GEORGETOWN, DE - A public hearing regarding a planned Sussex County development project, Cool Spring Crossing, has been delayed as the County reviews objections from the state.
Originally slated for March 6th, the hearing was contingent on the introduction of proposal ordinances related to the Cool Spring project at Tuesday’s Sussex County Council meeting.
During that meeting on February 20th, however, County Attorney J. Everett Moore told the Council he had received a letter of objection from the Office of the State Planning Coordination regarding the four ordinances. Moore recommended not introducing the ordinances until he had time to review the state’s letter.
In their letter, sent to WBOC Wednesday, Delaware’s Office of State Planning Coordination Director outlined his concerns, saying Sussex County had not conducted a “robust community planning effort” that would holistically consider the benefits and impacts of a plan amendment submitted by Sussex County in 2021.
“It is for these reasons that I am writing today to formally object to the Sussex County comprehensive plan amendment that was reviewed as PLUS 2021-12-12 as per the provisions of Title 29, Section 9103 (d) of the Delaware Code,” Planning Coordination Director David Edgell wrote.
Edgell informed the County that the objection would begin a 45-day period of negotiations between the State and the County to resolve the concerns.
With a delay in introduction of the ordinances, the Cool Spring project hearing will now be moved, according to County officials. Sussex County spokesperson Chip Guy tells WBOC that a new date for the hearing has not yet been decided.
In light of the delay at the County level, Carl M. Freeman Companies, developers of the Cool Spring Crossing project, postponed an informational meeting slated for today, February 21st, and a Virtual Presentation scheduled for Thursday. Carl M. Freeman Companies said new presentation dates would align with the new date of the Sussex County public hearing.
The Cool Spring Crossing development would be situated along the Route 9, Lewes/Georgetown corridor and would span over 600 acres in Sussex County. The plan includes 1,222 homes, 183,475 square feet of commercial space, and a YMCA, according to the official Cool Spring website.
