How did Schaeffer stop Royal Farms?

I read with great interest Dick Ennis’ letter to the Cape Gazette and want to set the record straight.

After becoming aware of the political action committee mailer out for Mark Schaeffer, I called Mark. We spoke Sept. 17. I asked him, “Just what did you do to stop Royal Farms?” He told me of conversations with those in power at Royal Farms and their legal team. He told them they would not have council support, or his either. I asked why it took them so long to withdraw; he said it took a while for the lightbulb to go off. After we sparred for a while over the role of grassroots opposition in the decision, he said he told the decision makers there were thousands in the Angola area opposing Royal Farms. I asked him to write a letter to the Cape Gazette outlining his acknowledgement of the Angola area opposition. He did that but fell afoul of the Gazette rule of one letter per month. I asked him to send me the letter and he did.

The very next day, Sept. 18, I saw Mark’s newsletter that contained the original PAC mailing and the letter. But this time the letter had a heading “Scheffer stops Royal Farms application Route 24 Lewes.” I texted Mark immediately and told him his newsletter had misspelled his name; though it did acknowledge community opposition, the heading was misleading. His response was cordial but dismissive, saying vendors send out messages all the time. Except this was his newsletter and where would a vendor get the letter if not from him, and so fast? He ended his text saying, “Let’s pay attention to the one thing we know about the Royal Farms application. It’s dead.” Like that made it all better. He then went on to say he knows how to get things done for his constituents. He did say on the Dan Gaffney radio show that the Royal Farms may come back in a few years after road improvements are completed. What’s up with that?

Ennis wrote in his letter that Royal Farms withdrew because they had not gotten a date with the county prior to the contract’s expiration. I can’t speak to contract details, but I can as to who told whom what, and when, names included. And it amounts to Royal Farms withdrawing because they knew the station would not be supported by council due to huge community opposition.

Mark was in attendance at a community meeting Aug 3, 2023. He declined to address the attendees about the Royal Farms saying it would not be appropriate for him to speak because it would come to council for a vote. So why was Mark speaking with other council members, Royal Farms decision makers and the applicant’s parties? Was the good-old-boy network at work behind doors? Is this even legal, is it ethical? I guess this being an election year, anything goes. The new Route 24 Alliance is alive and watching.