Overbrook Town Center: What to know about the revote

Clarification: This story was updated to explain that this could be the first of many hearings about the project's new plans.

The debate over a controversial shopping center in Sussex County may finally come to a close.

Overbrook Town Center's developers got a wad of opposition from both neighbors and county council members, who struck down zoning plans for the nearly 1 million-square-foot center in 2016.

But Sussex County Council must revisit the center's plans after the developers appealed its decision last year.

After being rescheduled, a new hearing was tentatively set for April 10, but no agenda has been posted yet for county council. It could be the first of many meetings that would involve discussion surrounding the developer's changes.

In the meantime, here are three things to know about the history of the shopping center's proposal.

Background: Court: Sussex County Council must revote on Overbrook Town Center

Background: Overbrook Town Center developers float plans to build homes

The developers are floating big changes

In September, Overbrook's developers proposed a new plan that combines both residential and commercial zoning. They are hoping to reduce opposition.

The 114-acre open field between Milton and Lewes planned for the Overbrook Town Center would be split between a neighborhood of 135 single-family homes and a much smaller commercial project than originally planned.

The old plan, first presented in 2012, touted 850,000 square feet of indoor retail space, rivaling the Dover Mall and dwarfing any current commercial development in Sussex County.

A 2015 Delaware Department of Transportation traffic study determined the old project would require an overpass with an estimated price tag of $13 million. The developers offered $8 million to help offset that cost.

County Council is required to vote again

Last year, a Chancery Court judge invalidated a 2016 zoning decision that effectively blocked construction for the shopping center. Council members had voted 4-1 against the Timonium, Maryland, developer citing zoning incompatibility and pollution concerns.

Rob Arlett was the sole council member to vote for construction, arguing the need for the county to cater to the large numbers of retirees and tourists flocking to the coast.

The developers later appealed, claiming the vote was "arbitrary, capricious and not supported by the record."

Three of the four council members who cast votes against the project last year still hold seats on the council.

Overbrook Town Center garnered massive opposition

Neighbors have vehemently opposed the project, including former Milton Mayor Marion Jones; farmers who own property adjacent to the site; and a group known as the Overbrook Town Center Coalition, made up of people who live in surrounding neighborhoods.

Altogether, more than 1,500 people spoke out against the proposal, according to the county.

Many claimed the site would stick out like a sore thumb, hamper the working farms next door and threaten nearby marshlands.

This was before developers touted the new plan, but it is too soon to tell if the scaled-back proposal will reduce or maintain opposition.

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