Seaford council approves loans for Martin Farms, well project, childcare site plan and awards $13.1M Headworks contract

Seaford’s City Council on Dec. 9 unanimously approved multiple financing and construction actions designed to advance water, sewer and wastewater projects and to greenlight a new childcare facility.

The council adopted Resolution R2025-06 to enter a loan with the Delaware Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund for the Martin Farms Sewer Relocation Phase 2 project, authorizing a $2,070,000, 20-year loan at 2 percent interest. Council also approved Resolution R2025-57 to enter a $1,250,000, 20-year loan at 2 percent with the Delaware Drinking Water State Revolving Fund for the Martin Farms Water Relocation Phase 2 project; staff said the water portion received roughly $300,000–$389,000 in principal forgiveness reducing the financed amount to about $861,000. Both motions were moved and seconded and passed in roll-call votes with Vice Mayor Dan Henderson, Councilwoman Stephanie Grasset, Councilman Orlando Holland, Councilman Mike Bradley and Councilman Alan Quillen recorded as voting yes.

Council also adopted Resolution R2025-08 for the Nollam (referred to in the presentation as “Nylon”) Well improvement project, a $2,700,000 loan package the presenter said qualified for 100 percent principal forgiveness. Staff explained the well project would construct two production wells and a new treatment station to address reliance on shallow wells and forthcoming PFAS requirements; a project schedule presented by staff projected design completion in April 2026 with bidding and construction through the following year.

On land-use items, the council approved a final site plan for a proposed 12,000-square-foot Title Health KinderCare at 100 Rollins Drive (parcel 331-5-13.01). Planning staff said the property is zoned R-4 institutional residential, that the Board of Adjustment granted a childcare-use variance in May 2025, and that the applicant proposes 40 parking spaces (20 required, two ADA). Councilwoman Stephanie Grasset made the motion and Councilman Orlando Holland seconded; the plan was approved in a unanimous roll-call vote. Staff noted that state approvals from the fire marshal and Sussex Conservation are still required.

In a separate action on capital work, the council followed a recommendation from GMB engineering and awarded the Seaford Wastewater Treatment Plant Headworks phase 1 construction contract to Bearing Construction, Inc. The award covers a low bid reported at approximately $13.1 million; the motion to award (Councilman Alan Quillen) was seconded by Councilman Holland and passed unanimously. GMB had presented two responsive bids (Bearing and M2 Construction) and said the engineer’s estimate had been $10.3 million, leaving a funding gap; staff described a two-step funding approach that would allow construction to begin while the city pursues additional closings or contingency adjustments to cover about a $2.1 million shortfall.

Public comment during the meeting included a resident, Jean Briggs, who alleges that required mailed notices for a nearby project were not received by residents within 300 feet and asked staff to provide mailing lists or receipts to confirm compliance; council did not resolve that request during the meeting.

Procedural next steps: staff said the Martin Farms projects are intended to be budgeted in FY27 and that, if funding is approved, the city would attempt to combine Phases 1 and 2 into a single bid for economy of scale. The Headworks contract award will allow the city to proceed with procurement and construction under the terms presented; state approvals remain pending for the childcare project.