Independent living housing plan backed by county P&Z
A proposed independent living facility that would house up to 95 people aged 55 and older, with a restaurant and fitness center was endorsed Sept. 3, by the Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission.
After the 4-0 vote, the request for a conditional use by LIC Housing LLC moves on for final consideration by Sussex County Council. The Kings Highway site is owned by Adam and Kelly Gelof of Rehoboth Beach.
Before the vote, Commissioner G. Scott Collins listed the reasons for recommending approval. The project is consistent with county zoning code goals; the site is in the county comprehensive land-use plan’s Coastal Area, where development is encouraged; the location next to a church and near physicians’ offices and other needed services is appropriate. Also, the state concluded the project will have a minor effect on roadways, and the project creates needed housing options for the aging local population.
Collins also read a list of conditions imposed on the project. They included limits on hours of operation for the restaurant; the stormwater management systems must comply with local and state rules; the Sussex Conservation District must approve the final site plan; and a landscape plan must be submitted to the county.
The property, located near Route 1 outside Lewes, is the childhood home of Adam Gelof. His parents bought the 4.8-acre property in 1973, and raised him and his sister in a small house there.
Included in the plan are a 4,000-square-foot restaurant and a 2,165-square-foot fitness center, but the final mix is yet to be determined. The commercial businesses would serve residents of the facility and the community.
Kevin Conlon came to the Cape Gazette with nearly 40 years of newspaper experience since graduating from St. Bonaventure University in New York with a bachelor's degree in mass communication. He reports on Sussex County government and other assignments as needed.
His career spans working as a reporter and editor at daily newspapers in upstate New York, including The Daily Gazette in Schenectady. He comes to the Cape Gazette from the Cortland Standard, where he was an editor for more than 25 years, and in recent years also contributed as a columnist and opinion page writer. He and his staff won regional and state writing awards.
Conlon was relocating to Lewes when he came across an advertisement for a reporter job at the Cape Gazette, and the decision to pursue it paid off. His new position gives him an opportunity to stay in a career that he loves, covering local news for an independently owned newspaper.
Conlon is the father of seven children and grandfather to two young boys. In his spare time, he trains for and competes in triathlons and other races. Now settling into the Cape Region, he is searching out hilly trails and roads with wide shoulders. He is a fan of St. Bonaventure sports, especially rugby and basketball, as well as following the Mets, Steelers and Celtics.
