Governors residents will get a gate
Residents of the Governors subdivision near Lewes received an early Christmas present thanks to Sussex County Council and outgoing Councilman Mark Schaeffer.
At its Dec. 17 meeting, council voted 4-1 to amend the conditions of approval to include a security gate on Stockley Boulevard between Governors and the proposed Village Center Cottages. The gate can only be used by residents and emergency vehicles. Through traffic will not be permitted.
Council did not approve a request by developer Jack Lingo Asset Management and J.G. Townsend Jr. & Co. to remove the gate from a site plan adopted by council. The Sussex County Planing & Zoning Commission recommended the gate be removed to allow interconnectivity and through traffic.
The design and location of the gate must be included on a revised site plan to be reviewed by planning & zoning commissioners.
“We have not received any details as to any proposals for keycard access and/or day-to-day management of the gate,” said Planning & Zoning Director Jamie Whitehouse.
Schaeffer makes motion
Schaeffer made a motion to amend the gate condition, which required interconnectivity open to all traffic without obstruction.
Schaeffer sided with residents for a gate with bump outs and raised crosswalks as additional safety measures on the street.
“This is based on undue hardship and safety concerns on Governors,” Schaeffer said.
He said through traffic would damage streets in the community, for which the homeowners association would be responsible to fund repairs.
“There was no persuasive evidence to change this,” he added.
Councilman John Rieley, who voted for the amendments, said his vote was for this specific application and may not affect other requests.
“This is not a public road. I’ve never received an answer on who pays,” he said.
Voting against the amendment for a gate, outgoing President Mike Vincent said homeowners should have known the original plans included interconnectivity with a street from Kings Highway through to the Senators subdivision.
Residents oppose gate
Governors residents had mounted an aggressive campaign, with public hearing testimony, letters to the editor and petitions in opposition, to make the street open to all traffic. The two public hearings before the commission and council were among the longest in recent memory.
The developers did not support the gate proposal, stating the master plan for the entire parcel included interconnectivity.
Governors includes a total of 423 housing units – 287 single-family homes and 136 townhomes.
Landscape plan amended
In addition, council amended the conditions to not require a landscape plan for frontage along Kings Highway but instead require a plan for landscaping along Gills Neck Road, which is the only current access to Governors.
Landscaping along Kings Highway will be determined when final plans for the widening of the road and intersection improvements are finished by state transportation officials.
That proposal was supported by the developers and the Historic Lewes Byway Committee. Gills Neck Road is one of the roads included in the byway.
