Council tables action on proposal for 170 acres

Delaware State News

CAMDEN — More than 100 Camden residents concerned with town council’s plan to annex 170.5 acres attended council’s meeting at the Camden Wyoming Fire Co. station Monday night.

Council originally planned to annex 55 percent of the 310-acre Savannah Farms property owned by Maryland resident John Dixon. The tract is along Del. 10 just past Moose Lodge Road.

However, due to the overwhelming number of people troubled by the plan, council decided to table the decision and instead scheduled a public hearing on the matter for Sept. 8.

Repeated phone calls to Mr. Dixon in Maryland were not returned Tuesday.

In a Wyoming Town Council meeting in May, 45 percent of the property was annexed into the town.

Wyoming Mayor Dale Rife said the land will be developed into a 55-plus community.

"I know 90 percent of people would like to see it remain as farmland, and I would, too, but the truth is that development is going to happen," she said.

"You can’t stop it. All you can do is make sure it’s done right."

Camden Mayor Robert Mooney said Tuesday that he wants to annex the other 55 percent of the 310 acres into Camden for the development of more than 1,000 homes, a number of businesses and a middle school.

"If we abandon the annexation, then, Wyoming will step up and do it, and I do not want Wyoming to be in the forefront," he said.

"Development is beneficial when developed in a way that it can be another quality-of-life community for Camden."

Richard Maly, a resident of the Barclay Farms development on Del. 10 in Camden, saw the agenda before Monday’s session and posted a flyer in his neighborhood clubhouse to inform others of council’s plan and to encourage them to attend the meeting.

Mr. Maly is also vice president of the town planning commission.

"I am not speaking as an elected official," he said. "I am speaking as a resident of the town. Because of the size of this development, I felt the people needed to be aware.

"They should have an opportunity to express opinions to our elected officials."

Mr. Maly said Savannah Farms is about 500 feet from his neighborhood.

A letter dated March 19, 2008, to Mayor Mooney from state planner David Edgell says upon the annexation of Savannah Farms into Camden, it is anticipated to be developed into 1,543 residential homes, 141,000 square feet of commercial space and 20 acres dedicated for school use.

Camden’s annexation committee filed a report with the town on Aug. 2, 2007, concerning the Savannah Farms property.

The report states that the annexation would cost taxpayers annually an additional $18,000 in street-lighting expenditures, $10,000 in street maintenance, $3,000 in administration costs and $30,000 in police protection.

"Some of the personal concerns I have is with the water supply. This will double the number of the Sewer and Water Authority customers. I would hate to turn on my faucet and find out I only have dribbles of water," Mr. Maly said.

"It will also be an awful lot of additional traffic, especially on (Del. 10). I am also concerned about the emergency personnel being able to get everywhere. What is the effect on fire, police and emergency medical personnel, and how is that going to be handled?"

He said the annexation of Savannah Farms means the town would double in size.

Mr. Maly said residents should be included in the decision because it impacts them in a big way.

"They want information. They want to understand, and they want all these issues to be addressed and explained," he said.

Council has not determined a time or place for the Sept. 8 public hearing. However, that information will be posted in the near future on Camden’s Web site at http://www.townofcamden.com. A notice will also be published in the Delaware State News.