County Council Affirms Planning & Zoning Decision on Coral Lakes Subdivision Appeal
It was a packed house as the Sussex County Council heard two appeals regarding the Coral Lakes subdivision off Robinsonville Road west of Lewes. This subdivision has been voted, appealed by the developer and remanded by the County Council back to the P&Z which re-voted the application a second time in June.
In March the Planning & Zoning Commission voted to deny the application for a subdivision of just over 300 units on 152 acres. The developer, Schell Brothers, LLC, appealed that denial to the Sussex County Council. When the Council heard the appeal it was remanded back to Planning & Zoning by a 3 to 2 vote – with Council members Mark Schaeffer and Cindy Green voting no – that the County Planning Commission vote to deny was correct. The Council also said that the commission members must give reasons for their vote.
The P&Z reviewed and re-voted the subdivision again in late June – this time voting to approve Coral Lakes with a 3-1-1 vote – which was appealed by two groups. (Yea votes from Holly Wingate, Bruce Mears and Chairman Robert Wheatley. Keller Hopkins voted no and Kim Hoey-Stevenson abstained)
Attorney Luke Mette for the Hicks appellants told the County Council during Tuesday’s appeal hearing the Commission’s decision was not the result of an orderly, logical review of the evidence, but rather the result of the Commissioners voting the way their council, Vince Robertson, told them to vote. The second appeal, by Terry Bartley, claimed that additional evidence was added to the public record. Both appeals were combined for this week’s hearing.
After three hours of testimony, the County Council went into executive session. When they returned to chambers, Council President, Mike Vincent, in a lengthy motion, affirmed the decision by Planning & Zoning in the Coral Lakes subdivision – and again affirmed the P&Z decision in the second appeal. The Council voted 4 to 0 in each appeal.
County Attorney Everett Moore told those in the Council Chambers that Councilman John Rieley recused himself from any involvement in the Coral Lakes appeal that may have resulted from an interview with public forum podcasts earlier this past summer that were posted on social media. He also has not discussed Coral Lakes appeal with any other members of the Sussex County Council. Rieley’s recusal is voluntary – to preserve the integrity of the process and to erase even an appearance of impropriety. Moore also went on to say that he “spoke with each council member and each has indicated to him that they have had no prior discussion, consideration, bias or opinions of any kind regarding the outcome since this matter since it was remanded to the Planning & Zoning Commission on June 23rd.”
