Patti Drago is a resident of Lewes.
Sussex County stands at a crossroad. Development along U.S. 9 is accelerating, but outdated land use codes mean we’re reacting to market pressure instead of guiding it. County Council must lead, not surrender to developer convenience.
Cool Spring Crossing’s impact on the U.S. 9 corridor and our community is far-reaching. Council must act to delay (or deny, if necessary) this application. The scale and nature of future development along U.S. 9 must be determined through public engagement — not a map amendment tailored to a single application. This approach lets council set essential conditions for responsible growth and ensures that community interests are protected. Council must use its full authority to guide development, rather than simply reacting to individual applications. The precedent set here will shape how Sussex County manages growth for years to come.
The developer’s dual-track proposal sets a dangerous precedent: a complex, mixed-use plan or a by-right residential fallback. This manufactured dilemma pressures council to accept a false choice. Unchecked residential sprawl — without retail, transit or services — burdens the county with growth but offers none of the benefits of integrated planning.
Some cite the recent Smokey Hollow decision as proof that Sussex County can’t impose conditions. But that project followed existing zoning; Cool Spring is different. The developer seeks a major zoning change, which is discretionary. Council has full authority to require conditions that protect infrastructure, services and community character. Ignoring this surrenders the county’s strongest planning tool.
Smokey Hollow also exposes a deeper failure: Sussex remains the only jurisdiction in the region without an adequate public facilities ordinance. Without it, council is legally exposed and strategically constrained. Council must stop deferring and start codifying. The time to adopt an APFO isn’t someday — it’s now.
But this isn’t just about conditions. It’s about timing, process and leadership.
Saying no now doesn’t mean never. It means choosing deliberation over capitulation. It puts the ball back in the developer’s court: Proceed with the single-family fallback it doesn’t want or wait for a process that could support something better.
The Sussex Preservation Coalition has rightly called for this kind of conditional, phased approach. I agree. It has also called for delaying a decision on Cool Spring, so we can engage the community in a broad discussion of what growth on the U.S. 9 corridor should look like. That’s planning.
We deserve better. Let’s demand responsible planning — before “approve us or else” becomes Sussex County’s new normal.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
