Commission reviews concept for bank and small office at Atlantic Avenue; no vote taken

Ocean View planning staff reviewed application P355, a concept-level submission proposing consolidation of three Atlantic Avenue lots and construction of two one-story buildings: a bank with a drive-through and a small commercial building. The commission treated P355 as a concept review only and took no vote.

Staff asked the applicant to provide building heights and elevation information, documentary evidence from the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) that the proposed entrance location is acceptable, and a clear lot-coverage calculation that reconciles differences between cover-sheet and plan-view numbers. The staff review noted that the plan currently shows an impervious coverage calculation of about 49.8% and warned that any impervious coverage above 50% would require a variance from the board of adjustment.

Staff also called attention to the presence of an "excellent recharge Water Resource protection area" on the site (mapped by the Delaware Geological Survey) and directed the applicant to depict that area and demonstrate compliance with the town's Tier 2 protection requirements. Staff asked the applicant to revise the wetland note to reflect the findings of a wetland investigation report if that report concludes no wetlands are present, and confirmed that out-of-agency approvals and plan changes will be required prior to final land-development approval.

Alan Dector, the civil engineer representing the developer, said the conceptual plan would consolidate three parcels and place two one-story buildings on the resulting lot: a bank with a drive-through on the left and a small commercial building on the right with no specific tenant yet. He said a pre-submittal meeting with DelDOT established an entrance location and a right-turn lane; the plan includes a 5-foot bike lane and relocation of impacted utilities. To meet recharge and stormwater requirements, the team plans to use an underground chamber system and coordinate with the Sussex Conservation District on any required stormwater design adjustments.

Commissioners and audience members raised practical questions: whether underground chambers (a subsurface storage system) would be adequate to demonstrate infiltration, how a brick-and-mortar bank fits current banking trends, and whether backed-up traffic in summer months would affect site access from Atlantic Avenue's center-turn lane. The applicant said entrance geometry and traffic-control features will follow DelDOT's requirements and emphasized that detailed plan work and agency approvals will occur at the preliminary and final plan stages. The commission will take up preliminary review after the applicant submits revised plans and the necessary agency documentation.