LEWES, Del. — A proposed rezoning to allow for commercial development at the site of a 39-acre horse farm, called Belmead Farm, is raising new worries about traffic and public safety.
The applicant, Belmead Farm, LLC, is seeking to rezone two parcels from AR-1 Agricultural Residential to C-4 Planned Commercial to allow for future commercial development. The Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission has recommended approval of the application.
The rezoning would also allow apartments to be built on the land.
Sussex County Council deferred a decision about the rezoning on Sept. 16, so they could follow up with DelDOT and DNREC.
DelDOT recently released responses to council's questions about potential traffic impacts if businesses are built on the Belmead site along Route 24. DelDOT confirmed the analysis did not account for Atlantic Fields, another planned commercial development across the street on a soybean farm.
That omission is troubling to nearby residents like Karen Soto.
“I think they’re doing traffic impact studies in a vacuum,” Soto said. “Fast-tracking development is not always the best idea.”
As part of its findings, DelDOT said the Belmead developer will be required to install a traffic light at the entrance to the site on Route 24. While some see that as a step forward, others worry it doesn’t go far enough.
“I see increased risks for both automobile and pedestrian safety,” said Steven Kittka, another local resident. “At some point in time, tragedy will strike. A kid will get killed, you know, with the close proximity of other schools.”
Sussex County Council members say they are reviewing DelDOT’s feedback and will revisit the Belmead proposal when it returns to the agenda in November.