Millsboro to make golf cart decision next month

Plantation Lakes residents debate allowing vehicles on public roads

By Glenn Rolfe
Posted 4/12/21

MILLSBORO — A long-running golf cart debate is teed up on the back nine, heading for the clubhouse.

Millsboro Town Council’s meeting May 3 is set to be decision time for the contentious issue of allowing golf carts on public streets, as has been requested by some homeowners in the Plantation Lakes residential development.

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Millsboro to make golf cart decision next month

Plantation Lakes residents debate allowing vehicles on public roads

Posted

MILLSBORO — A long-running golf cart debate is teed up on the back nine, heading for the clubhouse.

Millsboro Town Council’s meeting May 3 is set to be decision time for the contentious issue of allowing golf carts on public streets, as has been requested by some homeowners in the Plantation Lakes residential development.

Delaware law prohibits golf carts on public roadways. Initially sold by Lennar homebuilders as a private community with private roadways on which golf carts would be permitted, the town, as of early spring, has assumed responsibility for about half the streets in the sprawling Plantation Lakes.

Town police have not initiated law enforcement on those public roads — yet.

“(Golf cart drivers) could be ticketed and towed. The reason why we have not enforced this is because the town wanted to work something out prior to doing that,” said Millsboro Police Chief Brian Calloway at an April 5 council meeting. “By the letter of the law, we could, starting now. But we have not.”

The meeting included presentations by those opposed to the vehicles, as well as a follow-up presentation from those in favor of allowing golf carts with safety modifications on streets — which would trigger a request conveyed through state Rep. Rich Collins, R-Millsboro, to petition the General Assembly for a change to the town’s charter.

Supporters of golf carts, which can have maximum speeds of about 18 mph on 25-mph Plantation Lakes streets, presented their case at council’s March meeting.

“If the issue came in front of the board, as far as I’m concerned, I would support it 100%,” said Mark Turley, a Plantation Lakes Homeowners Association board member. “I believe if council takes a good hard look at the facts and issues, you’ll understand that it’s a good thing for Plantation Lakes to be able to use golf carts within our community.

“If you separate the emotion from the facts, I believe that you’ll come to a conclusion that you should at least let this go to the next level, which is where Collins … would take it to the state legislature, which would then allow you guys to at least take another hard look at it,” Mr. Turley added.

Questioned by Millsboro Town Manager Sheldon Hudson, Mr. Turley stated he does “not represent the (HOA) board on this issue.”

During last week’s meeting, Chief Calloway presented Brent Joyce, chief security officer of Pot-Nets in Long Neck, a private community where carts are allowed on roadways. Pot-Nets is part of the Tunnell Companies, which also includes Baywood Greens.

In Pot-Nets communities, golf carts are issued a hard license plate, so they can be closely monitored; licensed drivers are tested; and while security has no arrest power, tickets are issued for improper operation. In cases of suspected operator intoxication, Delaware State Police are called, Mr. Joyce said.

Additionally, youth ages 14-16 are required to obtain a license from the community and be tested in the presence of a parent, Mr. Joyce said.

“If we get several violations, we would pull their tag for the year. That happens two or three times (over the) course of summer,” said Mr. Joyce, who also noted that the most frequent problem is with kids. “I think some of the parents have a tendency to use that as the babysitter.”

At Pot-Nets, on average, there are about two to three accidents per year, which have included a couple rollovers, a hit-and-run and a serious injury involving a grandmother who was run over by a cart after she got out, leaving a 3-year-old child in the vehicle, Mr. Joyce said.

As a sampling, Chief Calloway said DSP Troop 7, over a three-year period, handled 113 crashes in Pot-Nets and Baywood Greens. Of those, 11 crashes involved golf carts.

“And what I found was most of these accidents were injury-related … some serious injuries involving children. That is the concern that I have,” Chief Calloway said. “Other challenges that I think we see is, I think this whole law is for Plantation Lakes only. What is the difference with somebody that lives on Union Street that wants to go from Union Street and drive their golf cart to Dairy Queen? I’m not sure we can have that.”

In early January, Millsboro officials formally withdrew their 2020 pitch to Delaware’s General Assembly via Rep. Collins — a proposal that sought a change to the town charter to permit golf carts operated by licensed drivers on certain town-maintained roads, most notably within Plantation Lakes.

Plantation Lakes resident Marty Pressley, who spoke at great length supporting golf carts during the March meeting, said last week that the plan would be for golf carts to be modified with safety features similar to low-speed vehicles, which are street-legal in Delaware.

“All we’re asking the council is to allow us to put the differences, which (are) basically the safety features of a low-speed vehicle, on a golf cart — lights, windshield, horn, turn signals, seat belts — that would be bringing up golf carts to the exact same standard that an LSV has, which is already legal in Delaware,” said Mr. Pressley.

Chief Calloway challenged that, saying a low-speed vehicle is one that is equipped directly from its manufacturer with safety equipment.

“The low-speed vehicle, I think we’re getting confused with a golf cart. Google it. Look at what the differences are, from just the types of seats that are in a low-speed vehicle,” said the chief. “A low-speed vehicle has a (vehicle identification) number; a golf cart does not.”

In addition, Chief Calloway previously clarified that golf carts privately owned by Plantation Lakes residents do not make their way onto the 18-hole golf course that encompasses parts of the development.

Terrance Bailey, who supports the request, said golf carts have been traveling the roads of Plantation Lakes “regardless of whether the roads are public or private.”

John Miller, a resident for three-plus years, also agreed, saying his 79-year-old mother lives with him, and it is easier to use the golf cart to take her around the development.

Supporter Chris Conley added, “Everybody, including us in the room, wants to do what is right. We want to be safe. We want to have fun. We want to enjoy the environment that the developers created.”

But opposing views were presented by Sherri Martin and Mark Kapaus.

“I am going to tell you that that premise that (golf carts) don’t cause problems … all you have to do is do your due diligence. Google it, and you’ll see all over the country that golf carts do cause problems on roads,” said Ms. Martin, who added that she believes the root of the problem is that “Lennar should never have allowed the golf carts on the road to begin with. But they did.”

Contacted in March, Lennar spokeswoman Susan Calhoun said she was not with the homebuilder when Plantation Lakes began, and she had no knowledge whether residents have been told golf carts are a pitched “amenity” in the development.

Mr. Kapaus said that if carts are allowed on streets, it’s an accident waiting to happen.

“I’m just trying to do what’s best for the community. What’s best for you. What’s best for your grandkids. It’s a risk on a public road. What’s the sense of all this, if we’re taking a big risk with our well-being?” he said. “I’m looking for the mayor and the board to make the right decision, and this is the right decision: not to have personal golf carts in Plantation Lakes. It will spread like a virus. And the way things currently are and the way people drive in Plantation Lakes, you’re only going to put ourselves at risk.”

Ms. Martin added, “I think that this is not a necessity. Maybe it’s a necessity for that one man who is driving his elderly parent around. Other than that, this is just a fun vehicle to drive on the road and have fun in. It’s a fun thing to have.”

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