Milton planners approve Scarlet Oaks master plan

Milton Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously gave final approval for the master plan for Scarlet Oaks, a planned 163-unit residential development at Harbeson Road and Shingle Point Road.

With the master plan approved at the commission’s Aug. 20 meeting, Ribera Development can move forward with submitting plans for preliminary site-plan review.

The master plan serves as a broad view of what the development will look like in terms of its design. Specific features will be clarified later, once the project returns for site-plan review.

The development would include 64 single-family detached units and 99 single-family attached units, along with a clubhouse and a proposed shared-use path. The 50-acre parcel is zoned R-1 residential with a large-parcel development overlay. Plans call for the development to have 20-foot-wide streets throughout, 5-foot-wide sidewalks on both sides of the streets and street trees. Each dwelling will have two parking spaces, per code, and open spaces will include recreation areas, stormwater management ponds, and landscaping along Harbeson Road and Shingle Point Road. Access to the development will come from Shingle Point Road.

Engineer Mark Davidson of Pennoni said the master plan was updated in response to feedback from both planning and zoning, and Milton Town Council, which signed off on the plan at its Aug. 5 meeting. Town code mandates that the application would then go back to the commission for a final approval. 

Ever since the Scarlet Oaks parcel was annexed into town after a February referendum, one of the town officials’ concerns has been connectivity of the parcel to the rest of Milton. Plans for Scarlet Oaks include a shared-use path that would connect the development to Mariner Middle School across the road.

Chairman Richard Trask brought up that connection and the status of approval from Delaware Department of Transportation for the crosswalk. 

Davidson said Pennoni is working with DelDOT on the crosswalk. The agency is in the process of designating the area around Scarlet Oaks as a transportation improvement district, a place where land use and transportation are planned in detail in advance, so development consistent with that planning can pay a readily determined fee and forgo a traffic-impact study. Davidson said Ribera is waiting to hear from DelDOT what the developer’s share of the TID would be. 

When asked about parking at the development, Davidson said Scarlet Oaks will have nearly double the amount of spaces required by law.