LEWES, Del. - A Lewes landowner has been awarded more than $4.2 million in a Delaware Superior Court condemnation case tied to a major road project.
According to court records, the case involved the Delaware Department of Transportation and Leslie Gay Knapp Marini, along with related trusts and property owners. DelDOT filed the case in July 2024 as part of State Project connected to the SR 1 and Minos Conaway Grade Separated Intersection Project.
DelDOT was granted immediate entry and possession of the properties in August 2024. Court records show DelDOT deposited money with the court for the acquired property interests. In November 2025, a judge ordered the release of $2,297,200, plus interest, to the defendants while preserving their right to prove a higher amount at trial.
The docket shows a trial was scheduled to begin June 1, 2026. A June 3 docket entry says commissioners awarded Marini $4,238,400. The case was heard in Delaware Superior Court in Sussex County before Judge Craig Karsnitz.
According to a June 12 docket entry, a civil motion scheduled for June 26 was removed from the calendar. The docket says the court will reschedule the hearing for a later date once the state files its response.
