Lewes planners: Build ‘road to nowhere’ in Henlopen Bluff

The Lewes Planning Commission is recommending mayor and city council give a green light to a controversial connection that some people are calling the “road to nowhere.”

The stub road would be built as a possible future vehicular connection between the proposed Henlopen Bluff major subdivision and neighboring Showfield. 

Henlopen Bluff is planned for a 61-acre parcel owned by Showfield LLC along Gills Neck Road across from the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal. The plan calls for 79 single-family home lots adjacent to the Showfield community. 

Some Showfield residents have been adamantly opposed to any cut-through that brings more cars through their private community.

“It’s a road to the future, not a road to nowhere,” said Commission Chair Nancy Staisey, who supported the connection.

Commissioners voted 6-3 in favor of the connection at a special meeting March 25.

“It’s unrealistic to think it’s going to ever be connected. I would rather see less pavement that’s never going to be used,” said Commissioner Melanie Moser, who voted against the road.

“This embraces our goal of interconnectivity and allows for future opportunity,” said Commissioner Amy Marasco, who voted to build the road.

Some Showfield residents have packed recent public meetings to demand the idea be scrapped.

“The proposed connection is a dagger going into my client’s property. We believe property rights should be respected,” said Bob Valihura, the attorney representing Showfield.

The Showfield homeowners association had been supporting a 10-foot-wide multimodal path that would allow people to bike and walk between the communities. But that changed after commissioners voted to recommend the road. 

Former Showfield HOA President Kerry Crouch said the board authorized him to take that support off the table if council approves the connection.

“That stub road will stop 5 feet from the property line. There will be no walkway. There will probably be a fence to prevent people walking from that street,” Crouch said.

The commission approved the Henlopen Bluff preliminary site plan in November, with 39 conditions attached.

The vehicular connection was on the list of 25 conditions and two waiver requests that mayor and city council remanded back to the commission in February.

The March 25 special meeting allowed commissioners to further discuss those provisions and make recommendations to council.

The panel also voted to recommend council consider sidewalk connectivity between Henlopen Bluff and downtown Lewes. 

Questions have been raised about pedestrian safety because there is no sidewalk on Gills Neck Road. The commission does not have jurisdiction over sidewalks.

Commissioners voted to let stand their denial of a waiver request to reduce a code-required 50-foot buffer on Gills Neck Road to 25 feet.

The developer has said a wider buffer might require a redesign of some lots, but it would not cause an unreasonable hardship.

Commissioners also voted to recommend a comprehensive traffic study for the entire city, not just as it would apply to Henlopen Bluff. 

They recommended council decide on the number of boat slips and parking spots to be located across Gills Neck Road from the proposed community.

The commission recommended or deleted other remanded conditions dealing with trees, signage, lighting on walking paths and more.

Mayor and city council will consider the commission’s recommendations at a future meeting.

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Author: Bill Shull