News Briefs 04/24/20

Milton planners approve advisory report on Route 16 rezoning
Milton Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved an advisory report to town council recommending rezoning a 26-acre parcel at the corner of Route 16 and Country Road. The commission’s report recommends amending the town’s zoning map to reflect 5 acres of the parcel be zoned C-1 commercial and the remaining land be zoned R-3 residential. 

Once the town’s zoning map is amended and the rezoning approved, council can then move forward with annexing the entire parcel into the town. As of now, a portion of the property fronting Route 16 is in Milton, zoned C-1 commercial, while the rest is in the county, zoned AR agricultural residential. Applicant Milton Attainable Housing, a joint venture between developer Preston Schell and Rehoboth Beach restaurateur Eric Sugrue, is planning to build 239 residential housing units - consisting of two, two-story townhomes and three, three-story apartment buildings - and six pad sites for commercial businesses on the property.

When the matter gets to town council is still up in the air. Town Manager Kristy Rogers has indicated that council will not hold its Monday, May 4 meeting due to lack of a meeting space. While planning and zoning has been holding meetings via phone and video conference, council does not want to go that route.

Dewey commissioners meet April 24
Dewey Beach commissioners will hold a special town meeting, including an organizational vote, at 10 a.m. The meeting will be livestreamed at www.townofdeweybeach.com. Members will vote to elect a mayor and a secretary to serve until the organizational meeting after the September 2020 election. Other possible votes include directing the town manager to consolidate information regarding businesses operating under conditional-use approval, to approve a resolution authorizing fundraising for additional beach mats, to authorize Jungle Jim’s Total Pet Care to sell dog licenses, to amend the number of set-aside accounts and associated revenue allocations, and to modify the town’s beach closure regulations during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Sussex teleconference meeting on April 28
Sussex County Council will have a teleconference meeting at 10 a.m., Tuesday, April 28. Included on the agenda are an update on the county’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, an announcement on the fiscal year 2021 budget process, and updates on the county’s accommodations tax suspension and county tenants lease payment deferral program. See a complete agenda at www.sussexcountyde.gov.

To listen to the meeting, phone 800-988-0494 and enter passcode 1695792. The public can comment via phone during the public comment section of the agenda. Meetings are also broadcast with a 30-second delay at www.sussexcountyde.gov/council-chamber-broadcast. The public cannot comment using the livestream.

Sussex County player wins $150K in lottery
A Sussex County Delaware Lottery player has claimed the final $150,000 top prize from the Instant Game $150,000 Fortune.
The winner, who wished to remain anonymous, purchased the winning ticket from Shore Stop #254 in Angola.
“I was so surprised and thankful for this big win,” the winner said. “I’ve enjoyed playing the Delaware Lottery since it began, and getting this big win was such an incredible feeling.”

“This is the second time a Delaware Lottery player has won $100,000 or more from an Instant Game in a month,” said Vernon Kirk, Delaware Lottery director. “On Feb. 20, a Lewes man won $100,000 playing Cash Glitter.” The player planned to put the winnings into the bank while figuring out what to do with it. The winner claimed the prize from Lottery headquarters March 18.

Rehoboth election call for candidates
Rehoboth Beach’s 2020 annual municipal election is Saturday, Aug. 8. In advance of the election, the city has issued a notice of solicitation for candidates. There are three seats up for grabs – Mayor Paul Kuhns and Commissioners Lisa Schlosser and Steve Scheffer.

Interested candidates must turn in a petition signed by at least 10 qualified voters, but not more than 25, to the city manager by 4:30 p.m., Monday, June 8. To get a nominating petition, submit a request to elections@cityofrehoboth.com or call 302-227-6181, Donna Moore, Ext. 108 or Jean Lee, Ext. 114.

Absentee ballots will be available beginning Wednesday, June 24. Ballots will be sent to everyone who has an absentee ballot request form on file. The deadline for the city to mail ballots is Tuesday, Aug. 4. Ballots must be received by mail or in person before the polls close on the day of the election.

To be eligible to vote, a person must register on or before Thursday, July 9. Any qualified elector may request an absentee ballot to vote by filing a request for an absentee ballot form no later than noon, Friday, Aug. 7. For more information, contact Donna Moore at 302-227-6181, Ext. 108, or go to www.cityofrehoboth.com.

Indian River Inlet bridge inspection set
Delaware Department of Transportation contractor Pennoni Associates Inc. will be inspecting the Indian River Inlet bridge during the weeks of April 27 and May 4. Lane closures will occur from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday.

Week of April 27: The southbound right lane will be closed on Route 1 between Inlet Road and Turn Point Road. Inspections will be conducted from a truck on the shoulder, and the closed right lane will be open only to bicycle traffic.

Week of May 4: The northbound pedestrian walkway will be closed and pedestrian/bicycle traffic will be redirected onto the closed right shoulder of Route 1 northbound for the length of the bridge.

IR School District holds virtual meeting April 27
The Indian River Board of Education’s regular monthly meeting at 7 p.m., Monday, April 27, will be conducted online using the Zoom video conferencing platform. The public is invited to participate. Please disregard any previous notice of this meeting being held at Sussex Central High School. A link to the Zoom meeting and instructions on how to join the session will be posted on the district website www.irsd.net on April 27.

Public comments will be accepted in written form only and will be read into the meeting record. Public comments must be submitted to Jennifer Troublefield at Jennifer.troublefield@irsd.k12.de.us by noon on Friday, April 24. The change to an online platform was necessary due to Delaware’s current stay-at-home restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Public bodies are permitted to conduct meetings electronically through a special proclamation issued by Delaware Gov. John Carney subsequent to his state of emergency declaration of March 13, 2020.

Hearing set April 30 on new Rehoboth Bay dock
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s Division of Water will conduct a public hearing on an application by 204 Salisbury Exchange LLC, for a lease to build and use a pier, and three free-standing mooring pilings in Head of Bay Cove, Rehoboth Bay, 204 Salisbury St., Rehoboth. This is a virtual public hearing and is scheduled for 6 p.m., Thursday, April 30.

The applicant has proposed the construction and use of a 4-foot-wide by 114-foot-long pier and three free-standing mooring pilings. This proposal is reduced from the initial proposal of a 4-foot-wide by 128-foot-long pier, two 5-foot-wide by 26-foot-long docks, and 11 free-standing mooring pilings.

For additional information and to review this application, contact Rebecca Bobola, Division of Water, Wetlands and Subaqueous Section, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901; by phone at 302-739-9943; or by email at Rebecca.Bobola@delaware.gov.

Live comments will not be accepted during the virtual hearing. Written comments may be submitted to the hearing officer via the online comment form at dnrec.alpha.delaware.gov/public-hearings/comment-form/, via email to DNRECHearingComments@delaware.gov, or via USPS to the above address.

DOC applies to operate auto body shop
According to an April 19 public notice from the Delaware Department of Natural Resouces and Environmental Control, the Delaware Department of Correction, 23207 DuPont Blvd., Georgetown has applied for a permit to operate an auto body shop that conducts any or all of the following: collision repair, vehicle painting, paint stripping or sanding. This shop has a potential to emit less than a combined total of 25 tons per year of volatile organic compounds.

The application for this permit may be reviewed online at www.de.gov/dnrecnotices. For additional information or for an appointment to review this application, contact Tracy Mattson at 302-739‑9402.

A public hearing on the above application will not be held unless DNREC Secretary Shawn Garvin receives a request for a hearing by Monday, May 4. A request for a hearing shall be in writing. The request must also show a familiarity with the application and a reasoned statement of the permit’s probable impact. All comments and public hearing requests should be mailed to the Division of Air Quality, State Street Commons, Suite 6A, 100 W. Water St., Dover 19904.

Rehoboth cleaning, painting Second Street water tower
The Rehoboth Beach water tower on Second Street is undergoing routine maintenance. According to a notice on the city’s website, contractor Southern Corrosion will clean and paint the exterior of the tower. The process will not require the tower to be taken out of service so there will be no impact on water service in the city. The area around the water tower will be blocked off at all times.  Crews will be working 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. The work is expected to take two weeks to complete.

The city is telling citizens who park their vehicles in and around the tower to park in other locations while work is being performed. For more information, contact the communications department at 302-227-6181 Ext. 522, or communications@cityofrehoboth.com.