By Brian Gilliland

GEORGETOWN — While an approval for the Northstar subdivision isn’t yet in the cards, conversation about the proposed development is far from over.

The Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission is investigating transportation issues, and there are several more hearings to be scheduled.

But Wednesday’s meeting of the commission was dedicated to the proposal, which comes in four parts: rezoning a 12.7-acre portion from agricultural residential to heavy commercial; rezoning about 8 acres from agricultural residential to medium density residential; granting a conditional use to allow 94 multifamily units on that 8 acres; and subdividing 379 acres of a more-than-400-acre lot into 758 single-family lots.

Those lots are near Lewes and 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.

After several hours of presentations and comments, both for and against, it became clear that the commission wouldn’t be deciding anything during Wednesday’s meeting.

Formally, members decided to defer action on all four parts, meaning that three sections will have public hearings during a Sussex County Council meeting, while the ball remains in Planning & Zoning’s court on the subdivision ruling.

Commissioners did decide, however, to close the public record on the topics, which, according to Vince Robertson, acting as counsel to the board, puts the issue on a timeline.

“We’ve got a 45-day window, since the record wasn’t held open on this. That means, we have to have made recommendations and a decision by no later than the Aug. 21 meeting,” he said.

With that deadline in mind, the board decided to discuss the topic further at its next meeting, scheduled Wednesday at 2 The Circle in Georgetown. According to the agenda for that meeting, all four proposals — not only the subdivision piece — are to be addressed under the “old business” heading.

Meanwhile, during this week’s testimony, it emerged that the proposed neighborhood lies in a transportation improvement district agreed to between the Delaware Department of Transportation and the county, so the board is requiring additional information about that before moving toward a vote.

“Remember, this is in the transportation improvement district, and it’s a little bit different. We don’t get a traffic impact study and a traffic impact study review letter,” Mr. Robertson said.

He added that this situation has similarities with what happened at Scenic Manor, another Lewes community, where signalization of an intersection was approved as a condition of the use, but it was later determined that the transportation improvement district regulations overrode the condition.

The commissioners and Mr. Robertson also discussed methods to force the completion of road improvements to the area before major development could begin, but the attorney contended he needs to review the agreement before he could give an opinion on that.

“If the development gets approved, I think everyone wants to see that road built as soon as possible,” board chair Robert Wheatley said.

Since the next meeting of County Council comes after Wednesday’s Planning & Zoning gathering, the earliest the remaining three Northstar items could have hearings is July 30.