Glenwood proposed along New Road
Another subdivision is proposed along New Road outside Lewes city limits.
Glenwood Lewes LLC has filed an application for a 131-unit single-family home cluster subdivision on a 77-acre tract on the northwest side of New Road about a half mile south of the Nassau Road intersection.
Already under construction on the road are Tower Hill, with 292 single-family lots on 134 acres, and Lewes Waterfront Preserve, with 89 townhomes on 34 acres, as well as 10 single-house lots. Lewes Waterfront Preserve is within Lewes city limits.
A public hearing on the application has been scheduled before the Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission at 5 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 25, in the county administration building, 2 The Circle, Georgetown.
The parcel contains 18 acres of woodlands and 19 acres of wetlands. According to the proposed site plan, the developer would preserve 14 acres of old-growth forest and provide a required 50-foot and voluntary 100-foot buffers along the wetlands and Black Hog Gut in the western portion of the property. Including the forest and buffers, in some locations an area 175 feet wide would separate building lots from wetlands.
The parcel contains nearly 14 acres of tidal and five acres of nontidal wetlands.
Proposed amenities include a clubhouse, pool and pickleball courts in the nearly 43 acres of open space.
The project was reviewed by state agencies in September 2021 during the Preliminary Land Use Service process.
During the review, state transportation planners noted that while improvements to New Road along the frontage of the property would be required, an additional 300 feet of road improvements would be required to link up to improvements already completed for the Tower Hill subdivision. Those improvements include 11-foot travel lanes and shoulders.
Officials estimate at build out, the subdivision would generate 1,300 vehicle trips per day.
According to the State Historic Preservation Office, there is a high potential for pre-historic and historic archeological resources on the parcel. The PLUS report notes there are two known pre-historic sites on the property and seven sites within a half-mile radius, and that Native American burial sites have been found in the vicinity.
“The SHPO has significant concerns about this proposed development. The proposed development will affect several known resources, and impact areas with a very high potential for significant archaeological sites and burials,” wrote Carlton Hall, a cultural preservation specialist.
Hall noted that the developer has hired a consultant to evaluate the site. He said his office would like the opportunity to meet on site to discuss the work and findings, then review any reports.
The PLUS report also contains information pertaining to an area on the parcel, which is located in the 100-year floodplain, where National Flood Insurance Program regulations must be followed. State officials recommend that no structures be built within the floodplain area in the north and northwestern section of the parcel.
