MILTON, Del. - The future of Reed Farms LLC in Sussex County is once again up for debate as a developer looks to change how the property is identified.
The vacant farmland along Gravel Hill Road is currently Agricultural Residential, according to county documents. The land sits between the Milton Ellendale Highway, also known as Route 16, and Gravel Hill Road, or Route 30.
A public hearing on the property is scheduled for Jan. 6, at 1:30 p.m. during the Sussex County Council meeting. Included in the application documents is a letter from the Sussex Economic Development Action Committee to county council. The committee supports the approval of the ordinance that would change the designation of the three properties to a Developing Area.
"The properties included io this Future Land Use Mao amendment request are the exact type of properties in demand by in this Future Land Use Map amendment request are the exact type of properties in demand by SEDAC's business partners seeking business/commercial/industrial opportunities in Sussex County. The primary feature of these properties making them ideal for these types of uses is their County. The primary feature of these properties making them ideal for these type a proximity to (1) rail access, (2) Route 30/Alt. Route 5 (a primary north/south corridor) and (3) Route 16 (a primary east/west corridor). These types of transportation options do not exist for many properties in Sussex County." said SEDAC.
Anthony Scarpa, who lives in the Pemberton community located across the street from the property and is the president of the HOA, said neighbors have concerns with development here.
"We're all on wells in Pemberton, so we don't know what kind of runoff there will be from the buildings," Scarpa said. "We also have children in the neighborhood, and the school bus drops them off at our entrance. With the way the developer has proposed to build, they want to add a traffic light and an entrance directly across the street from our neighborhood."
While the purpose of this meeting is to consider changes to the Future Land Use Map, these changes could allow for the rezoning of the property, allowing for various types of development.