In reading recent letters to the editor, it appears the main opposition to the proposed Atlantic Fields shopping complex is traffic, although traffic seems to be the go-to reason to oppose anything these days. The opposition seems to suggest that developing Atlantic Fields is going to cause more traffic. I agree that some additional congestion is likely to occur around any new shopping complex, but is that a real reason to nix this project? In my opinion, no.
Let’s consider a few points around the traffic issue. There are two primary causes of the traffic we experience. First, this is a tourist area. People flock here in the summer to avail themselves of our wonderful beaches. Many of our current businesses would not survive without this influx of traffic each season. The second reason is the proliferation of housing developments in the area. I hazard to guess that some of the folks reading this have purchased a home in one of these new developments in the last five years, contributing to the problem they complain about. Failing to approve this project is not going to help either of those situations.
From an economic standpoint, neither Target nor Costco, the two national retailers most mentioned as possible tenants, build in the middle of nowhere and hope customers will come. Instead, they look for regions with an existing stable population that can sustain their respective business models. Will they, assuming they become tenants, entice some out-of-the-area shoppers? Probably, the same way that Costco in Christiana currently lures me up Route 1 about once every three months, but only on the margins.
The proposed location along Route 24, a short hop from Route 1, seems to be a reasonable location. Route 24 was recently widened from Route 1 to the proposed location, and commercial businesses have been migrating out Route 24 along that stretch, so this is not plopping a commercial complex in a residential neighborhood. If you want a way to ease some of the traffic along that stretch of Route 24, you might try convincing the parents who feel compelled to drive their children to and from the two schools that the bus is an excellent alternative. As for my position on the Atlantic Fields project, I say bring it on!
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