LEWES, Del. - The Sussex County Council on Tuesday approved the controversial rezoning of the Belle Mead Farm to allow for the construction of a new commercial development near Lewes.
Currently a horse farm, the roughly 40-acre Belle Mead property sits along Route 24 near the Beacon Middle School and Love Creek Elementary School. A zoning application by Belmead Farm, LLC, originally proposed to convert the property into a 125,000 sq. ft. commercial and retail space with up to 480 multi-family homes.
The proposal drew strong criticism from neighbors who cited traffic safety and congestion issues already in the area.
On Tuesday, Dec. 16, Sussex County Council approved the rezoning with several caveats. 15% of the residential aspect of the project must be reserved for affordable housing, and 50% of the forest on the land must be preserved and maintained by an arborist.
The developers must also work with DelDOT to improve nearby roads, signals, and signage to mitigate any traffic impacts.
Council members voting in favor of the project cited a need for affordable housing in the area. They also said work planned for Route 24 and nearby roads will be sufficient to mitigate any traffic congestion issues.
"This application serves to provide housing for current residents of Sussex County, and allows for more opportunities for them to live where they work," said Councilman Steve McCarron, who represents the 2nd District. "The east side of the county should not be shut out to working class residents."
The rezoning ordinance passed narrowly in a 3-2 vote during Tuesday’s meeting. Sussex County Councilwoman Gruenebaum cited environmental concerns in her “no” vote, while Councilman Rieley opposed the ordinance due to expected traffic impacts.
Multiple people opposing the project, many of whom live in the area, showed up to Tuesday's council meeting to oppose the project. Many of them wore stickers urging councilmembers to vote against the project.
Judy Rose Seibert, who lives on Route 24, was at the meeting. Seibert said there is a need for affordable housing, however, she said the surrounding infrastructure cannot handle the influx of traffic the project could bring.
"This is a completely innapropriate place to put a C4 development," Seibert said. "The traffic conditions will be awful."
Alison Antisz was also at the meeting, and said she lives across the street from the project spot. Antisz said the county council's decision will likely make her move.
"You're putting everybody at risk because the infrastructure doesn't exist. You're taking away from the valuable environment that can't be recreated by planting a couple shrubs," Antisz said. "I don't see a future here. I moved here because of the environment. I wake up every day and see the horses and animals, and if that's going away, I will too. I'll invest in a community that values and wants to save those items."
