Until the vote on Atlantic Fields, living in Sussex County and trying to slow the pace of unbridled growth felt like being a character in Bill Murray’s comedy “Groundhog Day.” Murray experiences the same thing day after day no matter what he does to try to alter the story. Sussex residents concerned about the impact of unbridled growth experienced the same tedium. No matter what we did or what we said, we got the same old outcome: more growth, more unresponsiveness to what we say and do.
Take the four big decisions faced by county council this year: Northstar, Belle Mead, Atlantic Fields, Cool Spring Crossing. Despite loud and persistent public concern, they moved, or seemed to be moving, toward what felt like inevitable approval. The precise script varied, but the dynamics and outcomes seemed largely the same. Powerful economic interests, already favored by the rules, beat back public outcries about traffic and inadequate public services, and ended up getting what they wanted.
The public thought they rewrote the story by electing a different-talking majority to serve on county council. But economic growth – jobs, revenue, low taxes – are forces you cannot resist. The stress, frustration, delays and outrage of everyday citizens are forces you can all too easily resist.
Northstar, approved. Belle Mead, approved. But then Atlantic Fields, resounding rejection. Then there was one – Cool Spring Crossing, still pending. If you are a betting person, where would you put your money on the last one?
Will Sussex finally break out of the maddening Groundhog Day cycle of growth at any cost? Have engaged citizens found a way to tame the profit-driven system? Can we rewrite the script and bring a different future to Sussex, or will builders be able to once and for all shut down the public by making all decisions “by right” and not subject to public hearings, as they are proposing?
The only way to change the script is to get involved. Vote for candidates who don’t just talk the talk, but will walk the walk. Voice your concerns even louder. Push for an adequate public facilities ordinance that elevates the needs of residents over the needs of business.
Otherwise, resign yourself to being a bit character in the Sussex version of “Groundhog Day.”
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