Editor’s note: The following was sent to Sussex County Council members and to Brandy Nauman, the county director of community development.
Affordable housing, population growth, traffic problems, dysfunctional intersections and evacuation routes. There’s something to think about! Let us not put the cart in front of the horse.
Oops, too late!
Before allowing builders to build multilevel apartment complexes, including affordable units, let’s take those abovementioned concerns into consideration.
Secondly, Gov. John Carney just announced that he will approve $9.9 million for Sussex County affordable-housing units, in the form of rentals and homeownership, and Sussex County Council will also be offering a builder “special program” to expedite application for the development of such units.
The floodgates have opened! Now, the developers can double dip with all those special incentives being offered! As noted in the workforce housing application, Preston Schell has already shown an interest.
Winning for the developers once again. Losing for the folks trying to get to work or to a doctor’s appointment.
Let’s talk about the population of Sussex County, Delaware (Ssource: Wikipedia):
1990 113,229 15.5%
2000 156,638 38.3%
2010 197,145 25.9%
2020 237,378 20.4%
We are double the population of what we were 30 years ago, yet still have dysfunctional intersections, such as Cave Neck Road and Del. 1; Cave Neck and Hudson roads; Hudson and Round Pole Bridge roads; Robinsonville and Conleys Chapel roads; Kendale and Beaver Dam roads; Rehoboth Avenue Extended and the turn lane onto Rehoboth Avenue Extended from Del. 1 northbound; Dorman Road and Del. 24; Mulberry Knoll Road and Del. 24; Zoar Road at Avalon Road and Hollyville Road; and Lawson Road at Zoar Road, just to name a few.
I emailed a representative from the Delaware Department of Transportation, and to sum up his paragraph regarding an evacuation plan, he simply said, “We hope that not everyone leaves at the same time,” regarding a forecasted natural disaster or national threat.
Everyone needs housing, I agree. I believe it is a human right, as is affordable health care for every citizen of the United States.
However, that being said, I believe the council has an obligation to people already living here that each resident can commute to and from work or a doctor’s appointment and not have to take 30 minutes to go 6 miles, as is what happens to me on frequent occasions.
So council, look at the big picture and be forward thinkers. Keep in mind: We will need nursing homes in 20 years for all the retired folks moving here. Also overlooked is the fact that we need a few homeless shelters.
Janet Le Digabel
Milton
