The proposed Atlantic Fields retail complex, which would include large national chains, is scheduled to be considered Tuesday, Jan. 13, by Sussex County Council.

The request to change the zoning for the 73.5-acre site on Route 24 near Rehoboth Beach from AR-1, agricultural-residential, to C-4, planned commercial district, is on the agenda for the 1 p.m. meeting.

The development, proposed by Southside Investment Partners, would encompass 665,000 square feet of space in several buildings.

Crowds have attended public hearings before the county planning & zoning commission and county council.

Supporters emphasize the 1,750 jobs and the shopping options – including Costco, Target, Whole Foods, Nordstrom Rack, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Hobby Lobby and Ross Stores – the project would create.

Opponents raised concerns such as traffic congestion and safety for two nearby schools.

Traffic along the increasingly congested Route 24 is the focus of many critics. The road narrows to two lanes just west of the site. There is no timetable for the Delaware Department of Transportation to make planned improvements along Route 24, including widening the Love Creek Bridge to the west of the site and the road beyond.

Following a five-hour public hearing Oct. 21, council sought more information from Sussex Conservation District, DelDOT and Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.

The council’s decision on the zone change request was delayed further to give the applicant and residents an opportunity to respond to the information provided by those agencies.