If approved, the planned project, which would be constructed on Route 24 and span over 70 acres, promises to bring a shopping mall that will feature retail stores like Target, Costco, and Whole Foods.
In order to use the land, though, the County needs to approve a change in how the land is designated; currently it’s cleared for farming use only.
Commissioner Gergory Scott Collins said he shares concerns with the citizens who voiced displeasure with the development's projected impact on traffic and congestion in the area.
“Our road infrastructure is not completely where it needs to be to support this development.” he said.
Collins adds there are other projects, some residential and some commercial, also planned along the Route 24 corridor pending approval from the Sussex County Council.
He says those developments will put additional strain on the road, and there are currently no clear plans from DelDOT to facilitate the expansion of Route 24 into a four-lane highway to accommodate new traffic.
Commission Chair Holly Wingate noted those concerns but also argued the development’s good might outweigh the bad.
“On the flip side of it, we may be keeping some of the traffic more contained because of the residents that will be on [Route] 24 that they can then just use the facilities and businesses that will be built there.” she said.
Wingate adds small businesses in the area may be able to reduce their costs by visiting the proposed Costco due to its wholesale pricing model; Collins argues that bringing in bigger businesses will force those smaller stores out of the market.
All commissioners agreed that that DelDOT support for the road seems unlikely in the near future: Commissioner Collins says there are no plans for Love Creek bridge until 2045.
Atlantic Fields developer Ben Hoskins has stated that regardless of the eventual outcome, some sort of development project will happen in that area; commenting "This will not remain a soybean farm."
Other options for that area include various forms of housing development; affordable, single home, or work-force housing. The idea is something that Commissioner Collins also commented on during Wednesday's meeting,
"This development will bring some jobs: obviously not all of them being very high paying jobs, some of them are typical retail. They will compete for workers from local businesses. So, a disappointment of mine is not seeing any plan for some sort of work-force housing as part of this development" he said.
