Jud Bennett Writes: More On The Carrying Capacity Study For Lewes

Managing Growth Around Lewes (MGAL) further explains its position on the "Carrying Capacity Study". The Coastal Network is happy to forward all e-mails concerning Lewes to all interested parties. Please read below:

MGAL does not think it fair or productive to impune the motives of the Mayor and City Council regarding the carrying capacity traffic study. It should be assumed that they operate only with the best interest of the City, as they see it. It is that judgment, not their motives, that deserves another look.
That is what we ask of Mayor and Council: to take another look at the proposals received and see if they meet the long-sought objective of the citizens of Lewes:
A carrying capacity study has been sought since it was originated by then Deputy Mayor Jim Ippolito some four years ago with backing by Rep. Booth, Sen. Simpson and the DRBA. When Ippolito retired after 16 years in Lewes government, the study went into limbo until 2007.
In November 2007, the study was revived when MGAL requested Rep. Booth to revive funding for Ippolito’s carrying capacity study to help defeat the proposed half-million SF Lingo/Townsend regional shopping center at the gateway to Lewes. Thanks to Rep. Booth, Sen. Simpson and others, Lewes has now been allocated $50,000 to complete the study (and another $10,000 by DRBA to study a jitney service). The Mayor wisely wants to execute the contract quickly, before the promised funding is “taken back”, with the deepening recession.
The present proposals place all their focus on transportation, which are all state roads the City cannot control. DelDOT should do those studies.
The single-minded focus on transportation based mitigation may unnecessarily result in proposals to compromise the historic character of our streetscapes exactly what we don’t want—while being silent on the land use-based mitigation that should be rightfully required of developers. This is exactly the opposite of the integration of land use and transportation that planning professionals call for.
As of Friday, the Council was scheduled to vote Monday night on the study.