Fritz Schranck's Decade-Old Thought Experiment To Circumvent Sussex County's Abysmal Abuse Of Land Use Authority

(DE State Planning's Green Infrastructure Map)

In 2003 or thereabouts, 'midst the muck and mire of Delaware Land Use planning, DelDOT's Deputy Attorney General Fritz Schranck offered up to his fellow Delawareans an ideal, imagined new city of Brighton, just off the coast of Sussex. 

Schrank's plan was mentioned by a state official in 2005 (at this SNCCA meeting) and, as I recall, characterized as a proposal for a 2,000 mobile home city somewhat akin to Jay Sonecha's plans for the City of Bayberry. 

Sussex Councilwoman Joan Deaver shared some links yesterday that showed that description wasn't very accurate  I know a bit more about Schranck's Brighton now (see: below). He was actually trying to imagine a way out from underneath the Land Use Planning FAIL that was and is Sussex County Council.

I wonder, did Schranck's thought experiment plant the seeds for the rash of proposed new "cities" in mid-2000's rising-from-cornfields like Bayberry and Isaac's Glen and later Whitehall? 

And were these proposed absurd levels of development pressure on local facilities what made Kent County adopt an adequate facilities ordinance akin to that of New Castle's? ~

DE Supremes Say Kent Development Is "Grandfathered In" Against Adequate Facility Law; What Does This Imply For New Castle County And "Redevelopment"? 

It's 2013 and Sussex County is still stuck with a Council which operates without any kind of decent planning strategy to guide them:

Joan Deaver posted this on facebook ~ http://www.brightondelaware.us/Brightonletters.htm. This may be the only way to protect our homes, and defend against the 3 Councilmen who refuse to plan growth.

With comments ~ 

- I believe the people of Sussex County should have representation on the City Council commensurate with the population of the existing towns. The 3 Councilmen represent a very very small portion of the current populace of Sussex County. They therefore do not represent the taxpayers in a fair manner. We can have district representation without having to create new towns and add more bureaucracy!

- the towns are well run but everything outside them is run by the Sussex County Council. If you are satisfied with the council that's fine. - Governing ourselves could be "A practical solution for the rational development of eastern Sussex County's Cape Region."   - We can organize what we want and name it what we want. People in most towns pay town property tax plus county property tax (one of the lowest in the US) and they have local control. We in the county have no local control. - listen to local radio and listen to those who call in. They are reflective of the county electorate and I think they vote heavily. County voters elected councilmen like Vance Phillips, Sam Wilson, etc who run the county. Until they stop doing that you have to surmise they are satisfied with county government. 

- I agree with you about the county's appalling lack of planning. But quite frankly, I consider the coastal area of Sussex County toi be a total loss already, traffic choked and crowded, and offering little if any attraction to anyone but city tourists who knew no better when they bought into the uncontrolled suburban sprawl. Truth be told, I feel that the area along Rt. 1 from Lewes to the Maryland line and the area surrounding Indian River and down toward Milville, etc. have so little in common with the rest of Sussex that they should become a separate county. Perhapoos then we might stand a chance to save the rest from a similar fate.

• 
  

From Fritz Schranck's Brighton, DE website ~ 

Letters - Charles Valenti sent the following letter to The Cape Gazette, where it ran in the May 30, 2003 edition. It is reproduced here in full, because the Gazette does not archive its letters page. The response follows immediately thereafter. 

Don’t include Glade in Brighton plans 

In an article in last week’s issue, Fritz Schranck proposed a “new city between Lewes and Rehoboth.” Included with that article was a map that included The Glade within the borders of his proposed new city.To the best of our knowledge, The Glade was not consulted nor gave permission to Mr. Schranck to include The Glade in his map without giving it the opportunity to consider such a proposal. Camilla Conlon, reported as a Glade resident, is quoted as being in favor of this development, but she speaks as an individual and not as a spokesperson for The Glade.In other words, it is highly presumptuous for Mr. Schranck to imply that The Glade is in favor of this idea. Only by a majority vote of all Glade property owners can such an implication be quoted.Off the record, since The Glade has its own infrastructure which it operates and maintains by quarterly assessments from its property owners, it would appear that there is no advantage for them in this new city idea. It would, perhaps, induce them to subsidize a city infrastructure for others at the expense of added taxes to them but without any tangible advantages.I do not speak for The Glade but, as a resident, I refute Ms. Conlon’s implication that she speaks for all of us. By a copy of this letter, Mr. Schranck will be requested to delete The Glade from his map from any “new city” presentations without prior permission. 

Charles N. Valenti, Glade resident, Rehoboth Beach 

Dear Mr. Valenti—Thank you for your letter. I read it first in the May 30, 2003 Cape Gazette, and then received the copy that you graciously mailed to me directly. At this point in the process of developing the proposal for “Brighton” (or whatever name is decided upon) I would not presume that any specific development, such as The Glade, was definitely included in the plan.  In fact, the reporter for the Cape Gazette presented the potential city limits as far more of a fait accompli than they actually are. 

The idea for Brighton is an attempt to allow the people who live in the area to have some control over how they live.  For example, the thousands of housing units that have been approved in the last few years put an enormous strain on existing roads.  The reason for this is that all of these developments as designed, and as approved by Sussex County Planning and Zoning, involve the same few roads.  For instance, for all of the new developments on Old Landing Road put in place over the past 15 years—the Landing, Arnell Creek, The Villages of Old Landing, The Villages of Old Landing II, Cedar Valley, and now the proposed Warrington Farm parcel—the only way in and out is by way of Old Landing Road.  You can’t get anywhere unless you get on Old Landing Road. 

The residents of the subdivisions off Road 273 face the same situation.  If you live in Rehoboth Beach Yacht and Country Club, Kinsale Estates, Stable Farms, the Keys at Marsh Landing, Silverview, or the proposed new development at 3 Seasons Campground—you have to get on Road 273 and, if going north, fight for access with the crowd exiting the outlet mall.In other words, we’ve all helped create a situation in which, if you don’t use one of these few roads, you truly “can’t get there from here." 

In addition, as I’m sure you’ve experienced personally, if we want to get on or off Route One, we can’t go “the back way” anymore either because there is no “back way” or because the “back way” is now just as bad. 

The Glade may soon have the same problem.  With all the undeveloped land along Holland Glade Road, you could soon be joining hundreds of more cars using this one road every day.A municipal government has the potential to plan for managed growth in a way that existing government agencies seem unable or unwilling to do. 

As described at the proposal’s website, www.brightondelaware.us, a city government can lay out a system of streets and parkways to provide good access for its residents and visitors, and then have incoming development build to the city plan. 

In addition, the zoning codes adopted by the city can provide a more rational approach to new growth, for example by shifting some of the commercial property investments away from Route 1 and to a new downtown district. The city can also provide for other amenities, such as parks, that the private sector simply can’t except under highly unusual conditions. 

I’d be happy to address any lingering concerns you may have about this proposal after you have had a chance to review the information at the Brighton web site. Thank you for your interest. 

Best regards, Fritz Schranck/f

Introduction 

Why is it called Brighton? 

Where are the city limits? 

How does the City of Brighton proposal fit with the State of Delaware's land use policies, especially the Minner Administration's Livable Delaware initiative? 

What are the critical elements of the required plan for the City of Brighton?

• Using a Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) system to focus development and preserve open space
• Providing a real city transportation network of streets and parkways
• The Downtown District--a new commercial district, mixed with affordable residential options
• The City Park system--places for Brighton's residents to enjoy the area without being stuck in beach traffic

The Next Steps 

Media coverage

I thought I would throw in this Sea Level Rise worse case scenario image ~

~*~