News Briefs 10/28/22

One Sussex council meeting in November

Sussex County Council will not meet Tuesday, Nov. 1, or Tuesday, Nov. 8. The next regularly scheduled meeting will be at 10 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 15, in the county administration building, 2 The Circle, Georgetown. That is the only scheduled meeting in November.

Rehoboth stormwater task force to meet

The Rehoboth Beach Stormwater Utility Task Force will meet at 1 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 1. The agenda calls for a discussion of expenditures and a review of preliminary rates based on different rate structures.

The meeting will be conducted in the commissioners room of city hall, 229 Rehoboth Ave. A full agenda, meeting materials and a livestream are accessible at cityofrehoboth.civicweb.net. To comment, a person must attend in-person. For more information, contact the city at 302-227-6181 or information@cityofrehoboth.com.

Lewes OKs proposed fees for rentals

Lewes Mayor and City Council approved the fee schedule proposed with the rental ordinance at their workshop Oct. 27.

Effective Jan. 1, 2023, the annual license fee for a short- or long-term rental will be $200. In addition to the license fee, a fine schedule has been established for license and operational violations.

The first violation is a written warning, the second carries a $250 fine, and the third comes with a $500 fine along with a license suspension for one calendar year.

Shingle Point Road section to close Nov. 7

Shingle Point Road between Route 9 and Briarwood Road near Georgetown will close from Monday, Nov. 7 through Tuesday, Nov. 15. Work will be performed by Zack Excavating to remove and replace crossroad pipes.

Detour: Motorists traveling north on Shingle Point Road will be detoured east on Route 9 to to Gravel Hill Road and back to Shingle Point Road. Motorists traveling south on Shingle Point Road will be detoured south onto Gravel Hill Road to Route 9 and westbound back to Shingle Point Road.

DelDOT publishes pedestrian plan

In observance of Pedestrian Safety Awareness Month, the Delaware Department of Transportation published the draft Pedestrian Action Plan Phase 1 for public review and comment.

The draft is available on the project website at tinyurl.com/mr3tcsjp. The plan outlines steps to ensure a safe, accessible, connected and equitable network for pedestrians traveling along state-maintained roadways.

The public is encouraged to read the plan, take the public survey and submit questions or comments to prediction.plan@delaware.gov.

Deadline for public comment is Friday, Nov. 4. Phase II will involve public engagement.

Comments may also be sent in writing to DelDOT Community Relations, 800 S. Bay Road, Dover, DE 19901 or by calling 302-760-2080.

Lewes grants waivers for Roosevelt Landing

The development at the site of the former Lewes Dairy will have a road a little longer and more narrow than most in Lewes following an Oct. 10 vote.

Roosevelt Landing, which has undergone significant mandated design changes, requested a reduction in street width from 32 feet to 24 feet. 

Under the new code, 24 feet is the standard, but this subdivision was approved under the old code. 

Officials also approved a street length of 325 feet; 200 feet is the maximum length of a dead-end street under the old code, while 300 feet is the maximum length under the new code.

Councilman Tim Ritzert abstained after lengthy questioning, while the street width motion carried 4-0.

Mayor Andrew Williams joined Ritzert in opposing the street length waiver, but it passed 3-2.

Shentel Cable coming to Lewes

Lewes Mayor and City Council entered into an agreement Oct. 10 with Shenandoah Cable Television LLC to allow the telecommunications provider to begin building its infrastructure in the city.

Operating under the name Shentel, the company will provide internet, cable and phone services. The company will work with the Board of Public Works to connect to existing poles and develop underground connections where required. The BPW adopted a pole attachment policy that requires providers to pay a fee for space on the utility companies’ poles and abide by conditions set forth.

Parker Selby fundraiser set Nov. 5

Friends for Stell Parker Selby will hold a yard sale fundraiser from 12 to 4 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 5, at 524 Mulberry St., Milton.

Monies raised will support Parker Selby in her campaign for the District 20 seat in the Delaware House of Representatives. The yard sale will include items like backpacks, boots, and clothing for men and women. 

There will also be hot dogs, potato chips, cupcakes and water for sale.

Community members are encouraged to stop by and support Parker Selby, a lifelong Sussex County resident now living in Milton. For more information, contact Jackie Briscoe at 302-344-6500. For candidate details, go to friendsforstellparkerselby.com.

Messina to receive Lewes BPW services

Charles Messina’s request to receive water and sewer services from the Lewes Board of Public Works was approved by mayor and city council Oct. 10.

Messina’s 132 New Road property is unique in that while a portion is within city boundaries, most of the land is located in Sussex County.

Mayor and city council unanimously approved the BPW’s request to connect the property to its system.

Lewes hosting collection day Oct. 29

Lewes Police Department and Lewes Board of Public Works will host an event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 29,  at the old power plant, 227 Schley Ave., encouraging the public to responsibly dispose of various potentially hazardous items.

Lewes PD is encouraging anyone with unused or expired medications to drop them off at the site to prevent misuse. 

Lewes BPW will be available to collect various items that present environmental issues when improperly discarded, such as aerosol cans, paints, solvents, antifreeze, pesticides, auto batteries, mercury thermometers, computer/electronics equipment and more.

All hazardous materials should be in original, leakproof containers.

BPW President Tom Panetta stresses the importance of reducing soil contamination and preserving groundwater quality through responsible disposal.

More information is available at lewesbpw.com and ci.lewes.de.us.

Library seeks nonprofits to use lobby display

The Lewes Public Library is seeking nonprofit organizations and community groups to organize informational displays in its lobby display case, which is seen by the hundreds of people who walk through the library’s doors every day. To schedule a two-week time period, contact Rebecca Lowe, library development director, at Rebecca.Lowe@lib.de.us.