By Brian Gilliland

GEORGETOWN — Though its discussion of a proposed subdivision was far-ranging Wednesday, the Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission decided to reopen the record on the Northstar development to get input from the Cape Henlopen School District.

During its meeting July 17, commissioner Holly Wingate referred to a letter she had received from the district, and commissioner Robert Wheatley said he had seen some proposed numbers from the schools. Stephanie DeMalto, the district’s communications director, said Wednesday she is unaware of a letter sent to the commission.

The centerpiece of the Northstar proposal is subdividing a more-than-400-acre lot near Lewes into 758 single-family parcels. The neighborhood would be bordered to the north by U.S. 9, stretching to near the intersection of Dairy Farm and Beaver Dam roads, while straddling both sides of Beaver Dam Road to the south. To the east, the parcels abut different neighborhoods.

Mr. Wheatley, referring to the letter, said the Cape district took the 758 proposed housing units and multiplied it by 2.3 students, though county demographics don’t necessarily bear that figure out. He also said living situations differ, but Sussex County’s draw isn’t primarily young families.

However, the discussion about the schools wasn’t the main reason for Wednesday’s follow-up Planning & Zoning session on Northstar but rather transportation concerns.

In testimony July 17, it emerged that the proposed neighborhood lies within a transportation improvement district agreed to between the Delaware Department of Transportation and Sussex County, and the board asked for additional information about its requirements.

“There was the question about the TID and phasing, and how that would potentially impact the timing of Mulberry Knoll Road,” said Vince Robertson, acting as counsel to the commission, whose members have said they would like to see the nearby road completed before development begins and are considering making the road improvements part of a condition of use.

Because the TID may not allow timelines or restrictions of that nature, the board said the question becomes one of county conditions or Transportation Department contract supremacy.

Mr. Robertson added that this has come up before, at the other end of Mulberry Knoll Road, where the commission required a traffic light that conflicted with improvement district requirements.

Any agreements would have to be between the county, the developer and DelDOT, he said Wednesday.

Ultimately, he continued, careful documentation is all that is required moving forward, but it is possible to make the commission’s intention to have Mulberry Knoll Road finished first a priority.

In addition, the commission also discussed completing the affordable housing portion of the proposal first, how the open space requirements are met and access to amenities.

If the affordable units, estimated to be about 100, are completed first and their amenities installed, Ms. Wingate wondered about access to other amenities installed later.

“I wouldn’t want to see their monthly rental fees go up” to pay for access to resources provided to other residents who potentially spent more on their homes, she said.

With homeowners associations, not government, supplying those expanded services, the board considered the question of who has access to what.

“If you’re in the affordable housing, then you’re younger, with kids, and it’s a hot day — what do the kids want to do? Do you want to be the one to explain to the 7-year-old why he can’t go in that pool over there?” Mr. Wheatley asked. “That’s the issue I have with it.”

After discussing this and other concerns, the commission turned to timing, since there had been a 45-day timeline for a decision imposed after the record was closed July 17. But Mr. Wheatley explained that the timeline was reset by reopening the record for the school district’s input.

“The clock will not start running until Sept 4. So, this gives the commission ample time to consider the other things we’ve talked about, and we have 45 days after that date to make a decision. So, let’s take our time and get it right,” he said.