LEWES, Del. - The Sussex County Council has denied a zoning change to allow for a large commercial development by the intersection of Rt. 24 and Mulberry Knoll Road near Lewes and Rehoboth Beach.
The Atlantic Fields’ site plans included a Costco, Whole Foods, and Target within the proposed 695,000-square-foot development. 23 buildings were planned in total.
The project’s future hinged on rezoning the properties lying on the northwest side of Rt. 24 at the northwest corner of the intersection with Mulberry Knoll Road from AR-1 Agricultural Residential to C-4 Planned Commercial District. The Sussex County Planning and Zoning Commission recommended the change back in October in a 4-1 vote, sending the final rezoning decision to the County Council.
Sussex County’s Land Use Application Docket on the Atlantic Fields proposal received over 600 comments from neighbors either in opposition to the or support of the project. Many critics cited road safety and traffic concerns, arguing the area is already congested. Others who support the development pointed to improved access to food and shopping, as well as economic growth and job opportunities.
On Tuesday, Jan. 13, the Council voted unanimously to deny the rezoning, preventing the Atlantic Fields project from moving forward.
Ahead of the vote, County Council member Jane Greenbaum outlined her opposition to the project, especially citing substantial road improvements needed for the development and inadequate infrastructure in the area, a situation she described as “a calamity.”