Sussex Co. approves rezoning application for proposed shopping center

In a unanimous vote Tuesday, the Sussex County Council voted to approve a rezoning application filed by developers of a proposed shopping center.

The Gills Neck Village Center was first proposed in 2008, covering 521,000 square feet; however, estimates have since been scaled down to 75,000 square feet. If all goes as planned by its developers J.G. Townsend, it would sit along Kings Highway and Gills Neck Road.

The 11.65 property is across the street from Cape Henlopen High School in Lewes and roughly three miles from John Mateyko, who lives on Pilottown Road.

Because of the property has been rezoned from a residential district to a business district, Mateyko says he fears the road will now be filled with traffic.

"Today's [Tuesday] decision is not based on the evidence in the record," he tells 47ABC.

Mateyko, president of the Lewes Partnership for Managing Growth, explains the city of Lewes hired traffic planners to study the impact of the rezoning; however, he believes Tuesday's decision overlooked the research.

"Those reports were professional," he says. "They were the only contemporary reports on either traffic or hydrology with regard to the risk from petro-hydrocarbons which is the dominant risk of this application."

Nick Hammonds, principal at Jack Lingo Asset Managmnent, called the Gills Neck Village Center a "first-class project" at a hearing in August.

According to Hammonds, the project would produce an expected 200 construction-related jobs plus 100 permanent jobs.

On Tuesday, District 5 councilman Rob Arlett admitted traffic and environmental concerns raised by the public were valid; however, he voted to approve the application because in terms of land use, he found the rezoning appropriate.

"I think this is a responsible thing to do, actually. In the end, there are other entities that have full responsibilities with regard to the well water and to the roads and they have to be held accountable to ensure that they do their jobs," explains Arlett.

Now that application has been approved, county officials say it's up to developers on how and when to proceed.