Time extensions offer opportunity for county council
Delaware’s waterways are so polluted we can’t swim in 85 percent of them, and fish no longer thrive in more than 90 percent of them. It’s a problem that’s reaching tragic proportions, not just for the Delaware residents who want to swim and fish in our bays and streams but also for the state’s tourism industry, a mainstay of our economy that thrives on our beautiful marshes, streams and bays.
Development in the Cape Region also drives our economy, yet at the same time it ramps up the stress on our creeks and Inland Bays. As more and more space is paved or covered with houses, runoff into our waterways increases, dragging nitrogen and other pollutants with it. Starting this week, Sussex County Council is set to review projects filed years ago but not yet substantially underway. All told, these account for as many as 10,000 new units, projects that by ordinance would have to start over on the approval process unless council offers an extension. The developers have done nothing to earn these extensions; they need them because they have failed to move forward on plans that were reviewed and approved years ago. Most have already benefited from earlier extensions.
This time around, instead of simply giving away these extensions, council has an opportunity to help our waterways while preserving open space. Current ordinances already require buffers along the border of new developments. By increasing vegetated buffers bordering projects from 20 feet to 50 feet and requiring 100-foot buffers along all existing waterways, council could take a giant step toward improving water quality across Sussex County. Several years ago, when state officials sought to impose wider buffers, Sussex County fought for and won the battle for the right to make land-use decisions. Those decisions require constant vigilance to keep development and protection of our environment in balance. Time extensions offer a means to help achieve a better balance. Let’s not give away extensions on these projects. In exchange for an extension, let’s ask the developer of each one to contribute a little more land in order to improve water quality and maintain open space. It’s a small price to pay, yet one that will benefit all who live here as well as those who will live in the houses to come.
