Black Oak amenity plan approved

Cluster subdivision Black Oak is slated to be built on New Road near Lewes with 127 single-family home lots on 77 acres. Amenities include a community recreation area with two pickleball courts, a pool, tot lot, clubhouse, outdoor fireplace and parking area. An existing kayak launch will be used for kayaks and paddleboards. All amenities must be completed on or before the issuance of the 65th building permit. The amenities plan was recently approved by the Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission.

The project’s name was originally Glenwood.

The property is bordered on the north and northeast by Black Oak Gut and Prettyman Branch. Large buffers and tree preservation measures are planned for the area, which comprises nearly 19 acres of wetlands, including 11 tidal acres and 7.92 nontidal acres.

Developer Glenwood Lewes LLC has modified the original site plan to keep more mature trees in the buffer area in the northern section of the parcel. That resulted in the removal of four building lots.

A tree survey was also conducted to identity every mature tree 5 feet in diameter at chest height on the site.

The average buffer along nontidal waters and wetlands will be 130 feet, and the average buffer along tidal areas will be 261 feet. In addition, a conservation easement will be in place to protect the buffers, with penalties included for violations of the easement. A tree preservation covenant prohibiting removal of trees will also be in place.

The final site plan includes 42 acres of open space, including buffers, with a 30-foot vegetated or forested buffer around the perimeter of the property. Building-lot setbacks of at least 190 feet from all tidal wetlands and at least 55 feet from all nontidal wetlands are required.

Water service will be provided by Tidewater Utilities and sewer service by Sussex County.

Sidewalks will be on both sides of the community's streets, with connection to a multimodal path along New Road.

The developer will be required to improve New Road along the property frontage and make a financial contribution as determined by Delaware Department of Transportation officials to the Minos Conaway-Route 1 interchange project and improvements at the Old Orchard Road-New Road intersection.

The developer has proposed to build a shared-use path along the Black Oak frontage.