LEWES, Del. – After a series of amendments, Sussex County Council voted Tuesday for measures to ensure a gate stays between the Governors community in Lewes and the proposed Village Center Cottages development.
The council held multiple votes during the meeting. The first, a unanimous decision, approved amendments to the site plan that adjusted road frontage requirements. Specifically, the plan now replaces Kings Highway with Gills Neck Road. According to testimony at County Council, landscaping will also align with the byway management plan and must be permanently maintained by the developer or Homeowners Association.
The second vote, passed 4-1, focused on whether to remove the gate requirement from the site plan. Developers J.G. Townsend Jr. & Co. had requested eliminating the gate, arguing it conflicted with the original goal of interconnectivity between Governors and the future Village Center Cottages.
Councilman Mark Schaeffer led the push to keep the gate, citing residents’ concerns over safety, congestion, and property values.
“It was clear to me that the safety and valuation of the personal property of the Governors subdivision were in question,” Schaeffer said. He added that increased traffic through the privately owned and maintained roads could damage infrastructure and create undue hardship for residents.
Residents had previously voiced their concerns about the gate’s removal. Cathy Beegle, who lives in the Governors community, emphasized the need for a permanent solution. “I do hope that it’s resolved with a gate so that we can ensure the safety of everyone in here,” Beegle said.
Others, however noted that interconnectivity supported the Sussex County Comprehensive Plan.
Council President Mike Vincent opposed the motion, arguing that homebuyers should have been aware of the potential for interconnectivity when they purchased their properties.
“Everything we heard in testimony, if they didn’t know, it is their own fault," he said. "Everybody there should have known when they signed and bought their lots and their houses that there was access for [a] road to go through there."
Despite Vincent’s dissent, the council approved the measure, with the goal of ensuring the gate, raised crosswalk, and bump-out remain in place.