This meeting is being transcribed and summarized.

It's now six PM.

I'd like to call to order the Kent County Regional Planning Commission public hearing for June the fourth.

And as customer, we start will do start with the pledge, and I asked Mr.

Mills and Lee's states in there.

So it won't mess up our meeting tonight.

Sarah, I'll now come to you for roll call and determination or quorum.

Mr.

Peterman.

Mr.

Survival.

Present.

Mrs.

Carter.

Here.

Mr.

Golfrey.

Here.

Mr.

Mills?

Here.

Mr.

Davis.

Mr.

Jester.

Here.

So you have seven present.

You do have a quorum.

Commissioners, you also have an agenda in front of you for tonight's meeting.

If there's no changes, I'll entertain a motion a second to approve it.

So moved.

I have a motion and a second, sir.

Mr.

Peterman.

Yes to approve.

Mr.

Sarvan.

Yes to approve.

Mrs.

Carter.

Yes to approve.

Mr.

Gaufrey.

Yes to approve.

Mr.

Mills.

Yes, to approve.

Mr.

Davis.

Yes, to approve.

Mr.

Jester.

Yes, to approve.

So you have seven days in favor of approving tonight's agenda.

Thank you very much.

And I'll come right back to you for introduction and public hearing instructions.

Thank you.

This public hearing is being conducted for the purpose of giving the citizens of the county the opportunity to present testimony on the application before the Regional Planning Commission.

Everyone will have an opportunity to speak.

For the record, please give your name and address.

Copies of any written statements or exhibits used during the hearing should be presented for identification and inclusion in the record.

The record will remain open for two business days following tonight's hearing.

The application before the commission, the chairman will introduce the application.

Then the applicant or representative will be given 15 minutes to present the application.

Then those in favor of the application will be allotted five minutes each to speak.

Following that, those opposed to the application will be allotted five minutes each to speak.

When everyone has had an opportunity to give testimony, the hearing on the application will be closed.

No decision will be made by the commission tonight.

The commission will hold a public business meeting next Thursday, June 11th at 6 p.m., at which time it will make a decision on the applications heard tonight.

All information of record will be considered.

A common vote of four members of the commission is required to make a decision.

Anyone may attend to the business meeting, but no new testimony will be received.

The public notice of this hearing was published on May 13th, 2026 in the Delaware State News.

Mr.

Chairman.

Thank you.

We'll now get into our public hearing.

Our first and only application tonight.

Plan number and title is SL 26 05, Carter's Creek.

It's located on the east side of Turkey Point Road, south of Turtle Dove Lane.

Owner and applicant is Felton Drive in LLC, care of Jeff Jeffrey Garrison, engineer is Becker Morgan Group, care of Michael Henry.

Present zoning district is AR agriculture residential and BG Business.

Levy Court District is Mr.

Hertz.

School district is Lake Forest.

Fire district is Felton, Station 48.

Size of the site is 43.15 plus or minus acres.

Number of proposed lots is 41 single family.

Active open space is 0.73.

Passive open space is 7.73.

Wetlands area is 0.28.

Total acres within woodlands is 4.77.

Woodland preservation is 2.94.

Average lot size is 6,403.

Relation to the gross zone is inside.

Density is 2.44 units per acre.

Streets are public.

Water is tidewater utilities.

Sewer is Kent County Sewer.

Is there an someone here tonight to represent this?

Mr.

Reeman, come on up and introduce yourself to us.

Good evening.

For the record, Mike Ryman, 309 with 309 South Governors Avenue, Dover Delaware.

And Mr.

Ryman.

This is the county attorney.

Sorry to come in over top.

Do you swear affirm that the testimony you're about to give will be the truth?

I do.

Thank you very much, sir.

Um, good evening.

Um so we're here tonight to talk about the Carter's Creek subdivision application that is before you and I do have with me uh Mr.

John Forrest, who is with the ownership team uh of this particular project.

So just a little bit of background.

This project is really a continuation of the Pisadilly projects that has been before this body uh a number of different times from sewer district extensions, and if you remember the the old drive-in when we did the warehouse uh component of that, there was also a rezoning that was done at one point in time to rezone a part of the property to commercial, and I'm gonna walk through all of that.

But this is really just a continuation of that overall project.

Um to begin with, the property is located in the Kent County Growth Zone.

You can see the yellow arrow there pointing to the location within Kent County's Growth Zone, which is highlighted in the purple outline.

Um in addition, uh the property uh located where the blue arrow is pointing, uh is in the state strategies level one, which are areas identified for growth in the state strategies for investment.

Um you can see you have Turkey Point Road right there, Route 13 right here, um, and the drive-in, the old drive-in site that everybody knows is right there.

Um this is showing that the property is highlighted by the light green is within Kent County's sanitary sewer district, which means we have sewer service to the property.

Uh this has been in the sewer district for some time.

There was a sewer district extension done a a little while ago, which brought the drive-in parcel here into the sewer district.

Um you can see Plymouth Plymouth Place located right there.

This is the current zoning map, and this is showing in red.

So you see the parcel outlined in blue.

This red that is right there is the rezoning that occurred and was approved by Levy Court.

I've kind of lost track of the time, maybe within the last year or so, maybe two years, to commercial, and this remnant piece is still zoned AR1.

That zoning hasn't changed.

That is remained AR1.

And so the background of this for those that may remember is that the portion of the property highlighted in blue was uh a function of an acquisition of property from the Pisadilly family.

Um so this piece that we're talking about tonight is the piece that was left from that acquisition uh but was not rezoned.

So the red is commercial and the light green is residential.

Um in accordance with your comprehensive plan uh low density.

This is in a low density residential area.

Uh the applicable zoning districts are AR1, uh, which is exactly what this is zoned, and what that calls for is single family detached residential homes, which is exactly what we are proposing this evening.

Um we have surveyed the property and we have mapped some of the resources.

There is a stream uh that traverses the property.

Um that stream ultimately becomes the boundary between the residential and the commercial, it actually acts as a good buffer between the residential and the commercial element.

Uh just kind of highlighting back.

This is this side's commercial, this side's residential.

Um along the stream, we did map wetlands.

Uh, there are some wetlands, obviously, along the stream.

Uh, there is a 25-foot uh wetland buffer that's required in accordance with your code.

Um we've respected that.

Um in addition, there is a 100-foot uh reparian stream buffer as well, and you can see that highlighted in this orange line, and we've respected that as well.

There are a couple of waivers for some minor impacts.

Uh the site accesses this point right here.

Uh this is really the only access point to the road network, uh, Turkey Point Road.

Uh there is no other access point here.

Um, the only other connection to uh a road system is the interconnection point to Plymouth Place.

Uh and you can see that stub there that was stubbed out to be an interconnection as part of the Plymouth Place planning that occurred.

Um, and then this is the plan that you see before you.

Um it is 40 lots.

Um it was 41 lots.

I'll talk about that in a minute.

Um, but we are showing an access point to Turkey Point Road in this location, um, a road system that then connects and interconnects back to Plymouth Place, which provides us two means of ingress egress ultimately into this development.

Um it also then provides a secondary access into Plymouth Place as well.

So uh it provides uh multiple access options.

Um it's pretty straightforward.

It's a singular road network.

You can see the lots there, uh lining that those lots are about 5,000 square foot on the uh lot size, which is in accordance with uh the code.

Um we have uh you can see this orange line, which is the hundred-foot stream buffer where all of the lots and the road are outside of that.

There are some storm water in there, but that is allowed in accordance with your code.

Um we do have some active recreation areas as well.

Uh we have one here, which could be a sports field uh with like a gazebo, uh what have you, um, and then another active recreation area down here, which could be you know, bocce ball, those kinds of things.

So uh we also included some uh walking path uh networks here.

Trying to hard time pointing to it, but roughly right there throughout the project, um, just to provide some alternative uh walking.

Street system would be Dell Dot, uh, as is typical uh in Kent County.

Uh and it does show sidewalk on both sides of the road, uh, with one exception, and I'll get to that in a minute.

Um trees have been saved here.

Um there is some tree clearing.

I think that's a little over 60% of the trees are saved.

Uh the trees that are being cleared are generally in this particular area so that we can facilitate the connection to Plymouth Place.

Um, but we've we are exceeding the code uh in terms of tree preservation.

Bus stops.

Uh we did meet with Lake Forest School District about bus stop location.

Um, and what you see is the yellow arrows that is highlighting the direction the buses will come in.

Uh so they have indicated to us that the buses will first go into Plymouth Place.

It will then traverse through our community and exit onto Turkey Point Road.

We've highlighted a bus stop right here in the middle of the site.

Um in addition to that, we have put some off-street parking uh in that location as well, so that there's an opportunity for cars to park uh sometimes they'll drive the kids to the bus stop in the morning.

Uh but you can see the the bus stop zone there.

Uh we did show a gazebo actually over in the active open space over here, and we sort of debated whether or not that act that gazebo might make more sense over by the bus stop just to provide a covered option for kids, you know, if it's raining or what have you.

Again, this is just the active recreation areas that you see there, a blow-up of both of those.

We have an opportunity for a field there, an opportunity for whether it's a botchy, shuffleboard, shuffle uh shovel board, what have you in those locations, and uh we do meet uh I believe an exceed the minimum active open space requirements within the code.

Um access, um, access is to Turkey Point Road, as we said.

Um we met with Dell Dot.

Uh we are only required to put in a bypass lane, but we have opted to put in a full left turn lane.

Uh we felt that that was a safer uh access configuration than having a bypass lane and having a car you know trying to turn left in sitting you know in the travel lane.

Um so we like the idea of having a protected left turn coming into the site uh in lieu of a bypass lane, but this is exceeds what is required by Dell Dot uh in terms of their minimum requirements.

Um in addition, uh we note that that we do have a neighboring property here with a driveway that essentially is on the property line uh between us.

Uh we have a very narrow entrance configuration there.

We've tried to shift the entrance to uh you know away from that property owner.

Um we one of our waiver requests is to eliminate sidewalk along just this portion of the road so that you know we have an opportunity to do landscaping or something like that, which will make you more attractive.

Um so we do show sidewalk out, but we show it only on one side, and that is one of the waiver requests that's in uh the request this evening.

Um we have uh the ownership team has met with the property owner here, who I believe is here this evening to talk about an opportunity to potentially connect the driveway into uh the street system, which is certainly something we would be okay with if that's something they would be okay with.

Um as I understand it, that's not the case currently, um, but the offer is on the table if if they so choose.

Um but we have accommodated the driveway and the entrance uh in that location.

Uh Dell DOT does address this in our development coordination manual when you have multiple driveways and entrance points that are in close proximity to each other, and this is done in accordance with that criteria.

In addition, um at when we met with this particular property owner, we actually had a lot in this location.

And so on some of the correspondence says 41 lots, but it's really 40 lots because we've eliminated a lot that was there.

So we did have a lot that was backing up to this property owner, um, and we did eliminate that lot, and we're proposing a 50-foot buffer, um, which you see with the black lines, really more than that, but the 50-foot as a landscaped buffer in that location for that property owner to help with screening and and what have you.

Um this also highlights you can see sidewalk on both sides of the road, um, and then it crosses here at a crosswalk and then goes to the one side of the road and versus having sidewalk uh between the road and that property owner's driveway.

Um Dell DOT uh was okay with us when we met.

Um we do have a couple of waiver requests this evening.

Um one is um the hundred foot repair and buffer waiver for walking pass.

Um if I go to the next slide, you can see let me pull up my plan here.

Give me one second.

Okay.

So the first one is the hundred foot repairing buffer waiver, um, and this is to allow active recreation walking pass within the buffer.

Um, and those are highlighted by the number one.

So where you see number one, that is those locations there.

Um again, we want to provide walking pass.

I believe the staff was okay with this, provided that they were a hard surface, which we are okay with.

Um the second one is related to um a setback buffer related to stormwater facilities.

Um requesting 30 foot from parcel lines and 30 foot 35 feet from building setbacks.

This is consistent with the recently approved Barrett's landing subdivision that you saw.

It's the exact same uh setback configuration on that project, uh, which was something KCD was in favor of there.

Um, and the staff has recommended approval as well.

Um and then lastly, I've talked about it number three, which is the partial sidewalk waiver on that one side of the road there.

So those are the three waiver requests that we hope that you will support this evening.

So to conclude uh the project is located within the growth zone overlay district.

It is appropriately zoned uh for the use that we are proposing, which is single family detached.

It is within the sewer district, has sewer available.

It was earlier mentioned about tide water, which also is available.

Um it is in within level one of state strategies, which is areas of the highest priority of growth.

Um it exceeds minimum code requirements.

It meets or exceeds all Kent County minimum route code requirements with the exception of the three waivers that we're asking for this evening.

Pedestrian friendly walkable community and it conforms with the intent of the comprehensive plan and surrounding community.

We did receive the staff report um we have no objection to any of the recommendations or requirements that are within that report.

Staff did recommend approval of the overall project as well as approval of all of the waiver requests.

With that I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have.

I got a couple questions before I turn it over to the other commissioners.

When you come in off of Turkey Point Road, I notice there's a line of pines that are very well mature on the south side of the entrance.

Are you leaving those?

I'll try to go that way.

You're talking about on this side here.

Yes.

Well I believe whatever's on that other property we're leaving obviously we're not going to touch anything that's on that other person's property.

I didn't know if they was on your property or their property no I think I think it's close to be honest probably a little bit of both but we can leave anything that's on that side.

We do have to have the sidewalk through there.

So it's a little bit of a double edged sword.

We're we're trying to push as much over away from this property as we can given the location of that driveway.

So you know we'll do everything we can whatever's whatever we can save we can save.

I don't have a direct answer as to how many or which ones but we do have to put a sidewalk out there and okay and then the planted buffer in back of the house that adjoins the entrance.

Yes sir.

Is that going to be maintained like mode and all like that or is it thick enough that it won't so it'll be part of the open space of the community so it'll be part of the maintenance program of the HOA.

Okay.

That's all I have.

Any other commissioners have any questions?

Mr.

Mills?

Yeah I want to commend you for the bus stop as you well know I've been on these bus stops and these developments for quite some time because I'm used to it I do it every day.

But uh my the question I got now is is a minor one.

I know the buses aren't supposed to go in on the street until the the second layer of blacktop the finished layer is put put down.

Now there's definitely going to be houses built in here and it's going to be a long time before it's actually finished before that merely that second layer is finished on the on the street.

How those kids get on the bus if they if they don't let the bus go in there.

Now I know I know I'm going into development right now and I'm going on the the first layer of and it it's just as good as a finished layer to tell you the truth and I don't have any problems with it but uh I know the schools say you're not supposed to go in until the yeah until the finished layer of block top is is approved.

Yeah so Delta to your point about the being good enough on with the second or the first layer Delta a number of years ago they changed the paving section so they there they have a beefed up section now because what happens to your point is that it takes a little the the final layer is not allowed to be put on the road until you get to 75% of the units being sold or built right and that's a Dell dot control that's not up to us that's up to Dell DOT.

So what happens is the communities do have that layer missing for a long time and you you're driving on those all the time.

So what happened what Dell Dot did is they beefed up that paving section so that it could handle that better because what was happening with the older communities they really get tore up you know because it just wasn't strong enough.

So they they really have beefed up that layer.

Now to your point about the timing of everything it's a great question.

The the total area of this development is about 16, 17 acres.

The way that we see this project getting phased is our access is there and water and sewer is right there.

So we anticipate we're going to build the road network all in the beginning of the job.

So a little bit different than some jobs where you might be building in a bunch of phases we're envisioning that this entire road network gets built in one phase and then of course houses are going to come in over time and that's going to take some time to build out I believe the buses are going to be coming in here while it's waiting top layer I I know in the community I was just in I had buses in my community and it wasn't topped.

So they should be coming in there and I guess that's a question for the school district but I can't see any other option.

I understand because I'm like I say I'm going to develop it right now on the first layer and it's just as good as the second one so I'm I commend you guys for putting this bus stop in this development this is why they all should be done like this.

No problem at all.

I think Mr.

Peterman has some questions.

On that sidewalk there, you only want it on one side until you get up to the turn in the road a little bit.

Yep, we were trying to.

So uh this property here, which is the Palmers.

I understand.

Yeah, we were trying to basically just not put a sidewalk right on their driveway.

Um just so there's a little bit of buffer.

And that's why we we started the sidewalk on two sides once we got past their property.

Well, the sidewalk, if you come to a driveway, it usually tapers down anyway and up, it don't just drop off.

I'm sorry I didn't follow the question.

I said on the driveway where the sidewalk would come up there, it wouldn't just come up there and just drop off and vapor off.

I think for the protection of the children that you need a sidewalk on both sides where you for the protection of the children.

Because if they don't have that, they're gonna be they're not all gonna go to that crosswalk and go across.

Because they're kids.

That's how they that's how they act.

That's how we acted.

Uh I just think for safety reasons with children, respected children that you should have the sidewalk go all the way out.

I don't see I don't see any problem with it with the driveway at all.

Because that's where they taper them down anyway, go across the side and pick them and raise them back up.

Yeah, I mean do you have any do you have any problems with that?

No, I mean it's the look, it's the pleasure of the commission.

We were simply just trying to respect, you know, the the neighbor situation there.

Um ultimately it's this body's call, uh, whether or not we we can do it uh if you want us to.

Um, you know, I I it's your call.

Well, I'd like to see it.

It's your call as a as a body.

Uh we we would like we've requested the waiver.

Um it's ultimately your your decision.

We did put um ramps there so it doesn't just drop off, but there are ramps and things so that it does have a an ADA style crosswalk.

Okay, thank you.

You're welcome.

Denise.

I'm I'm just gonna give my opinion.

I like the fact that you're you're thinking of the neighbor that's already there and it's been there.

Um if you said that the school bus stop was there, I'd probably have a problem.

But it isn't.

So I don't have I I think it's I think it's a win-win because you moved you had the school bus stop.

Okay.

Any air commissioners have any questions for the engineer?

Thank you, sir.

Great presentation.

Thank you.

Appreciate it.

Is there anyone else here in favor of this project and would like to speak in favor?

Third and final call.

Anyone else here in favor of this project and would like to speak?

For those uh joining us online, if you'd like to speak in favor of this application, please indicate by raising your electronic hand or pressing start three if you're joining us by phone.

See no hands raised in favor online at this time, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you, Mark.

We're going to the opposition now.

Uh is there anyone here who would like to speak and is opposed to this application?

You can come up to the mic and give us your name and number, you'll be sworn or affirmed.

Hey, folks on uh my name is Samuel Voy, and we own 1682 Turkey Point Road.

It's the two parcels that's right on the other side of Palmer's.

Yeah, if if you have to use any pointer no, you'll have to go over there.

But you can't do that.

I shouldn't make sure you pull the microphone up to you.

Sorry, I'm good.

That's much better.

Okay, I the attorney's gonna talk to you.

All right.

Do you swear affirm that the testimony you're about to give will be the truth?

Yes, sir.

Thank you, sir.

All right.

Um I just want to say good evening.

I just want to thank you all for allowing me to express my concerns as a member of the community.

I'd like to uh express my overall concerns with the development and how it's going to impact not only us as a community but the members of the Turkey Point Road and my family directly.

Um as we all know, developing is at an all-time rise in Kent County, and I'd like to express my concerns about that.

One big one is our fire department uh structures that are in our county.

I talked to several members that are in Felton.

We have a decline massively on new members signing up for the fire company.

So we are going to continue.

We also have the 200 structures that were just approved on the in the fire tower, the 50 or 60 some that's going right across the road from Mr.

Palmer and myself and other members, and then we're trying to propose another 41.

I know that will allow some possible potential for new members, but if it doesn't, there we are with less members.

And in uh a difficult situation, and we get emergencies, that growth is a um really important to us all.

We also are a little bit lacking law enforcement.

Um if you go to the town system there, we only have four Felton police.

They're not allowed out to our area as we're building areas around us that are larger than the town.

There's 550 houses in the town of Felton, and right now we've approved approximately 300 houses just right around us.

So there are only four cops in town.

Our closest police station would be Magnolia, Delaware.

So I know they're out patrolling and things, but we have to concern that when you bring that many families and different types of uh culture into one spot, there could be problems, and we have to think about that as well as our protection.

I have two little children as well.

So also uh education is a big impact, and I can give you firsthand how the schools are becoming overwhelmed.

I was a teacher.

I resigned from being a teacher from the size of the classrooms, the amount of work they're putting on the teachers because of all this growth.

It is a lot, and like so as these kids are in these classrooms and the classrooms are growing larger and larger and larger, we're not getting more teachers.

We're not getting bigger schools.

We're not, I mean, the money that's coming in for the tax difference isn't enough to accommodate all that's coming.

Um also I'd like to continue to share about the um Delaware right now.

It concerns me that we're building new houses that are supposed to be affordable, but we're number two state in the whole country for foreclosure rates.

That's a little concerned that we keep building and building instead of like trying to figure out why people are losing all of our houses.

I know we're trying to do more affordable, but houses like these, these are houses that people are potentially losing and going under foreclosure.

Now I'd like to talk about a little bit how it's impacting Turkey Point.

Even though the road studies say there's 1,400 cars in the report that was given out, um, that's not going to be accurate because right across from us, we're talking 300 houses are being built roughly, get a little less.

I guess that's 200 at the end of Fire Tower was just approved, and then the 65 that uh Carl Deputy's building across the road.

So you think that's 265 houses, and also the 41 houses that they're frozen, that's 300 houses.

That's a roughly 600 cars that people will own.

Most households do have two uh people that have cars.

So that's 600 additional cars that would be going down Turkey Point or around that area, general area.

For that, it's a little concerning because the major two exit points is only peach basket, and we also have the part down by uh Plymouth.

So both of those are stop signs.

They're veer out.

There has been numerous accidents out there.

Um the accidents is definitely going to increase as you're pushing more people to go in line.

People get nervous when they're sitting at those top those stop signs trying to get out across those highways.

I've seen it firsthand.

I've been there right at Delaware Alt Exchange when a car got smoked because he was trying to push himself across that traffic.

Um it's kind of like also we have the roads are going to sorry about that.

Lastly, I'd like to talk about our properties ourselves as I own two parcels right there that's going to be adjacent to this.

Um, as board members, you guys recognize that the zonings were established for a reason.

Um they were established in our area to protect our agriculture, our nature, also our resources and our rights as people as a neighboring community.

So we bought this land eight years ago, nine years ago, roughly, knowing that it was zoned agricultural and the land behind us was zoned agricultural.

My oldest daughter is in the FFA, and we're looking at the lot as the lot that we have.

I'm sorry, I can't point behind it, but um the lot that is directly there behind where they're gonna put the six houses, that will directly impact our plans as a future of what we had there.

We wanted to bring in agricultural, which the state allows us or county allows us three livestocks that my daughter would be able to show at the Delaware State Fair.

That's gonna opportunity is gonna be taken away from her because the shelters that the animals need have to be 150 feet away from each one of those houses.

They're all the way down my property line.

There's no potential way that I can put that away from it unless it's adjacent to where I already have established crops like my asparagus, my strawberry plants, my apple trees.

So that would definitely impact my daughter's future of her career of wanting to be in the FFA, the farmers association, and stuff like that.

Um, if uh we are going to see a significant increase of noise violence in our in our area.

You gotta think that even he said to himself, three to five years, he didn't say the time frame, but three to five years roughly is what it takes to build a development like this.

So you're gonna hear noise as they sell these houses, they're gonna be building houses all day long, equipment running, beeping noises.

Just uh before the other week they had an excavator back there and near that wetland area, destroying the old tract and trailers that were back there.

I mean, so it's already beginning.

And so we're gonna have to uh and that if they sell, if the some reason the economy crashes or something, we're looking at even longer to be building those houses because they're only building one here and one there.

Um it concerns me that when we did the proposal that so there were so many highlights of the positive that it's given back to our community, but we didn't really highlight all the negative impacts that it could give to our community.

Like also, you guys mentioned the children that's out to be out there for those bus stops and stuff.

Like that's gonna change the whole demographic because we also have the community that you can see the parcels going across the road there.

Um I understand that Mr.

Garrison has a lot of time and money invested in this project and he's been moving it slowly towards this way, but when he bought that property, all of us already owned our property.

We we chose that property to be our forever home, our small farms that we've been trying to build.

We also have lots of farmers that travel up and down that road.

If and as many know, a lot of the older time farmers, they don't have these big tractors and stuff.

They're riding on the old cases and stuff like that with no open cat with all the open cabs.

There's already been an accident on that road several years back where a gentleman ran in the back of a tractor and he had the orange triangle on there.

The speeds for hitting.

Sure, I'm gonna have to ask you to wrap it up your five minutes.

All right.

Um so I just want to say thank you for the time, and I understand that he does have a lot of money wrapped up, but we do too, and this was supposed to be our forever home.

Don't push out the people that have lived here forever.

Think about that as well.

Thank you.

I appreciate it.

Any of the commissioners have any question for this gentleman?

Seeing none.

I'll open it up again.

Anybody else would like to come to the mic in opposition to this application and would like to speak.

My name's Gene Palmer.

Do I need to say I'd I'd say your address?

Okay.

Um I live on um at the entrance there, and I have concerns about cars coming.

Mr.

Palmer, you've got to be sworn in by our attorney.

That's what I asked for.

But okay.

And Mr.

Palmer, um, do you swear affirm that the testimony you're about to give will be the truth?

Yes.

Thank you, sir.

You can go right ahead.

Okay.

My concerns probably uh are selfish on my part because that entrance is right next to my driveway.

Now you're talking about a sidewalk where people are gonna be walking down, and that's not an issue.

That's on their right-of-yeah.

Uh, but I do have concerns about they're pulling out on Turkey Point.

And I know you know, Billy, that that this is traffic going down that road is 50, 60 miles an hour all the time.

They don't they're not gonna be paying attention to another 80 cars coming out of that uh uh facility, that lot behind our place.

They're gonna be coming out there.

I don't really understand what they were talking about on the turning lane.

I guess that's my fault for not understanding, but it's still gonna be a congested area going out on Turkey Point.

And um that's all.

I just wanted to voice my displeasure.

I know it's not gonna mean a thing to anybody but myself and my wife.

So that's my problem, and I just thank you for hearing me.

Thank you, Mr.

Palmer.

But I think you do have to answer a question.

Okay.

I think they were interested in know whether you wanted your driveway to go out to the development entrance, or you want to keep your driveway where it's at.

I want my driveway to stay where it's at.

You're gonna put a sidewalk right next to it, apparently.

I think that's what the engineer asked.

Am I correct?

Yeah.

Let's get this straightened there.

That's what you was asking about, right?

Mr.

Ryan.

Correct.

There were there's two components of this.

One is his driveway location, which parallels the subdivision street.

There would be an opportunity to tie that driveway into the subdivision street so you could use the subdivision entrance in and out to get to your driveway.

That's totally up to you if if you want to do that.

This up there we go.

So you can see his driveway there, entrance there.

It could connect right there, and that could go that piece of the driveway here could be eliminated.

Again, that's completely completely up to him.

Um the second part, we chose not to put a sidewalk here to give him a better buffer.

You've said you don't like that, you don't want that, so that's good.

We could also add some additional landscaping along there too, um, which is fine.

Um again, we're happy to work with you.

I mean, if you know, no is I would certainly hiss that you keep in contact with him and contact him directly after this meeting.

So that you and you and all can work everything out that's to your satisfaction.

Yeah.

Okay.

Yeah.

I understand.

That's not gonna work.

Are we okay now?

Uh no, but uh I'll still what I wanted to say, so thank you for hearing me.

Great, great presentation.

Thank you very much, Jim.

Yes, it was.

Anyone else here would like to come up to the mic and speak in opposition to this?

Please give us your name and address, and you can be sworn or affirmed.

Hello, my name's Amanda Boyd.

Um address is 1682 Turkey Point Road, right on opposite side of the Palmers.

Um Ms.

Pointies for affirming that the testimony you're about to give tonight will be the truth.

I do, thank you.

Um so I just had a question.

I mean, obviously, if this does get approved, um we border like 75% of our property borders this proposed development.

So like what like is there any like buffer for us?

Like there's been no people come to us and say, oh, can we plant trees or can we put a fence to help you out?

Or you know, like I don't know.

That's just the only thing that I had questions about.

Maybe I can ask, sir, are they buffering between the residential area and the houses that join those?

There appears to be open space in general.

Um there are not there's not a buffer that I'm seeing along the first wave of lots.

Um is there some way you could point it out?

Could you point out, please, the property that you are questioning?

We might have to have another picture up there to show so she can show us.

Um so we own this piece here, and then this is where our house is.

But all of this is where our kids play and our dogs run around.

So that's what and that was my husband was talking about.

Um like us eventually wanting to do something with that agriculturally, but um, so that that was the the property here like that.

Isn't there a hedgerow around part of your property already?

Um no, sir.

It's completely open to that one because the same farmer tills both our property and that one together when he does it.

Okay.

I think the you were talking about there's a little hedger right here on this property.

Okay.

Yeah, because it's like all right here.

So it's gonna back up.

So like all those properties are gonna back up to our I don't think they're showing any kind of plannings there.

No, they're not.

So um maybe we could ask for something.

Am I right, Sarah?

Should there not be a buffer there?

You're free to ask the applicant.

They're here.

Yeah, I'd I'd like to do that.

Okay.

Apparently we don't have them back up here, but can I have the engineer come back up again?

We can get this straightened out before he gets away.

You can see where she's talking.

Sure.

Um we didn't go ahead and use your pointer and make sure you shows.

So we're talking about just we're on the same page.

We're talking about this line, right?

There, and then around there.

Um so we didn't show we didn't show landscaping there.

Frankly, it was adjoining an open field.

Um, so it wasn't in this situation where you have a house in close proximity.

So there was a difference in the two scenarios.

Um we could look at doing some landscaping and also, you know, Mr.

Mr.

Forrest here is forced fence, so we can also accommodate a fence if that's something that might be beneficial.

So just so I understand I'm sorry.

Can I Mr.

Garvey, go ahead?

Thank you.

Just so I'm clear as to what everybody's talking about.

So that L there, you're open to either landscaping of some nature or a fence.

Or a fence, yeah.

And you can think about whether a fence or landscaping or whatever landscaping means, whether that's trees or whatever, because if you put the trees in, of course, that's gonna infringe a little bit on your property as they grow.

Whereas the fence won't infringe on your property, but doesn't offer as much visual um buffer.

So there's a choice there that you would need to decide.

We would definitely um prefer a fence if that was possible, please.

I think fence is actually an easier way to go.

So they I think Mr.

Force can accommodate that.

Do you what?

I think Mr.

Forrest can accommodate that.

Okay.

So ma'am, it looks like you're gonna we're gonna request a fence that's gonna outline your property there.

Yes, sir.

Yeah, because if we plant trees on your proper on their on their sum of their property, they're gonna overgrow or something like that and not be maintained.

The height of the fence is traditional.

And what size usually six?

How much?

Usually six, right?

Yeah.

Six-foot fence in the back of those houses.

Okay.

Glad you pointed that out.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Anyone else here would like to speak in opposition to this application?

Please give us your name and address, and you could be either sworn or affirmed.

Hi.

I'm Linda Stubbs, and I reside at 1708 Turkey Point Road.

And Ms.

Stubbs, do you swear affirm that the testimony you're about to give tonight will be the truth?

Yes.

Thank you.

I've that property that I reside in has been there since 1965.

And it's all been agriculture for many years.

But it was nice to have neighbors come in.

And but I they were spaced apart.

And this doesn't look like it's going to be spaced apart, in my opinion.

And I am also requesting fencing behind my property because I really don't want to be looking at those houses.

You'll have to go on this other one here so you can put an error up.

Customarily we don't have the engineer come back up like we do tonight, but I want to get these matters straightened out while we're all here.

Oh is that you?

So I'm here.

Looks like there's like a hedro there.

Is that is there a hydro row array in place?

Uh there is some, but not a lot.

And if you continue on, that would be this gentleman.

Ma'am, you have to get up by the microphone.

We can't hear you.

And if you can continue on, the next property belongs to this gentleman here.

And his is definitely wide open.

And I'm sure he doesn't want to look at houses either.

Yeah, I know where Mrs.

Stop is.

It's right next to Turtle Dove Lane.

Okay.

So that's it.

Okay, thank you.

Somebody else here would like to speak in opposition, like to come to the mic.

We've got a gentleman right here coming up.

Sorry, Mrs.

Palmer, you have to wait a minute.

Sorry.

Hello?

Yeah.

Go ahead and give us your name and address.

Yeah, my name is affirmed.

My name is Charles Cope.

I live at 1746 Turkey Point Road.

And sir, do you swear affirm that the testimony you're about to give tonight will be the truth?

Yes, sir.

Thank you, sir.

Okay.

Um I'm gonna get my money's worth out of whoever's controlling the screen here, just so I can get some help with the phone.

Yes.

Um I will be getting my money's worth out of whoever's controlling the screen, so bear with me.

Um the first thing I do want to call out is I heard this is my first meeting with all of you folk, and the first thing I heard was that a decision would not be made today.

So what I'm hearing by requesting fences and is this okay.

I do want to just call out on behalf of everybody here that this is the opposition, and so a fence is not what they're looking for.

We are opposed.

So I just want to be very clear about that.

Um, with that being said, uh I do have a wife.

I have two girls and a third girl on the way in October.

And we are looking to live on 1746 Turkey Point Road, right next to my mother-in-law, who lives at 1708 Turkey Point Road.

Uh you can see that's that's a majority of this development.

Um my mother-in-law has lived there with her husband for many years.

This is where my wife was raised.

And this this is our home.

This is where we will be.

What we're looking at here um to our first gentleman's point.

This is residential agricultural.

So um my mother-in-law's husband, Robert Stubbs, he was an avid gardener, and he really took care of these properties.

There's pecan trees, there's you name it, he's grown it.

It's it's really a magnificent piece of property.

One reason, just to be very blunt and not waste everyone's time that I'm very strongly opposed is look at this picture.

We have a road literally going directly into the garden.

And I'm not looking for a fence.

I'm looking for no road.

I'm looking for no house behind the garden.

I'm looking to maintain this as an oasis, as I know everyone else here is as well.

Uh residential agricultural, I understand this is less dense.

What we're seeing here is we're seeing 41 houses pop up with an average of four people per home.

That's easily 160 people.

Um he mentioned the number of cars.

This could be changing the culture of the area.

So we're not just looking at building homes.

We're looking at changing the culture of families who have chosen to spend their lives here, and even a property that has become just a family legacy that's looking to go up.

So again, I am opposed to this.

I don't want to see a fence go up.

I don't want to see a road go right into my garden.

I want to make sure that we maintain this as it has been and keep the culture alive.

Um I am actually selling my house in Maryland.

I know the market is hard right now.

And what I've seen in Felton, because I have been looking, uh, just you know, keeping up on the the real estate market, is we've had in the past month, I believe there's 90 homes for sale right now in Felton.

And in the last month, about 16 of those have sold.

So to to uh Sam's point, this will be very slow rolling, I'm sure.

We're gonna be bringing in smaller properties, we're gonna be bringing in a lot of traffic.

Uh we've got all, you know, with a lot of property comes a lot of trash, a lot of noise, a lot of light pollution, a lot of everything.

And uh personally, you guys probably just by looking at me can tell I was born and raised in the city.

I am not looking to go back to that.

So with all that being said, I again I do oppose.

If for some reason the board does decide to disrupt the culture and approve this, um, I do want to speak with uh this gentleman over here about what we can do, because I mean you you seem like a reasonable gentleman.

Um I know he would work with everybody here to make things as right as possible if we're going through with this, but unfortunately right now I just have to be very, very clear to everybody that I do not agree with this.

And I can tell you the families who have spent their lives on this on this street, they don't agree with this either.

That is all for me.

Thank you, sir, for your presentation.

And I'm pretty sure that the engineering firm won't address everybody on the west side.

Being we've asked for fencing on some of them.

You say you might not want one, but I'm gonna ask the engineer if he won't contact everybody that's on the Western R.

Well, development so they see if the fencing can help them.

I appreciate that.

But what I want to be clear about is I'm opposed to the whole thing.

I would prefer it to keep it as it is, maintain the culture and everything.

So if you guys are gonna build a cul-de-sac directly in my garden, I absolutely would love a fence, but I'm not gonna say that here because that means that I'm I'm conceding.

Yeah, this is fine if I have a fence.

I I disagree with that.

So I just want to be very clear to everybody about that.

Thank you, sir.

Appreciate your presentation.

Thank you.

Anyone else here would like to come up to the mic?

Sorry, were there any questions?

Did I I didn't hear anybody ask me for the floor?

Okay, just wanted to make sure.

Thanks, sir.

Young lady, if you'd like to come up now, we'll take your name and your address, and you can be sworn and affirmed.

My name is Debbie Palmer.

I live at 1640 Turkey Point Road.

Ms.

Palmer, do you swear or affirm that the testimony you're about to give tonight will be the truth?

Yes.

Thank you, ma'am.

I hear all this talk about sidewalks and everything.

Of course, our property is the property whose lane adjoins the right of way, which it will be the entrance and exit.

Can you hear me, Paul?

Um the entrance and exit of this development.

We are affected most of all the neighbors here.

Of course, everybody's upset.

And I'm like Charles, I don't want it there at all.

But everybody's talking about sidewalks for people.

What about uh some type of fencing that is um that will totally block our view of anybody that is coming in and out of that development?

We don't want to see any of that.

If we could have a privacy fence built, that would be something.

But um, like I said, it affects us the most and it makes me sick, and it lowers what our house is valued at.

And we are, of course, like other neighbors, probably considering on selling, which this happened to be.

It's no one else's, but my dream home that we've worked our whole life for, and my husband has built, and um it's irreplaceable to us.

That's it.

Thank you for listening to me.

Thank you for coming up.

Anybody have any questions, this young lady?

Is anybody else who would like to speak and come to the mic?

Give us your name and address.

You can be sworn or affirmed.

My name is Joseph Coco.

I live at 308 Plantation Drive.

And sir, do you swear affirm that the testimony you're about to give will be the truth?

I do.

Thank you, sir.

I've make sure you keep the microphone up, sir.

Appreciate it.

Okay.

I just want to say thank you to the to their neighbors over on Turkey Point.

They've all uh, in my opinion, voiced some interesting concerns.

Um I seem to be the sole um representative to the neighborhood uh to the plantation drive or um uh uh the plantation drive portion, which uh uh adjoins this uh property on the north, and there's been a lot of discussion tonight on buffers and and you know, I saw the 50-foot buffer they're putting in, but that whole row that that adjust that um adjoins plantation drive, um it from the way it appears, it doesn't appear that there is much buffer.

Um I don't know, it's hard to tell what what it is, what the buffer is, and then just speaking um as someone who's who's living there now, umce you know, winter time comes, once we get, you know, we get the the leaves start to fall for you know um six months, seven months out of the year, that buffer is useless because there's a clear view straight through the backyard to where the construction is now going on, you know, for the warehouses.

So, you know, the buffer, the buffer zone that they're you know, they're projecting for the for the 50-foot, I don't know what type what type of trees those would be, but you know, I it it appears that the buffer zone behind, you know, behind the row of houses on plantation drive is is even less than that and probably inadequate um um to kind of maintain consistency.

That's all.

Anyone have any questions for this gentleman?

Thank you, sir, and thank you for your speaking about plantation.

Anyone else here would like to come to the mic and speak?

Is there anybody online, Mark?

I got somebody coming up, but I'll hold him up while Mark's checking.

Hold up, minister.

For any of our guests joining us online, if you would like to speak in opposition to this application, please indicate by raising electronic hand or pressing start three if you're joining us by phone.

No hands raised online at this time, Mr.

Chairman.

Okay, sir, give us your name and address, and you can be sworn or affirmed.

Uh good evening.

My name is uh Kevin Campbell.

My address is uh 286 Plantation Drive in uh Plymouth Place Development.

Uh before you begin, sir.

Do you swear affirm that the testimony you're about to give tonight would be the truth?

I do.

Thank you, sir.

Now you can go ahead, sir.

All right, thank you.

Uh so again, thanks everybody for their input uh tonight.

Um my lot is certainly not going to be as severely impacted as uh uh the others that are here in attendance.

But as a follow-up question, uh so along the northern portion of this development, uh my lot is uh adjoining that.

And what I notice on this diagram is that currently there's a 30-foot wide easement or scar that they put through the woods to connect uh water and sewer to where settlement drive terminates currently.

Now that's not reflected on the diagram.

So right now it looks like it's just a stand of woods and it looks nice, but it's not accurate.

So again, um we're I'm getting back to that same issue that Joe brought up where along that whole northern buffer there, you know, what what will separate the two developments, you know, our backyards into the new development there because I can see a lot of the trees are going to be removed uh currently and a lot aren't there currently.

So uh, you know, I'm just looking for a little accuracy from what I'm seeing.

So that's that's my question.

Thank you, sir, for your question, and we'll make sure the engineer addresses that or either contacts you personally.

All right, thank you so much.

I don't see anyone else here have have any to come to the mic that I will open it up.

Any of the you have something to say, Mr.

Davis?

Yeah, I'd just like to uh bring up to the attention of the public.

Um the Planning Commission has to vote on these issues based upon the county ordinance.

Uh if it meets the county requirements.

Um I've been on this board for a long time.

Not only am I old, but I've been on this board for a long time.

And I hear these statements all the time about roads, fire departments.

I'm in the Forest Service myself.

Dell dot issues and agricultures, no shoulders, school districts.

Goes on and on and on.

So what I would suggest.

I don't know how this is going to turn out next week, but we'll see.

You need to get involved the next time the comprehensive plan comes out.

Sarah, do you know when that's gonna be?

It's due uh fall of 28.

So in 28.

I know it has nothing to do with this.

But I hear this all the time.

And I don't think people understand that you should need to express your concerns when that plan is re-evaluated.

I'll be the first one to tell you I agree with a lot of comments.

Schools, fire service, police goes on and on and on.

Some places are dying a shoulder on a road and putting three or four hundred houses down the road.

The reason I mention this, because you have an opportunity is to express your viewpoints.

And I think you really need to do that.

Or in this situation, another situation that comes up in your neighborhood, you need to call your county like the corkmaster.

When are you gonna slow the growth down in the state in this county?

It's a statewide issue too.

I just want to m put that on the on the table that you do have a voice tonight what the code says when we vote on it next week.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr.

Davis.

Anyone else would like to say something, Mr.

Garvey?

Yeah, I just uh I I mirror what what Commissioner Davis said.

I mean w I a lot of us have these same issues within our own community, and it's frustrating to hear people like you have the same issues that's you know that some of us have in our own communities too.

And um and we are um tied to what the code is approving.

Um this project happens to be within the growth zone and not outside of it, which makes it a little bit more of an issue.

Um there's only so much that we can do, and and and it's frustrating for us for a lot of the things that we're not able to do.

Uh one of the things though that um I know that one of the gentlemen said that he wanted to be absolutely clear that he doesn't approve this project at all, and I think that that shares the sentiment of all of you.

Um that having been said, um, there is an offer um by the the developer and the engineers to try to mitigate some of the concerns that you brought up, which is basically I just don't really want to see this thing.

If I if I gotta live with it, I don't want to have to look at it all the time.

If I gotta live with it, I don't want people walking by that I have to wave to all the time.

So one of the things that that mitigates that is the buffers.

And it's it uh seems that what I heard tonight was that the developer is interested or willing to work with you on mitigating some of those.

So uh I would really encourage you to uh to do that to the fullest extent possible.

Um so that uh at least if this thing is not going the way that you would like it to go, at least it's not as bad as it could have been.

Denise.

They actually said everything I wanted to say.

But yeah, I don't know.

The older I get, I'm getting old.

Um the one thing I realize, you know, they always say that the only thing you're guaranteed is death and taxes.

Well, they're they're wrong.

There's another thing, it's change.

And that's what's happening throughout Delaware.

Um I've been on the commission, I don't know, 20 plus years.

And there's ups and downs to the development of Kent County.

Um but the one thing that I looking at it from a completely uninvolved, which I'm not, but in uninvolved way, is that the developing that's happening is in the growth zone.

I see that, and I'm in the growth zone too.

I do see that as a saving grace for Kent County.

Not for you because you're in the growth zone.

Is that we are saving the agricultural aspect of a lot of Kent County.

And the and the foreign preservation, which is wonderful too.

But I yeah, I agree with everything they said.

I understand.

So change.

And I will say I like to thank you all for coming out and making your statements.

I know most of you here anyway, because I'm from the Felton area.

And uh we're certainly you're certainly lucky with the engineering group you got.

It's one of the top engineering groups that we deal with here.

And I know he's a man of his word, and he will probably be contacting each and every one of you.

We're asking him to do that so that you will see the buffers or the fencing go up that will help you out.

So thank you all for your time and taking time tonight to speak.

We appreciate it.

I don't think there's anybody else here or nobody online to speak.

So I think we're going to close this application until next week.

Once again, thank you.

Any other public comment?

Anybody like to say anything before they leave?

Thank you, sir.

Any commission comments?

I think all the commissioners are very proud of you tonight.

We're all in consolation.

We know what we want, but we just don't have the backing to do what we want to do except for the laws that we have to address it by.

So thank you all for what you said.

Is there any other business before the commission, Sarah?

Then I'll entertain a motion and a second to adjourn.

Motion to adjourn.

Second.

Sarah called the commission.

Mr.

Peterman.

Yes to adjourn.

Mr.

Servan.

Yes to adjourn.

Mrs.

Carter.

Yes to adjourn.

Mr.

Godfrey.

Yes to adjourn.

Mr.

Mills.

Yes to adjourn.

Mr.

Davis.

Yes and Mr.

Jester.

Yes to adjourn.

Maybe we'll see you all next week.