LEWES, Del. - Controversy over two paths that didn't turn out quite like how some locals expected.
"I wish to God I would have packed up my shingle five years ago and gotten the heck out of this town." said Developer Randy Burton at the end of today's meeting.
A debate over how wide these pathways are put everyone on edge at today's meeting. The developer was criticized by some of those who live in the community for not making the pathway off of Seaglass Drive ten feet wide.
as mentioned prior to final approval in 2016. However an oversight making them just five feet wide.
Lewes city manager, Ann Marie Townshend, says the developers did exactly what they were supposed to based on the plans provided, "I'm not sure why that final condition wasn't reflected in the final signed plans. We had, you know in addition to a changing council, we had a change in multiple staff. We've hired a planner since this point in time where I think this type of conflict or confusion would have been caught before we had final plans."
One point made at this morning's meeting was that with how narrow the pathways are and the amount of curves it has, it wouldn't be safe for pedestrians and bicyclists to share it. However, some locals say it's exactly that, that causes bicyclists to slow down and makes it safe.
Allowances and details that some of those living in the area say is especially important now.
"The reason the issue was very sensitive is because everybody in the community is now very attentive to anything that is being done by the developers because there's been so much land which has been converted from cornfields into houses in the past three years." said Thierry Poirey.
The latest path is expected to be completed by the end of the month and measuring at nine and a half feet.
