News Briefs 06/30/20

June 30, 2020

Cape Gazette offices closed July 3

The Cape Gazette business offices will be closed Friday, July 3. Classified advertising deadline will be noon, Thursday, July 2, for the Tuesday, July 7 edition. All other advertising and news release deadlines remain the same.

DelDOT to host New Road bridge meeting

The Department of Transportation will host a virtual workshop at 3:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 30, related to the replacement of the New Road bridge over Canary Creek in Lewes. A link to the meeting can be found at deldot.gov/projects/vw/T201907301/index.shtml. The existing bridge is a timber structure that has been in service for 31 years. The harsh salt environment has accelerated deterioration of the timber elements. The concern of limited remaining service life, in addition to frequent flooding of New Road, has warranted replacement. The project is planned for 2024.

Lewes Bike and Ped Committee to meet

The Lewes Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee will meet virtually at 6 p.m., Tuesday, June 30. The group will discuss the Department of Transportation’s plan to place metal plates in the middle of the Savannah Road drawbridge for bicyclists to safely cross. Safety concerns have been raised by the public and Lewes City Council members. The committee will also discuss the sidewalk stencil program, helmet ticket program, hangtag program and other improvements. To find a link to the meeting and view the full agenda, go to lewes.civicweb.net.

Lewes Public Art Committee meets July 1

The Lewes Public Art Committee will meet virtually at 10 a.m., Wednesday, July 1. The group will discuss the water tower public art project that was slated for Canalfront Park this summer but postponed due to the pandemic. The committee will also discuss an art flag proposal, lighting the Silent Sentinels near the Lewes library and possibly commissioning a mural. A link to the meeting can be found at lewes.civicweb.net.

Lewes police committee to meet July 1

The Lewes Police Review Committee will meet virtually at 3 p.m., Wednesday, July 1. The group will review the police department’s use-of-force policy and internal review process for officers. A link to the meeting can be found at lewes.civicweb.net.

Lewes Mayor and City Council meet July 2

Lewes Mayor and City Council will meet virtually at 6 p.m., Thursday, July 2. The group will discuss reopening and restarting the city’s economy. A link to the meeting can be found at lewes.civicweb.net.

Rehoboth law oversight committee to meet

The Rehoboth Beach Law Oversight Committee will meet virtually at 10 a.m., Wednesday, July 1. The agenda calls for discussion and possible vote on a draft tree ordinance.

Members of the public will be allowed to participate with limited access. Those who wish to speak must preregister with Ann Womack, city secretary, at awomack@cityofrehoboth.com at least two full business days prior to the meeting. The city will stream the meeting using the same technology it uses for its chamber broadcast that can be viewed at cityofrehoboth.civicweb.net/portal, or on YouTube.

Rehoboth environment committee to meet

The Rehoboth Beach Environment Committee will meet virtually at 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, July 1. The agenda calls for further discussion on an ordinance proposing to ban single-use plastics at all businesses and on 5G antenna installation. The agenda also calls for preliminary discussions on a climate action plan and impervious surface policies.

Commission approves tree removals

During a meeting June 22, the Rehoboth Beach Parks & Shade Tree Commission unanimously approved the removal of more than a dozen trees within the city’s right-of-way on the corner of Stockley Street Ext. and School Lane. The request was made by Angela Murray and Theresa Crivelli, owners of the corner lot at 405 Stockley St. Ext. The women are building a new home on the lot, which was previously wooded and had become overgrown. As part of the approval, the commission voted to have the women plant three trees – two along Stockley Street Ext. and one along School Lane – and work with City Arborist Liz Lingo to incorporate other suitable ground coverings.

Following the favorable vote, Lingo said because it is on city property, the planting plan will go through a public works permitting process. She said details will be reviewed by the public works department, police department, fire chief and city manager’s office to make sure there are no issues.

Sussex council back in public session June 30

Sussex County Council will meet at 10 a.m., Tuesday, June 30, in the county administration building, 2 The Circle, Georgetown. It’s the first in-person meeting in council chambers since the COVID-19 state of emergency was declared in mid-March. Included on the agenda are updates on CARES Act funding for the Community Block Grant Program and the comprehensive land-use plan. Also on the agenda are five public hearings. Go to www.sussexcountyde.gov/agendas-minutes/county-council for a complete agenda and other material. The public can view the meeting online, listen by telephone or attend in person. Those attending will be required to do a wellness check and wear a face covering. Chambers seating is limited and seating assignments will be enforced. To join by phone, call 800-988-0494 and enter passcode 1695792. The meeting will be livestreamed with a 30-second delay at www.sussexcountyde.gov/council-chamber-broadcast.

Rehoboth set next reopen meeting

After taking a week off, Rehoboth Beach commissioners will hold their next reopen Rehoboth meeting virtually at 3 p.m., Tuesday, June 30. This will be the seventh special meeting held in response to COVID-19 concerns since May 12. At the most recent meeting, commissioners decided to remove a majority of the parking barriers along Rehoboth Avenue. Members of the public can participate in the meeting with limited access. Those who wish to speak must preregister with Ann Womack, city secretary, at awomack@cityofrehoboth.com at least two full business days prior to the meeting. Citizen comment will be administered by a moderator. Speaking is not allowed until called upon. Comments can also be emailed to Womack at least two full business days prior to the meeting. Meeting materials are accessible at www.cityofrehoboth.civicweb.net. For more information, call 302-227-6181.

Dewey commissioners meet to meet June 30

Dewey Beach commissioners will hold a virtual town meeting at 12 p.m., Tuesday, June 30. A link to the meeting is available at www.townofdeweybeach.com. Members will possibly vote to amend or continue with current budget and staffing revisions reflecting COVID-19. Other possible votes will be held to approve an ordinance on off-season expansion of premises and an ordinance to amend the fee for conditional-use applications.

Lewes charter change passes Senate

Senate Bill 210, a charter change that would allow Lewes Mayor and City Council to impose and collect a lodging tax, received unanimous support from the Delaware Senate June 23. The bill still needs approval from the state House before going to Gov. John Carney. It was assigned to the House Administration Committee June 23 for consideration. If approved, Lewes officials could impose a tax of up to 3 percent on hotels, motels and tourist homes. During Lewes council’s October 2019 meeting, Councilwoman Bonnie Osler said the move was only to give city officials the ability to impose the tax, and that it was not the intent of council to immediately collect.

Panel to discuss law enforcement racial bias

Eastern Sussex Democrats will hold a virtual panel discussion on Racial Bias in Law Enforcement at 6 p.m., Friday, June 26, via Zoom. A panel of four African American law enforcement officers will be led by Detective Sgt. Bernard Miller, a Delaware State Police retiree. The officers on the panel have more than 120 years of law enforcement experience among them and have seen both sides of these difficult issues. They will present their viewpoints and insights, and offer suggestions on what individuals can do to change the current climate of anger, frustration and bigotry. Questions for the panel may be submitted in advance to bakerudel@comcast.net. The Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88374040859; for more information, contact Greg DuRoss, 202-550-2472.

Old Orchard Road closed until June 29

Closure time of Old Orchard Road between Peach Tree Lane and East Edgemoor Street near Lewes has been extended until 11 p.m., Monday, June 29, for a sewer installation project for the Oyster Cove subdivision.

Presidential primary absentee voting encouraged

The Delaware Department of Elections will mail out absentee ballot applications to all eligible voters (Democrats and Republicans) for the Presidential Primary Election. Eligible voters who have not submitted an absentee ballot request will receive these mailings. In addition, Delaware voters impacted by COVID-19 including those social distancing, staying at home, or self-quarantining are permitted to vote absentee by choosing reason No. 3, “I am sick, or temporarily or permanently physically disabled” on the absentee application. For more information on absentee voting, go to elections.delaware.gov/services/voter/absentee. A limited number of polling places will be open for the July 7 Presidential Primary Election.

Kindergarten registration update

Cape Henlopen School District has made minor changes to the kindergarten registration process due to COVID-19. Parents should call the elementary school their child will attend to schedule a registration appointment. Parents should leave a voicemail with name and contact information, and a secretary will call back with procedural instructions. Children turning 5 on or before Monday, Aug. 31, whose parents live in the Cape district are eligible to be registered. Families will be able to complete an interest form for the Spanish Immersion Program. Call 302-684-8522 for H.O. Brittingham Elementary, 302-703-3456 for Love Creek Elementary, 302-684-2516 for Milton Elementary, 302-227-2571 for Rehoboth Elementary and 302-645-7748 for Shields Elementary.

Rehoboth planners approve partitioning

By unanimous decision during a meeting June 12, the Rehoboth Beach Planning Commission approved a subdivision of the property at 21 Saint Lawrence St. The planning commission had conducted a preliminary review of the plan in May. The 100-by-100-foot lot sits on the northeast corner of Saint Lawrence Street and King Charles Avenue. As approved, there will now be two 50-by-100-foot lots that front Saint Lawrence Street.

Milton council sets public hearings

Milton Town Council will hold three public hearings on amendments to the zoning code at its 6:30 p.m., Monday, July 6 meeting. The public hearings are amendments to the code in the Mixed-Use Residential and Commercial, Limited Light Industrial Use and Marine Resources Use districts.

Tanger Microtel plan approved

At its June 11 meeting, Sussex County Planning and Zoning Commission took the following action on two site plans in the Cape Region.

Approved a preliminary site plan for Tanger Microtel, a 77-room hotel with 119 parking spaces along Holland Glade Road adjacent to Tanger Seaside Outlets near Rehoboth Beach. The hotel will be adjacent to the recently approved Tanger Fitness Center on a 10-acre parcel. The final site plan will be subject to review and approval by planning and zoning staff.
Approved the revised final site plan for Osprey Point, a 217 single-family-lot subdivision at the end of Old Landing Road near Rehoboth Beach. Site work has started on the project.

Sussex P&Z denies Destiny site plan

The developer of the proposed Destiny Apartments off Route 1 near Rehoboth Beach will have to go back to the drawing board and submit a revised preliminary site plan to Sussex County Planning and Zoning Commission. At its June 11 meeting, with a 3-2 vote, the commission denied the proposed site plan, which included 11 parking spaces in the front-yard setback along Route 1. Making the motion for denial, Commissioner Kim Hoey Stevenson said no parking should be allowed in that area. Commission Chairman Bob Wheatley told planning and zoning staff to make the sure the applicant understood why the plan was denied. The 15-unit, 3-story apartment building along Parsonage Road would also have a 924-square-foot storage locker building.

Milton hands out citizen awards

Milton Town Council presented its annual citizen awards June 15 for Lifetime Volunteer of the Year and Citizen of the Year. The Lifetime Volunteer of the Year Award was given to the Milton Lions Club for its service to the community. The Citizen of the Year Award was split three ways, among Lee Revis-Plank, Steve Crawford and Larry Lieberman, all of whom are active in community organizations such as Milton Historical Society and Milton Community Foundation, among others.

Saw cutting on Route 1 from canal to Dewey

Saw cutting work will be ongoing from 10 p.m. to 10 a.m., Thursday to Sunday, through June 26, to finish the traffic signal project along southbound and northbound Route 1 from the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal to Tower Road near Dewey Beach. During saw cutting, residents may experience temporary noise from the machinery. Each evening, the work will be moved down the roadway to the next intersection. Motorists can anticipate lane and shoulder closures with possible delays.

Part of Robinsonville Road closed until July 8

Robinsonville Road between Plantation Road and Cedar Grove Road, Kindleton subdivision, Lewes, will be closed until 8 a.m., Wednesday, July 8, for storm drain installation. Detour signs are posted.

Dewey commissioners appoint officials

Dewey Beach commissioners voted unanimously June 12 to renew the terms of board of adjustment members Beverly Corelle and Kathy Cherico, to appoint Dave Lyons to the planning committee, and to reappoint Marty Tarr to the board of election.

Rehoboth BOA meeting for June 22 canceled

The Rehoboth Beach Board of Adjustment meeting set for Monday, June 22, has been canceled due to the lack of a quorum. The next scheduled board of adjustment meeting is set for Monday, July 27.

Rehoboth Historical Society gets grant

At its June 9 meeting, Sussex County Council awarded a $1,500 councilmanic grant to Rehoboth Beach Historical Society for a museum exhibit highlighting the role religion has played in the history of Rehoboth and Sussex County.