Alex Papajohn’s recent letter portrays Atlantic Fields as a golden opportunity. In reality, it’s a high-impact commercial upzoning that its supporters keep trying to rebrand as something it isn’t.
He claims Atlantic Fields will reduce congestion on Route 24. That is simply not supported by DelDOT’s own findings. The area is already failing, and adding regional trip generators like Costco, Target, and Whole Foods will not magically ease traffic. These are destination retailers that pull drivers from across the region, not neighborhood conveniences. The developer’s traffic materials do not show a single corridor improving as a result of this project.
Papajohn also suggests the project was designed to alleviate stress on surrounding roads.
Again, not true. While the main entrances sit on the four-lane section of Route 24, DelDOT has already acknowledged that significant volumes will divert onto the surrounding two-lane grid – especially Mulberry Knoll, Robinsonville and Cool Spring roads – as drivers avoid Route 24 congestion. The proposed Mulberry Knoll entrances, though labeled secondary, will funnel even more cut-through traffic into residential areas, and the project provides no meaningful mitigation for that impact.
He then insists Atlantic Fields will enhance community life. A 73.5-acre regional commercial district with no commitments to affordability, local hiring, small-business inclusion or infrastructure investment is not a community benefit. It is a profit center, and the costs – traffic, safety risks and infrastructure strain – fall squarely on existing residents.
Finally, calling this smart growth is a misuse of the term. Smart growth builds where infrastructure can support growth. Atlantic Fields does the opposite: it forces massive retail onto rural roads that are already over capacity.
We deserve honesty in this debate. Atlantic Fields is not a traffic solution, not smart growth and not a gift to Sussex County. It is a high-density commercial project whose harms are being soft-pedaled by those promoting it.
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