Domenick: Councilman Schaeffer is all talk, no action

Many Sussex County Council District 3 households recently received a campaign flyer from Preserve Sussex, a developer-funded political action committee, and/or an email copy of that flyer directly from Councilman Mark Schaeffer’s campaign. In both, Schaeffer claims to have “led numerous fights to stop urban sprawl” and that “preventing the Angola Royal Farms plan from development is his latest win.” Both claims are demonstrably false, and the second is an egregious insult to the hundreds of concerned residents who banded together and worked tirelessly for years to stop the Angola parcel from developing.

Regarding the Angola parcel, the original 7-Eleven development proposal happened in 2018 and was met with vociferous community opposition. Due to their hard work, it was ultimately denied by County Council. Schaeffer was not a member of council at the time so did not vote on the project and did nothing to support the residents. Just ask them.

The Royal Farms proposal was submitted in 2022 and was met with the same determined resistance from the residents of the area. They formed the Rt24Alliance, and their work, research and tenacious effort resulted in the proposal being withdrawn without a council vote. Schaeffer’s statement that he prevented the development is untrue. It was the activism of the residents that prevailed.

Regarding sprawl, let’s look at the facts. Under Delaware law, county government, of which Schaeffer is a governing body member, is solely responsible for determining land use. It is exclusively county policies and regulations that determine what development goes where and when it happens. So, in just the second year of Schaeffer’s “stop urban sprawl” term, here is what has happened:

• 65% of all residential permits statewide in 2022 were in Sussex — 4,772.
• Sussex residential development applications in 2022 increased 101% — 7,676, the highest in over five years.
• Twenty-four percent of Sussex County’s residential building activity was in Level 4 (where conservation and preservation are the goals), the highest in the state. Kent was next with 14%, then New Castle with 5%.
• In 2022, Sussex accounted for a staggering 78% of residential development statewide.

           Source: 2023 Annual Report on State Planning Issues, prepared by the Cabinet Committee on State Planning Issues

So much for stopping sprawl. Clearly, Schaeffer says what people want to hear, but action doesn’t follow. During his term, growth, traffic congestion and sprawl have risen to levels never seen before.

Join the voters in districts 1 and 2 in saying enough is enough; it is time for change! Vote Jane Gruenebaum for Sussex County Council’s District 3 representative Nov. 5. She is clear-eyed and realistic about what it will take to keep development in balance with the elements required to protect our quality of life, now and for the future.

Angie Domenick

Milton

Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.