The “First, do no harm” principle pertains to those in the medical profession, but it’s also urgently applicable to the duties of those elected by the public to serve our interests. Right now, Sussex County Council may be about to violate that duty, pending their decision on the zoning for the Atlantic Fields shopping center.
Whether you live on or near Route 24, or take a minute to Google the number of serious traffic accidents there, you know it’s one of the most dangerous roads in Sussex County – and already unmanageable by our vastly under-resourced and mostly volunteer EMS services. Adding 10,000 vehicles daily to a roadway limited to two lanes for great stretches will result in many more serious accidents and fatalities, and threaten the safety of local students going to and from nearby schools. There’s simply no way to ignore these simple truths because there could never be enough improvements to make this road safe.
Allowing these big-box stores also violates another core principle, because zoning changes are only supposed to be granted if they serve the public interest. So, yes, mega stores would enable people to buy more stuff, but in addition to endangering the public, the development would also cause hardships for small businesses that can’t compete with big-box economics, wreck the quality of life for neighbors who will have to deal with 18-wheeler deliveries rumbling past their homes seven days a week, and make it impossible to reach the beach during the summer.
Sussex County Council, do your job, and do the right thing. Vote no on this rezoning.
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