Developer files revised plan for School Lane

An amended site plan for the proposed School Lane subdivision along Route 24 has been filed with the Sussex County Planning & Zoning Office.

A request was made by Sussex County Councilman Mark Schaeffer and several members of the public to change the site plan to preserve as much of the 9.26 acres of woodlands on the 22-acre parcel as possible.

The new plan, which has not been acted on by county officials, includes four fewer units, down from 84 to 80 multifamily units, and preserves 5.26 acres of the woodlands. The original plan had preserved 4.91 acres.

The revised plan includes a minimum 72-foot forested buffer along the western border of the property between the proposed community and the existing Saddle Ridge subdivision. Forested buffers of 20 feet remain along the northern and eastern boundary lines.

Applicant and landowner J.G. Townsend Jr. and Company has filed to rezone the parcel from AR-1, agricultural-residential, to MR, medium-density residential, and filed a conditional-use application for 84 units of multifamily housing. In addition, the applicant is seeking an amendment to the county’s future land-use plan to change a small section of the parcel from a commercial to a coastal-area designation to match the rest of the property.

At its Aug. 23 meeting, council voted to close the record on the three applications.

The parcel is located along Route 24 between Love Creek Elementary School and the Saddle Ridge and Four Seasons at Belle Terre communities, Delaware State Police Troop 7 and across from Beacon Middle School.

Access to the property would be a connection to the Love Creek school entrance intersection, which includes a traffic signal along Route 24.

The parcel also contains nearly 11 acres of farmland and two acres of wetlands. The wetlands area, along the border with the Saddle Ridge community, would remain undisturbed.

At its July 14 meeting, Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval of the three applications.