Large-scale projects proposed along Route 9

Two large developments along Route 9 west of Lewes are on the Wednesday, Dec. 20 agenda for the Office of State Planning Coordination Preliminary Land Use Service.

The two projects are about two-and-a-half miles from each other and contain a total of 1,485 single-family homes, more than 1,300 multifamily units and commercial areas. 

Northstar mixed-use

At 10:30 a.m., state planners and agency representatives will hear plans for the Northstar mixed-use project. The proposed plan includes 758 single-family lots, 94 multifamily units of affordable housing and 96,000 square feet of commercial area. The 433-acre parcel (30 acres will not be developed) is located between Route 9 and Beaver Dam Road across from the Vineyards mixed-use community, which contains the Redner’s Fresh Market and other commercial units, multifamily buildings and single-family homes.

Applications filed with Sussex County include a rezoning of 12.7 acres from AR-1, agricultural-residential, to C-3 commercial, rezoning of nearly 8 acres from AR-1 to medium-density residential and a conditional use for 94 multifamily units.

Located within the Henlopen Transportation District, the preliminary plan includes three miles of shared-use pathways to provide linkages to existing subdivisions and two-and-a-half miles of pathways within the proposed community.

Also, the plans include a connection road from Beaver Dam Road to Route 9, which is part of a Delaware Department of Transportation plan to build a new road to connect Mulberry Knoll Road to Route 9.

Cool Spring Crossing

At 11 am., planners and agency representatives will hear plans for Cool Spring Crossing, a master-planned community proposed for a 637-acre parcel with frontage along Route 9 as well Log Cabin Road, Hudson Road and Cool Spring Road. The mixed-use development uses the current AR-1 zoning and proposed medium-density residential/residential planned community zoning, and it incorporates the Sussex County Rental Program. Included in the plans are 727 single-family homes, 911 townhomes, 300 condominiums, 451,000 square feet of commercial and 275 acres of open space.

The proposed Freeman Companies project would be built over 10 to 15 years.

Cool Spring Crossing was first reviewed by PLUS in 2011, but that plan has been modified, calling for a another state review.

According to the coolspring.info website, the preliminary plan includes a regional YMCA, a grocery store, restaurants and other businesses. The site plan will also include proposed road improvements. Several options of housing are planned including over-50, rentals and for-sale units to help meet the need for workforce housing, according to the website. Freeman also plans to make additions to the Lewes-to-Georgetown Trail, which runs along the Route 9 frontage of the property, and may include trail linkage to Milton.

Go to publicmeetings.delaware.gov for a link to online access. Public comment is allowed, but it is not included as part of the PLUS findings.