properties, the developer, argued that perforated storm pipes and a water treatment system would be adequate protections for the stormwater before it enters a pond to be located behind the present medical center building on the corner of Gills Neck and Kings. However, several questions still need to be answered.
Are perforated pipes an adequate alternative to steps recommended by DNREC during its PLUS review of the proposal, such as use of pervious, rather than impervious, surfaces? What is the projected life of the water treatment system and can its cost of operation and eventual replacement be borne by the Mitchell’s Corner HOA which will ultimately be responsible? How effective would that system be in removing the surface pollutants (oil and gas spills, landscaping chemicals, household cleaning agents) that would enter the pond and potentially those residents with BPW-supplied water? Would it be more cost effective and provide more secure water protection to relocate the stormwater management pond, which is now within the well recharge area, to another location on the property? What conditions should the planning & zoning commission place on this proposal before it can move forward?
Lewes needs answers. Mitchell’s Corner is the first of multiple developments along the Kings Highway corridor that will have a cumulative effect on water quality. Making piecemeal decisions without considering their impact on the whole is likely to have an adverse impact on this essential city resource. The standard set by this decision will set the precedent for future ones. It’s critical that the county get this right.
-
A letter to the editor expresses a reader's opinion and, as such, is not reflective of the editorial opinions of this newspaper.
To submit a letter to the editor for publishing, send an email to viewpoints@capegazette.com. All letters are considered at the discretion of the newsroom and published as space allows. Due to the large volume of submissions, we cannot acknowledge receipt of each submission. Letters must include a phone number and address for verification. Keep letters to 400 words or fewer. We reserve the right to edit for content or length. Letters should be responsive to issues addressed in the Cape Gazette rather than content from other publications or media. Letters should focus on local issues, not national topics or personalities. Only one letter per author will be published every 30 days regarding a particular topic. Authors may submit a second letter within that time period if it pertains to a different issue. Letters may not be critical of personalities or specific businesses. Criticism of public figures is permissible. Endorsement letters for political candidates are no longer accepted. Letters must be the author’s original work, and may not be generated by artificial intelligence tools. Templates, form letters and letters containing language similar to other submissions will not be published.
