It’s time to stop moaning and groaning, and seriously start voting to replace members of Sussex County Council and have transparent governing. I conclude that our current council is not fulfilling its obligations to enact policies for the safety and welfare of constituents while adopting planned growth. Have you heard the quote, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”? Anyone living here for a while knows that the infrastructure is not here.
This council and its planning & zoning commission have approved most proposed developments, including a recent vote on the preliminary plan for Northstar, the largest one yet. Where were sidewalks, playgrounds, trees, affordable housing units, schools and open spaces in the planning & zoning study? The powerful county council appoints the commission, who then only answers to them. Do we have any educated urban planners in Sussex focusing on healthy communities? Even the former vice chair of the commission resigned and admitted someone else may be more effective in implementing change. It seems the land-use law is simple – build and they shall come. It comes down to poor planning or a reactive versus proactive county government. Our healthcare systems and Department of Transportation are struggling to keep up with unplanned growth.
We are experiencing what happens when you build everything, everywhere and all at once. Is all that hasty development necessary? With climate change contributing to droughts and floods, we also need to preserve fertile farmland, trees and open spaces. This county has been a bonanza for developers. As Joni Mitchell sang long ago, “… don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone.” Will we continue with this council’s gaslighting about fair growth and timidity in asking developers to donate money for infrastructure?
From what I have observed, politics in Sussex has pretty much been the ole boys club and keeping out any new ideas. Preserve Sussex (a developer-funded political action committee) has funded former developer Mark Schaeffer’s re-election campaign for county council. Have you ever heard of green washing? This is clearly meant to keep voters confused.
The Sussex Preservation Coalition is a collection of real environmental groups and concerned citizens pushing for planning, preserving and protecting our ecosystems and a healthy quality of life. Jane Gruenebaum is a founding member and former president of that group. She is running against Schaeffer.
Claire Snyder-Hall is the former head of Delaware’s chapter of Common Cause, a good government, nonpartisan organization aiming for ethical and transparent governing. Claire is also a member of the real SPC. We really need Claire, who is focused on our quality of life, meeting constituent needs and transparent governance of District 14. These women candidates have the academic, leadership and legislative experience in public policy and planning to make a difference. It will take time, but I hope you will vote to give Claire and Jane a chance to make some important changes for our interests and concerns.
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