Governors board opposes proposed Village Center changes

Editor’s note: An amendment request for the Village Center Cottages was submitted in August. The request is expected to go before the Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission and Sussex County Council this fall. 

When the Sussex County Council adopted Ordinance 2964 in December 2023, the residents and homeowners association of the Governors’ community applauded council’s prioritization of safety by requiring installation of a gate, approved by the state fire marshal, to prevent drivers from using Stockley Boulevard in Governors as a shortcut from Kings Highway to Gills Neck Road. Now, in light of the amendment proposed by the developer of the Village Center Cottages that would eliminate this requirement, we write again to council members and the planning & zoning commission requesting denial of this amendment.

Ensuring the safety of Governors residents remains our paramount concern. Since Stockley Boulevard leads directly to our clubhouse and pool complex, it is a road on which children and adults in our community frequently walk, run, bicycle, skate and ride scooters. In the name of interconnectivity, the developer’s original plan would divert traffic from the heavily used Kings Highway to Stockley Boulevard, dramatically increasing the risk that someone in our neighborhood could be injured or even killed. The required gate would prevent this, while allowing emergency vehicles as well as pedestrians and bicyclists to pass freely between the Village Center and Governors. Vehicular card access would also be provided to Governors’ residents.

The developer, Jack Lingo Asset Management, cites two reasons for requesting elimination of the gate requirement. We address each of these below, noting that their proposed amendment makes no mention of the safety issues.

They argue that providing card access to Governors residents would place a burden on the Village Center Cottages property owners’ association and property manager. Any such burden could be easily mitigated either by modifying the shared services agreement between the two communities that is already in place for pond and open space management, or by enabling the Governors property management company to manage the gate and residents’ system for control.

Secondly, the applicant claims that installation of the gate goes against the spirit of interconnectivity as originally intended by the Kings Highway and Gills Neck Road Master Plan. We maintain, however, that interconnectivity must never take priority over safety. Moreover, no street connection was required for the Hawkseye community, also along Gills Neck Road, clearly demonstrating that in the developer’s view of the master plan, vehicular interconnectivity is an option, but not a requirement. Indeed, the master plan sets forth design principles and strategies, and advocates designs that are sensitive to their context. It does not, however, mandate interconnectivity.

In the coming years, excessive traffic along Kings Highway and Gills Neck Road will continue to worsen with the influx of hundreds of new homes and associated vehicles. Shifting traffic to residential neighborhoods fails to provide the kind of comprehensive solution needed that prioritizes the safety of residents and promotes alternative forms of transportation including walking and cycling.

Less than a year ago, the Sussex County Council voted 4-1 in favor of a gate. The gate does not violate any rules, laws or statutes, nor does it place a significant burden on the developer. Rather, it is intended to protect the children, grandchildren and adult residents in our neighborhoods.