Sussex P&Z backs Mitchell’s Corner project in Lewes

At its April 14 meeting, Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval of four applications for Mitchell’s Corner, a mixed-use residential and commercial complex at the intersection of Kings Highway and Gills Neck Road in Lewes.

The project requires two rezonings, AR-1 agricultural-residential to C-2 commercial medium commercial for an office complex on a three-acre section of the overall 44-acre property, and a rezoning from AR-1 to MR medium-density residential for high-density housing.

A conditional-use application for 267 multifamily housing units and a subdivision application for the entire parcel are also required.

Developer Henlopen Properties LLC of Owings Mills, Md., has proposed 114 duplexes, 153 townhomes and a three-acre commercial/office building site.

While the votes for the rezoning applications were 4-0, Commissioner Kim Hoey Stevenson voted against the conditional-use and subdivision applications. She said she was concerned about the potential impact on the City of Lewes wellhead protection area. The Lewes Board of Public Works is on record against the applications. The city's five water wells are located near the parcel, with a section of the wellhead protection area on the site. She said she was also concerned about the traffic impact created by the proposed project.

If approved, the proposed residential-commercial project would be constructed prior to the start of the $24 million Kings Highway dualization and intersection improvement project. Interim road improvements are planned in advance of the project, set to begin in fiscal year 2026.

Sussex County Council will have a public hearing on the applications at 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 26, in the county administration building, 2 The Circle, Georgetown.