A retired Army colonel who for more than three years has fought state and local authorities over the development of a large piece of land near his quiet Lewes home lost his final legal battle Thursday in the Delaware Court of Chancery.
The land, once owned by the University of Delaware, had been sold to the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and the portion nearest Gerald Lechliter’s property was leased to the city of Lewes for use as open space. In three separate lawsuits, Lechliter represented himself, challenging many uses of the 66-acre parcel—which included access to housing developments, recreational hunting and the installation of a large wind turbine.
