I attended the marathon meeting held Oct. 21, and listened to the discussion related to the Atlantic Fields project. After hearing all the information, I do not see how anyone with any common sense and good judgment could vote in favor of this project. I was surprised and disappointed in the planning & zoning commission for recommending approval of the zone change.
The presentations for the opposing view were well researched and well presented. I will not repeat all the arguments, but make a few comments related to traffic. The key points I want to emphasize are:
• The DelDOT representative estimated the Route 24 capacity at 32,000 to 36,000 cars prior to the Love Creek Bridge. Obviously the bridge represents a major bottleneck and is not scheduled to be addressed until 2045. Adding an estimated 26,800 daily trips to the area will create a traffic nightmare
• The developer is relying on an outdated comprehensive plan prepared prior to COVID and the population explosion in the area. Some traffic studies referenced were also outdated and, at a minimum, need to be redone in summer
• These projects seem to be approved individually without taking into consideration the other projects already approved or in the pipeline. Council needs to look at all projects together when making individual decisions
• Council was tired of hearing about traffic concerns by the end of the night and did not appear to be focused on the comments from William Zach. Go back and listen to his comments (MP-5 file at the 1 hour 50 minute mark). Zach talked about the 3,500 building permits already approved around Route 24 and the additional developments on the list to be approved. The additional traffic from the new building will already exceed the capacity for Route 24. Approving an additional 26,800 trips from Atlantic Fields will grind the road to a halt and makes no sense. It would be negligent to approve this project under these conditions
• Mulberry Knoll Road will play a major role for Atlantic Fields. This road is a narrow, two-lane road with no shoulders. It will never be able to handle the expected increase in traffic and will create a danger to cyclists and pedestrians.
Please vote no on the zoning change and do not allow Atlantic Fields to be built. I am not against adding these stores, but this location is not the right time or the right place.
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