LEWES, Del.- The Sussex Preservation Coalition hosted a meeting Thursday night to discuss concerns over the Cool Spring Crossing housing development.
The development, which is planned to be built off of Route 9 and Cool Spring Road, is planning to bring thousands of homes, and hundreds of apartments to the area on over 600 acres of land.
The developer, Carl M. Freeman Companies, also plans to have hundreds of affordable housing options in the neighborhood as well.
The coalition brought up numerous concerns, from the influx of traffic, to the strain it would have on the local healthcare and educational systems, to the size. According to the coalition, Cool Spring Crossing would be the fourth largest town in the entire county if it were to be built today.
"We like the concept of mixed use communities or master plan areas," said vice president Jill Hicks. "However, it's the wrong place at the wrong time. Route Nine won't be able to handle the amount of traffic that this is projected to put on top of the 15,000 cars a day that are already there."
In an email from LM Marketing- the marketing firm working with the developer- it said they are aware of the concerns.
"Our vision is to cultivate a space where residents and the wider community can thrive, and nurturing meaningful connections with family, community, and nature," said LM Marking President Laurie Matthews. "Acknowledging community concerns regarding environmental impact, traffic, and housing, our team is committed to environmental stewardship, traffic management, and promoting inclusive housing options."
She continued to say that the developer's current master plan includes approximately 295 acres of open space, comprising 46% of the total project area, and that an extensive traffic study has already been conducted.
But the coalition says that this development is simply too much, especially with another large development called Northstar in the works right down the street.Â
A public hearing was scheduled for March 6 at at the Sussex County Planning and Zoning commission's meeting, but the date was postponed. No date has been set yet.
You can find the website to Cool Spring Crossing here.
