Highland Acres annexation goes to vote

Voters will head to the polls Jan. 31 to determine whether the Highland Acres community will be annexed into Lewes.

A special election will be held from noon to 7 p.m., Saturday, at Lewes City Hall for residents of Lewes and Highland Acres to cast votes for or against annexation of the 53-home community.

Highland Acres is surrounded by the city limits of Lewes on three sides. Sitting on Sussex Drive behind Shields Elementary and the Lewes School, the small subdivision has existed for many decades and was at one time within city limits before seceding sometime in the 1950s, Mayor Ted Becker said.

Because it is not within the city, the community does not have access to the city's water and sewer systems, meaning residents rely on wells for their water and septic systems for their wastewater.

A group of 19 residents submitted an annexation petition in June because some aging septic systems have failed or are nearing the end of their lifespan.

The goal of residents who support annexation is to tap into Lewes' infrastructure. Those against say the cost to annex, about $40,000 per household, is too expensive. Residents have been split since the annexation petition was submitted, evenly supporting or opposing annexation at public meetings.

Naysayers point out residents will have the added expense of city taxes on top of a $40,000 bill to join the city. Some residents say that cost is too much to bear.

"I'm 76 years old, so is my wife, and it just scares me to death to think I'm going to have to go in debt for $40,000,” said Highland Acres resident John Warrington at a December public hearing.

If annexation moves forward, Highland Acres will undergo a massive infrastructure upgrade. Streets will be torn up by the Board of Public Works to add new water and sewer lines. BPW General Manager Darrin Gordon said the estimated cost not only includes the infrastructure work, but also accounts for discontinuing residents' wells and septic systems as well as connecting each home to the water and sewer.

“We're taking care of plumbing all the way to the house,” Gordon said. “It's all the way to the tap, and all the way to the toilet,”

When complete, roads will be upgraded to city standards. Highland Acres residents would also receive city services including trash and recycling pickup, yard waste and leaf collection, and snow removal.

If annexation is approved, Gordon said, the project should be completed within the next eight months.

To defray upfront costs, Gordon said, he has secured a grant to pay for 50 percent of the engineering costs and secured a 30-year loan with 2 percent interest for all residents. Gordon said he is confident when all is said and done the cost will be less than $40,000 per household.

“That is what I call a conservative number,” he said. “I'm very confident we can bring it down from that number.”

With the addition of 53 homes, Gordon said, BPW customers should expect to see some relief on their water and wastewater bills.

When folks go to the polls Jan. 31, Lewes voters and Highland Acres voters will punch their ballots in separate booths. If a majority votes yes in both booths, the annexation process will move forward. If a majority in either booth votes against, the annexation process will likely end.

Every property owner and nonproperty-owning resident in the City of Lewes and in Highland Acres has one vote. In the case where a husband and wife jointly own property, both shall have a vote. If a voter owns property in both the city and Highland Acres, that person may only vote in the booth representing where they currently reside. If an individual holds power of attorney with authorization to vote, a duly authenticated power of attorney shall be filed in the Office of the City Manager in city hall. Polls will be open from noon to 7 p.m., in council chambers of city hall, 114 E. Third St.