MILTON, Del. - Sussex County Planning and Zoning Commission will discuss Chappell Farm, LLC's proposal to build 128 multifamily units and a shopping center on the northwest corner of Cave Neck Road and Route 1 Thursday night. Developer Christian Hudson says the company has been holding town halls and meeting with the community to develop a plan to develop the land in the most beneficial way possible to its neighbors. Thursday marks the first public meeting the county has held.
The barns and sheds that are currently on the property would be moved and a shopping center could be constructed with a pharmacy and other businesses Hudson says the community told him they need.
"We're really proud of what we've put together," Hudson says. Hudson followed that they have only received one letter opposing the plan. Hudson says rezoning the piece of land along the highway from AR-1, agricultural-residential to C-3, heavy commercial district would fit the surrounding commercial zoning on the highway. He says changing the zoning of the 6 acres behind it down Cave Neck Road from AR-1 to MR, medium-density residential with a conditional use grant to build the multifamily units would match the zoning of the neighborhood across the street on Cave Neck Road. "Our plan is to offer these apartments to our frontline heroes, healthcare workers," Hudson says. Phyllis Connell lives in Paynter's Mill and says the country road can't handle anymore development. "It's too much," Connell says. "We can barely get out even with the barriers out on Route 1." Shelly Vainberg of Lewes says adding the businesses at the intersection would save people who live nearby from spending time and stress on Route 1 traffic. "It's great to have extra businesses that aren't directly on Route 1, on the highway, because in the summer time it's so crowded," Vainberg says. Steve Sharp owns Capitol Buildings Shed Outlets that's on the property now and says the proposed development is inevitable considering how quickly the community is growing. "Our plans are to move down the street about a quarter mile to Susie Hudson's antique store," Sharp says. Chappell Farm, LLC has been working closely with DelDOT for the last three years and says their proposal for the land would fit the agency's future plans for the intersection of Cave Neck Road and Route 1. "Regardless of what we do, they have a traffic circle and overpass and some other things that they're going to do," Hudson says. Hudson says the company would contribute land and money to the road improvements. If Chappell Farm gets the green light from the county, he says permitting could take a few years and that construction would begin after DelDOT finishes its improvements at the intersection. Hudson says construction could be ten years away.