I0. CAPE GAZETTE, Friday, April 26--May 2, i996
State planning committee to be involved in Wal-Mart decision
By Michael Short
Delaware's Department of Transporta-
tion may issue its report on the impact of a
proposed local Wal-Mart next week.
"I'm shooting for the early part of next
week," said Joel Leidy, subdivision engi-
neer.
Development of the proposed Wal-Mart
off Rt. 9 in the Nassau Commons area has
been in limbo while Delaware's Depart-
ment of Transportation assesses the poten-
tial impact of the proposal.
The impact on traffic has become a major
issue for three large projects in the Rt. 1
area, the Wal-Mart, a newly proposed
Lowe's at the intersection of Five Points
and the expansion of the Rehoboth Outlet
Center.
Leidy said that he has received comments
on the proposed 149,000 square foot Wal-
Mart from Bill Brock-
enbrough of DelDOT
and is now reviewing
those comments. Lei-
dy did not want to
elaborate on what Del-
DOT expects to say in
its report for the pro-
ject, which is proposed
for 19.7 acres of land.
But he said the fol- LEIDY
lowing areas are con-
cerns:
• the impact of a proposed Wal-Mart on
the vacant land surrounding the area where
it may be built. In some other areas such as
Milford, many other businesses have
sprung up and surrounded a Wal-Mart after
it was built. There is a lot of open space in
the area of the development, according to
Leidy.
• the impact of the development on the
Five Points intersection.
• the safety of a potential entrance to the
property just below the Nassau Bridge.
That existing road bears right immediately
below the bridge and goes to Nassau Park,
Nassau Commons and Nassau Vineyard.
Such a road could be a back entrance to the
property, but its location and design at the
base of Nassau Bridge is a potential con-
ecru.
Bob Raley, the owner of the proposed
Wal-Mart property, said that he believes he
already has an entrance permit for the prop-
erty. Raley said that permit goes back to
1972 when he has proposed a 935,000
square foot shopping center for the Nassau
Commons land.
Raley said he was issued an entrance per-
mit located on Rt. 9 roughly at the location
of a small barbecue stand that operates sea-
sonally on the road. But Leidy disputes that,
saying that he doesn't think an entrance
permit was ever actual-
ly issued.
Leidy said his rec-
ommendation will go
to Delaware Depart-
ment of Transportation
Secretary Anne Canby
for review.
It will then be sent to
Sussex County's Plan-
ning and Zoning Corn- RALEY
mission, although he
said State Planning Director David Hugg
would also probably be notified.
Jeff Bullock, the head of the new Cabinet
Committee on State Planning, said he also
expects the Cabinet Committee to be in-
volved with the review of DelDOT's rec-
ommendations on the Wal-Mart proposal.
DelDOT will take the point on the issue
and the committee's role will be to back up
the Department of Transportation, he said.
The state committee became involved in
the Rehoboth Outlet Center debate and its
membership includes both Hugg and Can-
by. Bullock, who is also the chief of staff
for Governor Carper, said he has not seen
DelDOT's recommendations yet.
Bullock said he expects the trail or chain
of command on the issue to basically flow
from Leidy to Canby to himself. Bullock
said he thinks the cabinet committee will
want to play a role on such large issues as
Wal-Mart, just as it did with the proposed
Rehoboth Outlet Center expansion. "I
think the cabinet committee will take a look
at that," he said.
"The time is right," he said, for such in-
volvement. He emphasized, however, that
any state involvement is not intended to op-
pose development. The state, instead, is in-
terested in putting common sense back into
the process, he said.
That's an apparent reference to concerns
about the quality of life and the impact
poorly planned or designed development
can have, especially on roads or other infra-
structure.
"Yes, the cabinet committee will play a
leadership role," he said.
While traffic has been the dominant issue
on such applications, he said the cabinet
group is involved in many other planning
issues and concerns. "We are engaged on
many, many fronts... We have broader in-
terests in setting overall priorities."
Bullock said he thinks the governor's of-
fice may be developing a legislative pack-
age to deal with issues like growth, infra-
structure, open space, rezoning and land use
planning (a number of such bills have al-
ready been introduced in the legislature).
He declined to elaborate on specifics, but
said "I think we will have more to say."
Edgehill redesigning would
reflect historic
By Dennis Forney
The developers of a proposed
36,000 square foot Edgehill Phar-
macy and Lewes Medical Arts
building on Savannah Road have
gone back to the drawing board.
Responding to concerns raised
by members
of the Lewes
Commercial
Architecture
Review Com-
mission, Pre-
ston Dyer of
Ed Med Prop-
erties LLC
said his firm
is attempting DYER
to come up
with a design more in keeping
with Lewes architecture other
than Beebe Medical Center.
"We're looking at a design now
that's Very close to the architec-
ture of Lewes city hall," said Dy-
er. "There's a building in Dover
that is more historic in appearance
that we think might be more ac-
ceptable to the review commis-
sion," said Dyer.
"I don't think it blends with the
hospital, which it would be next
to, but no one seems to want it to
blend with the hospital. It would
be a little more to build but if
that's what they [Commission
members] want that's what we'll
do. We want to get a design ap-
proved before we go for a zoning
variance."
The first 36,000 square foot
building proposed by the affiliate
company of Edgehill Drugs Inc.
was modern in appearance, ap-
architecture
proximating the style of the Tun-
nell Cancer Center."
"The one we're looking at now
has a peaked gable and we're
looking at how that would fit into
the height requirement. We
would like to get the style ap-
proved Commercial Architecture
Review Commission before we go
to the Board of Adjustment. It
seems fairer to the Board of Ad-
justment. We want everyone
reading from the same page.
We've already extended proposed
landscaping, changed a sidewalk,
and have designed in larger trees
at the request of review commis-
sion members."
The developers of the proposed
facility, to be built where the pre-
sent Edgehill Pharmacy stands,
will need approval from the
Lewes Board of Adjustment be-
cause the pharmacy proposed in
the new building is larger than the
present pharmacy.
Such retail operations aren't
permitted in the Community Fa-
cilities District where the current
Edgehill is located so that present
use is non-conforming. Con-
structing a larger pharmacy would
expand that non-conforming use
and as such would require a zon-
ing variance.
A variance may also be needed
for a less-than-required setback on
the side of the building facing
Beebe's Tunnell Cancer Center.
That would be the building's main
face. The facility, as proposed,
would be served by an above and
below parking garage to be built
at its rear.
West Rehoboth
Continued from page 1
Construction on Lot 73, Central
Avenue, began on Monday, April
22. The building permit lists the
maximum height of the tower as
being 150 feet. "That we didn't
know about it also concerns us,"
said Minnie Smith.
The shelter may he a 12 foot by
30 foot structure, and the permit
states that both the exterior and
roof will be constructed of metal.
That building, however, may not
he erected until a revised plan is
submitted to Sussex County Plan-
ning and Zoning, stating that the
unmanned control building will be
relocated 30 feet from Central Av-
enue. The cost of the project is
listed at $80,000.
Members of West Side New Be-
ginnings said at their meeting that
although they understand that
Catts has a legal right to build the
structures on the commercially
zoned property, they feel he is
morally irresponsible for doing so.
The residents, they said, have
struggled for more than four years
to make improvements in the
community.
Many of those efforts have been
successful. In addition to its most
recent news that individual resi-
dents are eligible for up to
$35,000 in low interest loans for
property improvements, the com-
munity has made other progress in
the last several years.
It has reduced trash in the
neighborhood, several properties
have been improved, drug acivity
is declining, the youth program is
growing, and West Side New Be-
ginnings has earned a matching
grant from the state in order to
builda community center. The
community is also a member of
Gov. Thomas Carper's Strong
Communities Initiative.
"I'm just furious with him,"
said Ellen Smith of Catts. "He
owns 15 lots and they're the
junkiest around." Catts uses lots
in the area to store beach shacks
during the off season.
"I just feel that with all the other
things in this community that are
an eyesore, we do not need a tow-
er," said Minnie Smith.
Bruce Wright, community de-
velopment specialist with First
State Community Action Agency,
recommended to West New Be-
ginnings members that they send
letters to Bell Atlantic-NYNEX
officials. He said he believed the
company would be more sensitive
to the community needs.
Neither Bell Atlantic-NYNEX
nor Catts returned calls regarding
their position on the issue.
Minnie Smith, vice president of West Side New Beginnings
(left) and Susan Frank, director of Delaware State Housing
Authority, shared a happy moment on Thursday, April 18
when Frank made an announcement in West Rehoboth that
the community had qualified for $700,000 of the $5 million al.
located through the Neighborhood Revitalization project.
Residents are able to borrow, at a three percent interest rate,
up to $35,000 from the funds so they can improve their prop-
erties. The project is an effort to begin a sustainable neigh-
borhood improvement plan, which fits into West Side New Be-
ginnings' long range goals. That happiness was crushed on
Monday, April 22 when shocked residents in West Rehoboth
learned that a 150 foot tall radio tower and metal building
were being erected in their community.
