Large townhouse project planned west of Milton

A 235-unit townhouse community is being proposed on 69 acres off Route 16 west of Milton.

The project, called Ponders Pointe, from developer Ribera Development LLC, was reviewed by the Office of State Planning Coordination’s Preliminary Land Use Service during a Sept. 25 meeting. 

As proposed, the project would be spread across 59 buildings. There will be a minimum of 40 feet between buildings, with a setback of at least 20 feet from the edge of sidewalks. The units are intended to be market-rate condos, according to documents provided for the PLUS meeting. By code, the developer could have built up to 686 units on the property, which is zoned HR-1, high-density residential. The property was rezoned from AR-1, agricultural-residential, in 2007, as part of a massive project called Elizabethtown, which proposed 3,785 units and 439,000 square feet of commercial space, that never came to be. 

An 8-acre portion of the property along Route 16 is reserved for future commercial development, which is not part of the application. 

The parcel is mostly in Level 2 of the Strategies for State Policies and Spending, where the state supports development. A small portion of the property falls in Level 3. 

Water and wastewater would be provided by Artesian. 

The property contains 14 acres of forest, with just under 4 acres proposed to be removed. There are about 1.7 acres of non-tidal wetlands on the property. 

The developer is proposing 52.28 acres of open space for active and passive recreation, and wildlife habitat. Stormwater management is included in the open space calculation. Also included in the plans are a community center with a pool and an outlook near Pemberton Branch, which runs from nearby Wagamons Pond behind the property. There is an existing cemetery near the back of the parcel that the developer plans to stay away from. 

The community is estimated to generate 1,740 vehicle trips on an average weekday. The project would qualify for the Delaware Department of Transportation’s area-wide study fee, but it does not fall within a transportation improvement district. Connections to properties on either side of the parcel are planned. 

The project falls within Sussex County’s jurisdiction; it is also part of the Town of Milton’s future growth area. 

Office of State Planning Coordination Sussex County circuit rider Dorothy Morris suggested the owners consider talking to the Town of Milton about annexation. 

Tom Quass, Milton project manager, said the town would prefer the property be annexed into Milton. He said the proposal falls within the town’s zoning and density parameters.

No members of the public spoke about the application at the meeting. No state agencies objected to the proposed plan. 

The project would be built immediately east of the proposed Milton Village mixed-use development at the corner of Route 16 and Gravel Hill Road. Milton Village is proposed to include 277 single-family homes, 296 multifamily homes and 123 duplexes/townhouses. The project also features commercial and office space along Route 16. Beebe Healthcare recently opened the Milton Health Center on the Milton Village parcel. The site plan for Ponders Pointe includes interconnection to the Milton Village parcel, as well as a connection to the property immediately to the east.