MILFORD, Del. — 18 acres of vacant land on the edge of Milford Ponds could soon be home to a 264-unit apartment complex after the city’s Board of Adjustment approved a key request Thursday.
The project, known as the Reserve at Herring Branch, calls for 11 buildings with 24 apartments each. While the development is not part of Milford Ponds, it sits directly beside the neighborhood—close enough that residents say they’re bracing for major changes.
Nilda Magan, who already sees construction from her window of the expanding Milford Ponds neighborhood, said she worries about what the additional development will bring.
“My concern mainly is the traffic and maybe noise … and the height restriction kind of bothered me,” Magan said.
Building height was at the center of Thursday’s meeting. Developers sought permission to construct the buildings at 39.5 feet, exceeding the city’s 35-foot limit. The board granted the variance.
Next-door resident Tecola Gibbs-Hernandez said she fears the project could affect home values and safety.
“It may take down the value of our homes, also bring in more crime,” Gibbs-Hernandez said.
The developer said the apartments would help ease the area’s housing shortage and promised a “luxury experience” for future tenants.
With multiple approvals already secured, including final site-plan approval in August, the project now has a clear path forward.