Sussex County Council delays decision on Northstar

Sussex County Council delayed decisions March 11 on commercial and affordable housing projects that are part of the massive Northstar development near Lewes to allow time to gather more information from state transportation officials. 

Council held a public hearing on requests to change the zoning of a 12.7-acre parcel along Route 9 from AR-1, agricultural residential, to C-3, heavy commercial, and a nearby 7.9-acre site from AR-1 to MR, medium-density residential, and a conditional use for the smaller lot, which will be used for affordable housing. 

Several residents were disappointed to find they were only allowed to comment on the affordable housing and commercial development portions of the project, which were a small part of the overall Northstar plan. The planning & zoning commission in October approved the bulk of Northstar, which is proposed to have 758 single-family homes on about 380 acres between Route 9 and Beaver Dam Road, west of Five Points.

Ralph Patterson, a trustee and past president of the Cape Henlopen Elks Lodge 2540 on Beaver Dam Road, adjacent to the Northstar site, raised concerns at the meeting about the Northstar requests.

“We are here today because we believe the proposal will potentially cause damage to our property, to our organization and to our ability to continue as a fraternal and charitable organization,” Patterson said. “At 18544 Beaver Dam Road, we are at ground zero for Phase 1.”

Patterson was interrupted by county staff, who noted his remarks were related to the larger project, not the proposals being considered by council.

“I’m talking in terms of the entire Northstar project,” he said. “Traffic is a problem today, and the additional vehicle day trips will exacerbate the situation.”

The commercial site would contain several buildings totaling 96,118 square feet, the use of which has not yet been determined, said David Hutt, the developer’s attorney.  

The affordable housing project would include four buildings with 94 residential units. The project has been awarded tax credits by the Delaware State Housing Authority, and the land will be donated by owners of the Northstar property, Delaware Farm LLC and RCTDE LLC, located in Atlanta, Ga. 

Hutt said proposals being considered by council are consistent with state and county plans for growth. The developer will contribute toward the cost of widening of Route 9 and Beaver Dam Road, and pay nearly $700,000 to the Lewes Fire Department, he said.

Hutt also noted Northstar will speed construction of a part of the Mulberry Knoll extension project within its borders, connecting Route 9 and Beaver Dam Road at Old Vine Boulevard. The state plans to later connect that section to the current Mulberry Knoll Road at Cedar Grove Road.   

Three representatives of the Sussex Preservation Coalition – Richard Borrasso, Jill Hicks and Joe Pika – made presentations on the three pending applications that also touched on the overall Northstar project.

Borrasso urged council to delay its decisions until after a Route 9 corridor study is complete and to phase in development as Route 9 and Beaver Dam Road are improved. He also urged the county to require the affordable housing to be built first.

Council postponed its decisions to request information from the Delaware Department of Transportation about safety issues, and the agency’s plans for studies and road work near the site. Council was given two weeks to submit questions that will be sent to DelDOT. The state will have two weeks to reply. That information will be placed in the record, and the public will have another two weeks to respond.

Hicks noted the affordable housing units would be isolated near the commercial site, and residents would not have access to the amenities of Northstar. She questioned whether the affordable housing location would be safe for pedestrians and cyclists.

Pika objected to the project being divided, with the unelected planning & zoning commission approving the large single-family housing portion and the elected council left to decide the much smaller commercial and affordable housing areas. He suggested council place limits on which kinds of commercial projects will be developed.  

Ingerman, a New Jersey-based company, would develop the affordable housing by 2027, said Natalie DeFilippo, vice president of development for Ingerman.

The community needs affordable housing, DeFilippo said. Residents would earn less than 60% of area median income, she said. The site is also on a bus route.

Gerald Allen, a resident of Jimtown Road who has lived in the area for more than 30 years and whose family has local roots dating back more than 100 years, said he has seen drastic changes from developments. He said he’s worried projects before council and the broader Northstar plan will cause traffic and other problems.

“When you widen the road, what it does is people travel faster,” Allen said. “It makes it more dangerous for pedestrians, cyclists, even cars on the road.”

“Nobody’s even talking about all of the hundreds of other developments that are using those same roads,” said Malcom Mousley, a proprietor of Pam-An Stables, a horse farm off Beaver Dam Road next to the site. “How can you approve building before the roads are ready for it?” 

Mousley said the day after the hearing that he is an owner of the stable that has operated for nearly 45 years on land owned by Bodie’s Dairy Markets in Georgetown. He said the Northstar developer has agreed to build a fence to protect his business but has not yet committed to a schedule.

The March 11 hearing lasted nearly five hours. The initial audience of about 80 dwindled to half that number as the hours passed. A July public hearing that preceded the October decisions of the planning & zoning commission lasted seven hours.