Cannery Village project heads to state review
The proposed fourth phase of Cannery Village in Milton is scheduled to go before the state’s Preliminary Land Use Service review Wednesday, Oct. 31.
Developer Chestnut Properties II has proposed building 122 units on a 27 acre parcel off Cave Neck Road. The land for the development is located where Cave Neck Road, Atlantic Street and Front Street converge, just at the border between the town of Milton and Sussex County. The homes themselves are located within the town; Milton Project Coordinator John Collier said the proposed units are all single-family. The PLUS application indicates that 11 acres of current forest land will be removed to make way for the development. The application says that 12 of the 27 total acres will remain as open space; Collier said there is a planned 50-foot buffer between the development and the Broadkill River. The development will also include sidewalks and a bike trail.
Collier said Chestnut Properties II, owned by Preston Dyer, has already presented a conceptual plan to the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission, with the next step being to submit a preliminary site plan. Collier said after receiving preliminary approval, the project would then be subject to review by outside agencies, such as Delaware Department of Transportation, Sussex Conservation District and the Delaware State Fire Marshal. If the project gets through that, it would come back to the Planning and Zoning Commission for a recommendation for Town Council.
History of Cannery Village
Cannery Village dates back to 2003, when the town initially approved Phase 1. The first three phases of the development, which includes 223 single-family units and 20 condominiums, were built on the former King Cole Cannery site. Collier said Phase 4 is not part of the old cannery site, but was annexed into the town as part of the Cannery Village project. Should Phase 4 be approved and built, the development will have 365 total units.
Collier said the streets in Phase 4 will be the responsibility of the developer until they are dedicated and accepted by the town for maintenance. Back in 2012, residents raised ire over the streets remaining unfinished, leading the town to pass an ordinance mandating developers finish their roadways. In addition, problems were reported about emergency personnel’s ability to navigate the roadways. The town eventually paid $10,000 for signs to be posted on the property. Eventually, the streets were dedicated to the town, which now maintains them.
When Cannery Village was originally approved, it did not have a performance bond, which was blamed in part for the prior problems with the development, but Collier said all developments in town require a performance bond.
The next phase of Cannery Village is one of two major subdivisions the town has in front of it. The Planning and Zoning Commission recently approved the preliminary site plan for Fullum Fields, a proposed eight-home subdivision on a 1.8-acre parcel, also off Cave Neck Road.
