Sussex, DelDOT move forward on transportation district

State and county officials are set to move forward to establish the Henlopen Transportation District.

At its Feb. 21 meeting, Sussex County Council agreed to allow county staff, its land-use consultants and Delaware Department of Transportation officials to proceed with steps toward a final agreement.

DelDOT Secretary Jennifer Cohan has been working with county officials toward a transportation improvement district since she was appointed to the post in June 2015. After four meetings, council voted to approve the concept in August 2016.

Cohan said DelDOT has spent $150,000 working behind the scenes to get the district established. “We are ready to go,” she said.

Among benefits associated with a transportation improvement district are predictable infrastructure costs and land-use projections, quicker approvals for permits, specific traffic data and shared costs between developers and the state. In addition, county elected officials have a say in road improvements within the district.

Council agreed to modify the district map to include Gills Neck Road and part of Savannah Road in Lewes.

The district borders Lewes city limits to the north – including parts of New Road; the Five Points intersection; Route 9 and Fisher Road to the west; Route 24 and Long Neck to the south; and Route 1 and the county's Wolfe Neck wastewater treatment facility to the east. The district encompasses 17 square miles, 69 intersections and 66 miles of roads – 37 miles within the district and 29 leading into the district.

Cohan said DelDOT officials would consider developing separate transportation districts for the City of Lewes and the area around Beaver Dam Road, where a new sewer line is being installed.

The final agreement is still months away. Officials must still develop service standards, including acceptable delays – levels of service – at intersections, lane and shoulder widths, sidewalks and aesthetics in the district.

Also to be determined are land-use projections by parcels of undeveloped and underdeveloped land within the district. Drew Boyce, DelDOT's director of planning, said better land-use projections result in better traffic projections and better road designs. “We need to have eyes wide open to see what the roads will grow up to be,” he said. “We are looking for changes in land use you anticipate between now and 2040.”

Cohan said a draft will be presented to the planning and zoning commission for consideration during a public hearing prior to council's public hearing. “We will engage the public as well. This creates a model that is critical to the whole juncture. This is a new way of projecting land use in Sussex County,” said County Administrator Todd Lawson.

In addition, DelDOT officials will provide a list of proposed road and intersection projects in the district. Cohan said any planned work in DelDOT's current six-year capital plan will continue.

Officials will also have to establish a funding mechanism to cover road improvement costs within the district. DelDOT and county officials will work out a formula to determine who will share in the costs. Boyce said every district is unique, but said in the Southern New Castle County District, developers and the state split the cost 50/50 for $88 million in planned projects.

“We have to stay competitive to keep the district attractive to developers,” Boyce said. “This gives us a balanced playing field so that everybody pays the same.”

In a transportation improvement district, developers pay a fee per residential unit based on zoning or a fee per square foot for commercial and institutional projects.

“This is a big deal,” said Councilman I.G. Burton, R-Lewes, who added he went to “TID School” with County Administrator Todd Lawson to learn more about the work needed to develop the district. “This will help stop sprawl and promote economic development in that area.”

Cohan said the first public hearing could be scheduled in May, adding that it would take up to six months to finalize the plan.

TID benefits:

• Cost of road improvements is shared equitably by developers

• DelDOT contributes a percentage to road improvements

• DelDOT collects more data – such as traffic counts – specific to the district

• Sussex officials have a say in recommending and approving road work

• Expedited development reviews

• Road projects within district can move up the priority ladder

• Comprehensive infrastructure planning