"Doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results" is the definition of insanity popularly attributed to Albert Einstein.
Insanity came to mind as I read the Cape Gazette's July 6 report about the Sussex County Planning and Zoning Commission's preliminary approval - on the very same night it was presented - of a 131-unit development at the intersection of Warrington Road and Route 24.
Like the nearby Arbor-Lyn development previously approved by the county, the new Wellesley subdivision will dump its additional traffic - an estimated 1,280 daily trips - onto Warrington Road, with many of those vehicles heading to the already failing and infamous four-way-stop intersection with Old Landing Road and Strawberry Way.
Of course, P&Z was told that the developer would contribute funds to improve that intersection, just as at least 10 other projects have over the years, with nary an improvement in sight.
As further evidence of the insanity in Georgetown, the county's assistant attorney had to ask the developer's attorney about the status of that project. His answer: "Where the money is, I don't know. I'm not sure DelDOT does."
And I'm sure even Einstein was laughing after a resident attending the P&Z meeting dared to ask whether anyone considers the cumulative effect of development on transportation infrastructure when approving new projects. As reported by the Gazette, P&Z Chair Marty Ross suggested traffic concerns be presented to local state elected officials, adding "DelDOT has control over all roads."
So, in the insane world of Sussex County, we have:
• An unelected planning & zoning commission whose members are not accountable to voters, but whose decisions and recommendations affect us all
• A five-member Sussex County Council with three districts reaping the financial benefits of explosive growth in the other two, without having to deal with the consequences and inconveniences of rampant development
• A system of divided responsibilities in which the county approves development but the state (sometimes) builds roads.
Conveniently, the latter situation allows the elected members of Sussex County Council and General Assembly to shirk responsibility for perhaps the region's most critical issue by pointing fingers at one another. In short, divided responsibilities leads to no accountability.
How do we end the insanity?
First, I would encourage concerned citizens to turn out en masse for the hearing at which P&Z will consider the final site plan for Wellesley, and to protest any waivers or exceptions for the development.
Second, I would suggest that voters dismiss incumbent elected officials who merrily play the blame game while the eastern county's transportation infrastructure continues to choke on unrestrained development.
Finally, I would ask knowledgeable, civic-minded individuals to come forward to form a working group to explore the pros, cons and processes for splitting Sussex County into two. It is clear that, unless the citizens of eastern Sussex County take control of our destiny, the region's character will be destroyed by politicians from the north and west who have dreams of development dollars dancing in their heads.
Peter A. Harrigan
Rehoboth Beach
-
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 newsroom@capegazette.com. Letters must be signed and include a telephone number and address for verification. Please keep letters to 500 words or fewer. We reserve the right to edit for content and length. Letters should be responsive to issues addressed in the Cape Gazette rather than content from other publications or media. Only one letter per author will be published every 30 days. Letters restating information and opinions already offered by the same author will not be used. Letters must focus on issues of general, local concern, not personalities or specific businesses.
