Single-family home community planned for Angola Road

The developer of Lewes Crossing has filed an application for a major subdivision along Angola Road across from the Angola by the Bay community.

BDRP LLC of Columbia, Md., has plans to build 314 single-family homes on 147 acres of AR-1 zoned land about one-half mile from the Route 24 intersection.

Residents in the area got their first look at the plans for Middle Creek Preserve during an April 14 Sussex County Planning and Zoning Commission public hearing. The commission deferred on a vote to a future meeting.

Mark Davidson, a land-planner with Pennoni Associates in Milton, said the project has been designed to preserve as many trees as possible. He said he has proposed to Sussex County engineers that the community's sewer line installation point be moved from a wooded section to keep from cutting down trees.

He said nearly half of the site plan is open space devoted to wooded areas, amenities and parks.

During the state's Preliminary Land Use Service review of the proposed project, state environmental officials noted the area had been designated a critical habitat, but Davidson said a survey of the parcel did not reveal any endangered species, birds or plants.

Davidson also said the developer will work with state officials to mitigate any impact to a nearby source-water protection area.

“It's important to remember that only 58 acres of the parcel will actually be developed,” said Dennis Schrader, the developer's attorney. The site plan includes 66 acres of open space, 39 wooded acres and 22 acres of rights of way. The parcel contains 94 acres of woods and 51 acres of farmland and vacant land.

Two small sections of wetlands on the parcel would be left undisturbed and protected, Davidson said.

Of the proposed project's six parcels, plans call for annexing two parcels into the county's Angola Neck sewer district.

Allowable density in AR-1 zoned land with an environmentally sensitive developing district overlay is 2.17 units per acre. The proposed Middle Creek Preserve density is 2.13 units per acre, Davidson said.

Davidson said the development's stormwater ponds would be placed along Angola Road in front of the community with a 20-foot landscaped buffer around the perimeter.

Davidson said stormwater runoff from the farmland is uncontrolled. If developed, all stormwater would be treated under updated state regulations. He said the majority of the stormwater would be captured on site.

A required traffic impact study included surveys of five off-site intersections. Davidson said required on-site improvements would include road widening with shoulders, a sidewalk and bicycle lane along Angola Road and left-turn lanes on Angola Road for Middle Creek Preserve and Angola by the Bay. He said the developer could also be required to contribute funds to off-site road improvements.

Nearby residents react to application

Several residents, including Jans Wegscheider, a retired engineer who lives in the area, said flooding is an issue along Angola Road, and the loss of more farmland and woods would exacerbate the problem. “The area along Angola Road needs to studied, and they will find that that drainage is poor,” he said.

Gretchen Klein, who lives in Bay Oaks, said at least a 100-foot buffer should be added to protect wetlands and wetlands habitat.

Bruce McPherson, a resident of Bay Ridge Woods, said removal of even part of the woods would be detrimental to the area. “It's a crime, because it's not coming back again,” he said.

“It's not just this development,” said Patty Pilkington, a Bay Point resident. “I'm concerned about the total building boom in the area. Farmland is disappearing, and I'm afraid infrastructure does not support development.”

“This is a desirable place to live, but we don't have the infrastructure,” said Carol Hughes, who lives in Bay Ridge Woods. “You have to take a look at this – you are the experts.”

Richard Raynic, a Bay Ridge Woods resident, said Angola Road cannot handle traffic from a large-scale development with an anticipated 3,000 more vehicle trips per day.

The public record on the application is available from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays at the county's planning and zoning office in the county administration building on The Circle in Georgetown.

While county council conducts public hearings and has the final vote on rezoning and conditional-use applications and has the final, planning and zoning makes the final decision on subdivision applications.