No
Paving
Over
Our
People
Jan. 7, 2008
Carolann Wicks, Secretary, Delaware Department of Transportation
800 Bay Road, P.O. Box 778, Dover, DE 19903
Dear Secretary Wicks:
We are a coalition of 5 Homeowner Associations representing 1,119 homeowners, 32 individual property owners, and 2 Churches representing 90 Church members. This is a total of 1,241 property owners and church members. Our properties abut Plantation Road from Route 9 to Route 24. This area is better known to the Delaware Department of Transportation as the "Orange Alternative" of the proposed Western Parkway.
WE ARE OPPOSED TO THE ORANGE ALTERNATIVE WHICH WIDENS PLANTATION ROAD TO A FOUR-LANE HIGHWAY FROM ROUTE 9 TO ROUTE 24. THE WESTERN PARKWAY IS A ROAD TO NOWHERE. THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE WE SUPPORT IS THE “NO BUILD ALTERNATIVE.”
We are being told that there has been no decision made concerning which alternative will be selected for the Western Parkway. In the meantime, DELDOT has already taken property from homeowners abutting Route 24 and Plantation Road and widened that intersection in order to more easily feed traffic onto Plantation Road. Deals are being made with developers to deed land along Plantation Road to the State.",,,
..."We are being told this alternative would be good for us - "a relief route for locals"-connecting Route 1 and Route 9 to Route 24. DELDOT has already renamed Plantation Road as Route 1D and there will be some loss of homes adjacent to Route 24 and Plantation Road. We believe that DELDOT is planning the Orange Alternative to encourage through summertime traffic onto the Route 1D alternative in order to relieve the traffic on Route 1 from Route 9 to Route 24. This will only cause more problems for locals as we try to enter and exit our communities and churches.
In summary, Plantation Road traffic is becoming a nightmare. It cannot handle any more traffic because it bottlenecks at both ends, particularly at Route 24. The alternative should be to find ways to get traffic off of Plantation Road, not add more traffic to it.
Consider that the purpose of the road, if Plantation Road is decided upon, is merely to move traffic down about a mile or so to Route 24 and then have it rejoin the Route 1 traffic. We think that on closer analysis, it takes on the appearance of a placebo to quiet those who demand some sort of action from DelDOT but achieves virtually nothing in terms of a measurable objective.
We are formally requesting support from our County, State, and Federal elected officials. We are not an incorporated town such as Bethany and Lewes with local representatives to fight for us. We are tired of watching the uncontrolled development surrounding us coupled with late and poor planning of roads to accommodate tourists.
We are never consulted about land use plans nor road plans. The first we know it is happening is when the surveyors and construction companies show up. We live here, we pay our taxes, and we have organized in order to establish a group who will become active in representing the existing homeowner and church interests. In the future, we want to be notified of all “workshops", meetings, and in particular public hearings. We understand that federal regulations require a public hearing that will allow all attendees to testify.
We will be individually contacting our elected officials in the near future to schedule meetings with our Coalition. We can be contacted through the leaders of our group, Betty Deacon (302-644-4303), and Joan Deaver (302-645-6657).
Thanks in advance for your support and consideration of our concerns.
cc: Sen. Thomas Carper
Sen. Joseph Biden
Congressman Michael Castle
Gov. Ruth Ann Minner
Lt. Gov. John C. Carney, Jr.
State Treasurer Jack Markell
Ins. Commissioner Matt Denn
Sen. F. Gary Simpson
Sen. George Bunting
Rep. Peter C. Schwartzkopf
Rep. Joseph W. Booth
State Planning Director Constance Holland
Councilman Lynn Rogers
Donald Plows, P.E. Project Manager, DELDOT