Sussex County Council moved forward with approving a boat storage lot in Lewes.
It comes after months of debate and strong homeowner opposition to it.
The lot sits on a small patch of farmland just off highway one in between Lewes and Rehoboth Beach. However, it is now surrounded by new residential developments and a golf course.
The owner, Sam Warrington, applied for permission to turn the piece of property into an outdoor RV and boat storage facility back in September.
Councilman I.G. Burton says it’s important to look beyond the lot’s immediate neighbors when considering allowing storage there.
“If you zoom further out you see the Delaware Bay, the Rehoboth Bay, the Atlantic Ocean and you see rivers, you see countless ponds. And all of them have one thing in common and that’s a need for a boat. And with a boat comes boat storage unless you have a dock,” said Burton.
County council received complaints from over 150 homeowners nearby, pointing out this new storage facility would bring huge amounts of traffic and disruptions and ruin the atmosphere of the quiet coastal community.
Council decided to approve the application with some changes designed to accommodate an increase in traffic, such as building a fence and planting a landscape buffer to hide the facility from people playing golf next door.
