Delaware State News
DOVER — A Wal-Mart Supercenter that has long been planned east of Cheswold cleared one of its last hurdles recently when the Kent County Regional Planning Commission voted to recommend conditional approval of a Comprehensive Signage Plan for the retail center where the massive store will be built.
Meanwhile, less than five miles south of the site, the Dover Wal-Mart is already up for sale. The 118,000-square-foot store is listed at $7.5 million, according to George Schmitt, a Realtor with CB Richard Ellis in Wilmington.
"It’s (on the market) because of the new one coming to Cheswold," he said.
The Cheswold Wal-Mart will anchor a 37-acre retail center known as McGinnis Green on the east side of U.S. 13 just south of Simms Woods Road.
Kent County Levy Court more than a year ago approved the center’s conditional-use site plan, which included a 225,000-square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter. The retail giant’s revised floor plan has been scaled back by 30,000 square feet.
Because 27 signs are planned at McGinnis Green, applicant/owner Cheswold Village LLC was required to submit a Comprehensive Signage Plan.
Kent County Levy Court will hold a public hearing and probable vote on the Signage Plan, which calls for eight wall-mount signs on the store itself, on Tuesday night.
In a hearing before the planning commission on the signage plan this month, architect Gabe Massa said construction of the Supercenter could begin in the next couple of months.
"We are very excited about starting construction," Mr. Massa said. "We’re ready to start digging a hole."
Constantine F. Malmberg, attorney for the applicant, told the planners that Wal-Mart wants to erect two pylon signs — or signs on a pole — along U.S. 13 in front of the site.
"I don’t know of a Wal-Mart that hasn’t been able to be found yet," replied planning commissioner Dave Bonar.
One of the conditions for approval of the Signage Plan is that monument signs be used instead of pylons.
Even though the Cheswold Supercenter will eventually put the North Dover Wal-Mart out of business, the Sam’s Club retail warehouse next door will continue operation, Mr. Schmitt said. The two stores are separated by Crawford Carroll Avenue, a road named for the former mayor who is widely credited with spearheading Dover’s retail renaissance in the early 1980s.
Mr. Schmitt predicted that the Cheswold Wal-Mart will cater to a growing residential market.
"With all the developments going up in South Smyrna, the residents have no choice (for shopping) but to go south," he said.
Glenn Towery, a resident of the nearby neighborhood of Eberton, addressed the Regional Planning Commission to express his opposition to the Signage Plan, saying ambient light from nearby Royal Farms has already altered the quiet, rural character of the neighborhood.
"I moved here in 1985 because we were looking for a nice, quiet, out-of-the-way neighborhood between Smyrna and Dover, but how many Wal-Marts do we need?" he said last week.
"This used to be called slower Delaware but it’s not anymore," said Mr. Towery, 56, who added that he shops at Wal-Mart "too often."
"If I ever won the lottery or something, I’d get out of Dodge in the blink of an eye," he said.
