(REHOBOTH BEACH, Del.) - Most people who pass the piece of land adjacent to the "Glaze" home development on Holland Glaze Road probably wouldn't give it a second thought.
Though these days it's landing a lot of attention.
It's one of the proposed sites for a land swap between Epworth United Methodist Church and the state.
Epworth wants to use it for a cemetery because its current one is near capacity.
But neighbors like John Still aren't having it.
"We believe the land that was purchased with tax payers' monies were designed to be permanently protected, not to be developed, whether it's a church or any other developer," Still told WRDE.
Still says he and others are concerned about cemetery run-off infiltrating their water system.
"The purpose of this real estate was to protect the water shed area - a buffer from the canal and waterway so it won't get polluted...it's very environmentally sensitive."
The deal would have Epworth would turn over the land, where Rehoboth Little League baseball plays, in exchange for open land space, where the new cemetery would go.
The proposed site for the new cemetery is zoned as protected landed, but a land swap would transfer that designation to the field that Epworth currently leases to Rehoboth Little League.
Epworth says they've looked at other sites but "we've found that they are too close to the city of Rehoboth main wells," said church spokesman Ken Mahan.
They could put the cemetery on the land they lease to Rehoboth Little League but Epworth doesn't want to do that.
"If we decide to use it, they will lose two other fields," said Mahan.
But under the swap, the state would take control of the field, making it protected land and allowing the Rehoboth Little League to stay right where they are.
"If we can transfer that to the authority of the state, the little league can stay there," said Senator Ernesto Lopez. "We can make improvements to that facility and use it for the designation of open space."
The deal is not done. It would need state approval before any final decision. So we'll have to wait and see.
