Being a neighbor to what was then the Fourth Street Forest, I followed closely in the Gazette and the News Journal the opposition and eventual approval of what was then the proposed Highland Heights subdivision. Aside from the obvious loss of open space and trees, there was a real concern regarding connectivity, especially given statements in the code and comprehensive plan against the use of cul-de-sacs, which was planned for this development.
At a Lewes Mayor and City Council meeting in 2016, then-council member Rob Morgan pointed out that every other community in Lewes has at least one street that connects everyone. Suggestions from council such as a through-street and even a bridge across the wetlands were dismissed by the developer as being impractical or too costly. After much deliberation, it was decided that an internal multiuse path would allow for connectivity without being financially burdensome. The cul-de-sac, isolated-community issue was apparently solved – Mr. Lardner, the developer representative, assured: “… that by vehicle they are not connected, but by bicycle or walking they will be connected.” To claim, as the Lewes city manager’s recent letter to the editor has, that this shared-use path, this grand compromise struck from many hours of public input, was now just a private asset ... “for the use and benefit of the Mariners’ Retreat residents” only, undermines the whole purpose of planning and council meetings.
It’s unfortunate that the design of the internal path was 5 feet, but such an error should not be used as an excuse to not fulfill the building requirements set forth by the city. It’s a bad precedent. If the internal pathway was designated to be multipurpose, the de facto design should have taken into account all the required parameters, including the safe width of 10 feet that Ms. Townshend references. While 10 feet is a desired width for two-way traffic on shared-use paths, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities allows for an 8-foot width where pedestrian traffic is infrequent, an option to bring the existing path into compliance for a shared-use path without much disruption to trees or wetlands.
Although short, this pathway goes a long way in providing a safer way to cycle across town for both residents and university students than busy Savannah Road. This is also a legacy issue that will not only benefit the livelihood of today’s Lewes citizens, but those to come. The city has not fully signed off on Mariners’ Retreat and has the appropriate authority to make the developer fulfill the agreed-upon conditions.
-
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.
