Vote for county council candidates who want to preserve Sussex
Every day as I drive in and around Rehoboth Beach and Lewes, I am made painfully aware of the rapid and extensive overdevelopment that's happening all over eastern Sussex County. In pursuit of short-term profits, we are destroying our forests and wetlands, and with them, the health and safety of our current and future generations. Our clean water is being threatened, our traffic has increased to absurd levels, and our fresh air is polluted.
How is this permitted, and by whom? The fault rests with Sussex County Council, which has for decades failed to provide protections similar to those enjoyed in neighboring counties and states. I moved here from Lancaster County, Pa., which has some of the most fertile farmland in the country and a rich agricultural heritage. Between the county’s Agriculture Preserve Board and the nonprofit Lancaster Farmland Trust, more than 120,000 acres of farmland have been permanently preserved and protected. If it can be done there, it can be done here.
Currently, every member of Sussex County Council has ties to real estate developers. As detailed in a recent article in Spotlight Delaware, these developers are pouring money into a political action committee to support county council incumbents, including Cindy Green and Mark Schaeffer. The PAC is cynically named Preserve Sussex, an obvious attempt to confuse voters who may think it's the Sussex Preservation Coalition. It is, in fact, the exact opposite. Whereas the Sussex Preservation Coalition is working to create a healthy, livable community, Preserve Sussex is working to support politicians who will continue to enable rampant overdevelopment.
If, like me, you are upset with the unhindered pace of development destroying our environment and straining our infrastructure, it's time to vote against the incumbents of county council who have failed to protect us. It's time to take a stand against developer money attempting to buy our votes. Fortunately, we have an alternative! In Sussex County Council District 3: Jane Gruenebaum is the candidate whose voice and commitment to genuine preservation will make a difference. If you're feeling the pain of overdevelopment, vote for Jane.
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