The following letter was written to Lawrence B. Lank, director, Sussex County Planning and Zoning Office, with a copy submitted to the Cape Gazette for publication.
As longtime homeowners and full time residents in the well established community of Old Landing Woods, we would like to alert you to our concerns and opposition regarding the application from Osprey Point D LLC to rezone from AR-1 Agricultural Residential District to MR-RPC Medium Density District.
• Recurring flood area - Our home is situated along Fairway Drive, which faces the Old Landing Golf Course. Even with light to moderate rainfall, the area on the golf course where the developer plans to build new homes and roads experiences significant flooding. The homes in our community and the homes in the proposed development are at risk for water damage. Standing water along the roads as a result of this flooding produces a safety hazard for drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists.
• Traffic study needed - It has been four years since the last traffic study on Old Landing Road was conducted, and the hazards and impact from increased traffic as a result of ongoing development along Old Landing Road are cause for concern. In addition to increased motor vehicle traffic, the safety of the residents who walk and bike along this road is at risk. Since moving into Old Landing Woods over 15 years ago, nine additional communities have been developed along Old Landing Road, (Sterling Crossing, Sea Chase, Estates at Sea Chase, Stonewood Chase, Cedar Valley, The Villages of Old Landing, The Meadows at the Villages of Old Landing, Sawgrass North and Sawgrass South.
An additional community is currently being developed, Redden Ridge), another is approved for development at the end of Fairway Drive (The Woods at Arnell Creek) and Osprey Point is now proposed. We have witnessed and have been the potential victims of countless near misses on Old Landing Road.
• Home values -The proposed homes and lot sizes (especially along Fairway Drive) are not consistent with the existing homes in our neighborhood and the proposed zoning change to MR-RPC Medium Density District threatens the value of our home, the homes within our community, and surrounding communities. Thank you for giving consideration to our concerns.
Robert T. Jr. and Kimberly A. Dixon
Rehoboth Beach
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