LEWES — In mid-July, the Sussex County Planning and Zoning Commission held open the public record on the proposed 758 single-family parcel Northstar development to hear the input of the Cape Henlopen Public School District, under whose auspices any children moving into the development might be educated, but might also have to raise taxes to pay for them.
In Sussex County, the school board levies taxes to pay for operations and capital projects separately from other governmental entities via referendum, so the local district’s constituents will be absorbing at least some of the cost new families might bring.
The board held the record open until Aug. 20 during that session, to review a letter already received from the schools, and to give the district the chance to compose a more formal response.
The contents of those letters have been made public for the first time, as they were published as part of the public packet available for the next planning and zoning meeting, scheduled for Sept. 11.
The letters were both composed by Dr. Jason Hale, director of operations for the Cape Henlopen School District.
The first, dated July 17, 2024, is addressed only to Planning and Zoning board member Holly Wingate, and references an earlier conversation between the two on that day, where they apparently discussed current school capacities and possible fee structures government could enact.
“Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today,” Dr. Hale’s letter from July 17 opens.
“As discussed,” he said, “Delaware schools are considered to be at capacity when they reach 85 percent of their maximum student capacity. Currently, all five of our elementary schools, two of our three middle schools and our high school are operating at or above this capacity threshold. This situation highlights the strain on our facilities and resources due to existing student populations.”
The scale of the Northstar development would “undoubtedly have a significant impact on our district, further exacerbating the capacity issues,” he said.
Dr. Hale goes on to explain school assessment charges and impact fees in use in other places in Delaware. A voluntary school assessment is a contribution from a developer to a school district based on the number of school-age children generatd by the development, with the funds going to school construction costs and the like, he said.
An impact fee is calculated based on the strain a new development could put on existing infrastructure, and then uses the money to mitigate those costs in service areas like water, sewer or public education.
The second letter, dated Aug. 20, is on district letterhead unlike the previous note, is addressed to the entire board and signed by Dr. Hale.
“Cape Henlopen School District is proud to be a district that many families are choosing for their children. We believe that our reputation for educational excellence is a key factor contributing to the influx of residential developments such as Northstar,” Dr. Hale said. “While we are always planning for the future and anticipating increases in enrollment, adding this development will further our need to increase the size of our existing schools or construct new schools, as all of our existing schools are at or over capacity.”
Since 2016, the district has added about 1,600 students at a rate of about 200 per year, Dr. Hale explained.
Dr. Hale then expresses the district’s support for the voluntary school assessments to be enacted.
“The VSA is a proven measure that not only supports school district expansion but also positively impacts taxpayers by reducing the financial burden on existing residents for the purpose of school construction,” he said. “Failure to charge developers an impact fee on new construction unfairly shifts the financial responsibility onto existing taxpayers.”
The centerpiece of the Northstar housing development proposal is subdividing a more than 400-acre lot into 758 single-family parcels near Lewes. The proposed development is bordered to the north by U.S. 9, stretching to near the intersection of Dairy Farm and Beaver Dam roads, while straddling both sides of Beaver Dam Road to the south. To the east, the parcels abut different neighborhoods.
The next Sussex Planning and Zoning meeting is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Sept. 11, in council chambers at 2 The Circle in Georgetown.
Staff writer Brian Gilliland can be reached at 410-603-3737 or bg@iniusa.org.
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