Lewes residents, planners air concerns over proposed subdivisions

Residents voiced their concerns over two proposed subdivisions at a Lewes Planning Commission public hearing that stretched long into the evening Oct. 18.

Henlopen Bluff proposes 79 single-family home lots on 60 acres between the Showfield subdivision and Gills Neck Road, just south of the Freeman Highway bridge.

Bike safety, increased traffic, open space and the impact to White’s Pond were the top concerns for residents.

“[Gills Neck Road] is hazardous, to say the least,” said Gills Neck Road resident Mary Beth Monigle. “People speed by my house. I mean 45, 55, 60 mph. I’m saddened to see more traffic on a road that was not meant to handle lots of cars and trucks.” 

There was also concern for bike safety and connectivity on Gills Neck Road.

The preliminary site plan calls for a 10-foot-wide shared-use path along the frontage of Henlopen Bluff. 

“The path is 100% safer than it would be [on Gills Neck Road] today,” said David Hutt, attorney for the developer, Showfield LLC.

Some residents said it does not go far enough to keep cyclists off the road and get people safely into town.

“It’s really a shared-use path to nowhere,” said Gail Van Gilder, a member of the Historic Lewes Byway Committee. “On a busy day, you can have bikers blocking the road and the cars can’t get through.”

Van Gilder said there should be access to the path closer to the city.

The developer said it is talking with the Delaware River and Bay Authority, which owns the land by the Freeman Highway bridge, to find a way to connect the path to the Lewes-to-Georgetown Trail.

Commissioners were also concerned with the design for open space in Henlopen Bluff.

“I’m not sure you’re meeting the intent of open space,” said Commissioner Amy Marasco. 

“Where is the usability? Where does a dad throw a ball to his kid?” asked Commissioner Melanie Moser. “There is no place on this plan for any unstructured recreation.”

The open space includes land along the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal that will belong to the subdivision. It will be restricted for use only by residents of nine lots.

The developer said the site plan meets all open space requirements. 

The developer is asking the city for three waivers. Two of them have to do with the width and length of certain streets. The third waiver is a request to eliminate a required 50-foot corridor buffer along Gills Neck Road.

The developer said the buffer is not included in the site plan because it was told by the city in April 2022 to hold off on filing an application because of an imminent change to city code. The developer said when the code was changed, it required the buffer.

“The site was not designed with a 50-foot corridor buffer and applying that would result in the loss of a number of lots,” Hutt said.

The developer said the houses facing Gills Neck Road would have double fronts, meaning the side that faces the road would look like the front to fit in with the historic look of the area.

White’s Pond Preserve

The commission also heard a presentation on the preliminary site plan for the White’s Pond Preserve major subdivision, a proposed 8.2-acre, 13-lot community off Freeman Highway near Monroe Avenue Extended. 

Residents and commissioners commended the developers for the design and environmental planning.

The site plan includes a unique stormwater management device, a rain garden located at the dead end of the proposed Clara Lane.

“This will be an educational and informative opportunity. There will be signage explaining the importance of green infrastructure and making use of native plants,” said Eric Wahl, a landscape architect with Pennoni Associates. Wahl said they are also proposing a gazebo for the stormwater site.

But the proposal did not get through the meeting without some concerns raised. Residents who live in the adjacent Showfield development are concerned that the developers will remove trees critical to the wildlife habitat around White’s Pond, specifically on two points of land that jut into the pond.

“That’s the home of the great blue herons, the egrets, the turtles, all of the wildlife that inhabits the White’s Pond area. Please live up to the name of the community and make it a White’s Pond Preserve,” said Denise Stokes.

Beach House Hotel

Finally, the panel heard from James and Jana Owen, the developers and owners of the proposed Beach House Hotel at 209 E. Savannah Road, the former site of the 2 Dips ice cream store.

They presented preliminary plans for a proposed 16-room boutique hotel and coffee shop.

Neighbors who live nearby spoke in favor of the project.

Marasco asked how the property will handle flooding, since it is located in the 1% floodplain area. Wahl said the building will be elevated with the required 18-inch freeboard.

Commissioners also asked the developers to consider more beautification to hide the parking lot from the view on Savannah Road.

Because of the lateness of the meeting, the commission decided to continue the discussion of the Beach House Hotel proposal as part of the agenda of a special meeting at 6 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 1, at the Rollins Center.