GEORGETOWN — Though the discussion of the proposed subdivision was wide and far ranging, the Sussex County Planning and Zoning Commission on Wednesday decided to reopen the record on the Northstar development for the express purpose of getting official comment by the Cape Henlopen School District.
During its meeting last week, Commissioner Holly Wingate referred to a letter she had received from the schools, and during the discussion Commissioner Robert Wheatley said he had seen some proposed numbers from the schools. Attorney representing the county before the commission, Vincent Robertson, requested a copy of the letter for the public record during that earlier session, since it was referred to during the open meeting.
Stephnie DeMalto, communications director for the schools, confirmed earlier this week she was unaware of a letter sent to the planning and zoning commission by the district.
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.
Mr. Wheatley, referring back to the letter during the earlier meeting, said the schools engaged in some napkin math, taking the more than 700 proposed housing units, and multiplying it by 2.3 kids in each, though county demographics don’t necessarily bear that figure out.
He said living situations differ, but Sussex County’s draw isn’t primarily young families.
However, the discussion about the schools wasn’t the main reason given for the follow-up session on Northstar this week, it was transportation concerns.
During the testimony last week it emerged the proposed neighborhood lies within the Transportation Improvement District agreed to between DelDOT and Sussex County, and the board asked for additional information about its requirements.
“There was the question about the TID and phasing and how that would potentially impact the timing of Mulberry Knoll Road,” Mr. Robertson said.
The situation is complex, but members of the commission have said they would like to see Mulberry Knoll Road completed before certain development steps are taken and are considering making the road improvements part of a condition of use.
It had been mentioned the TID may not allow certain timelines or restrictions of that nature, so the question becomes one of county conditions or DelDOT contract supremacy.
This has come up before at the other end of Mulberry Knoll Road, Mr. Robertson said, where the commission required a traffic light install that conflicted with the TID.
“I was concerned there was a prohibition against phasing, so there’s not in the TID agreement between Sussex County and DelDOT, but what we need to be careful about” are timelines and proper documentation, he said.
The agreement would have to be between the county, the developer and DelDOT, Mr. Robertson said.
Ultimately, he said, careful documentation was all that was required moving forward, but he said it was possible to make the commission’s intention to have Mulberry Knoll Road finished first a priority.
The commission also discussed completing the affordable housing portion of the proposal first, how the open space requirements are met and access to amenities.
If the affordable units, estimated to be about 100 at this point, are completed first and their amenities installed, Ms. Wingate wondered about access to other amenities within the development that are installed later.
“I wouldn’t want to see their monthly rental fees go up,” to pay for access to amenities provided to other residents who potentially spent far more on their residences, she said.
With homeowners’ associations and not government supplying the services, the board considered the question of who has access to what.
“If you’re in the affordable housing then you’re younger, with kids, and it’s a hot day, what do the kids want to do? Do you want to be the one to explain to the seven-year-old why he can’t go in that pool over there?” Mr. Wheatley asked. “That’s the issue I have with it.”
After discussing this and other concerns, the commission turned to timing, since there had been a clock running after the record was closed last week. Mr. Wheatley explained the clock had been reset by reopening the record for the schools’ input.
“The clock will not start running until Sept 4., so this gives the commission ample time to consider the other things we’ve talked about and we have 45 days after that date to make a decision. So, let’s take our time and get it right,” he said.
Staff writer Brian Gilliland can be reached at 410-603-3737 or bg@iniusa.org.
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