The planned Phase 4 of Cannery Village in Milton is inching slowly toward becoming a reality after being reviewed by the state’s Preliminary Land Use Service.
The PLUS service allows state regulatory agencies such as Delaware Department of Transportation, Office of State Planning Coordination and Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control to review and comment on large-scale developments. Cannery Village Phase 4 is planned to be 122 units on a 27-acre parcel on Cave Neck Road. Project Designer Brock Parker of Salisbury-based Parker Associates said the homes would be duplexes, triplexes and townhouses, but no apartments and no single-family detached houses. Parker said the main entrance would be off Front Street because of heavy traffic on Cave Neck Road. He said water and sewer would connect to existing lines next to nearby Dogfish Head and loop through the development.
At an Oct. 31 meeting in Dover, PLUS agencies had few recommendations. Dorothy Morris of Office of State Planning said the project meets the agency’s standards and is located in an area where growth is expected.
“We have no objections and would support the development of this site,” she said.
Among the suggestions raised by PLUS were planting trees to screen the brightness of headlights from cars traveling on Cave Neck; working with Dogfish Head on a path connecting the development to the town and conducting an archeological survey of the area.
PLUS will finalize its comments for recommended changes to the plans by Dec. 4. In the meantime, developer Chestnut Properties II LLC has also submitted plans for review with the State Fire Marshal’s Office and Sussex Conservation District, among other agencies.
Parker said he hopes to appear on Milton planning and zoning Commission’s Tuesday, Dec. 18 agenda. Otherwise, the next Planning and Zoning meeting would be in mid-January. The development has been given a concept review by the commission, which returned suggestions related to parking and future phases. Parker said those comments will be addressed as the project plans are finalized.