Sussex County Council ap-proved the expansion of the South Coastal Library's parking lot on Sept. 17, 2002 and to date the only real expansion has been the mosquito population.

Heavy rains have put an extended delay on the parking lot expansion, which has been put on hold because of excess water that has turned the under-construction lot into a small pond. As many southeastern Sussex County residents know, standing water at this time of year can quickly become a breeding ground for mosquitos.

Rikki Knab, a nearby resident, said she and her husband, Philip, have called nearly every agency they thought might be able to help.

"If it's in the phone book, I called them," said Knab. "Every person I talked to DNREC [Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control] told me it was someone else's department."

According to Knab, county officials sent someone out to look things over, commiserated with the residents' plight, but could offer no solution.

Knab said she would like someone to drain the water into a nearby ditch to help combat the mosquito problem.

That would be a wonderful solution, said Julie Cooper with Sussex County Public Works. However, it won't happen because there is nowhere for the water to go and there are federally protected wetlands in the adjacent woods.

"We can't do anything about it," Cooper said. "Well, it is the weather and there's nothing that can be done. Hopefully the weather will improve by summer. If not, we better build an ark."

She said county officials are monitoring the site on a weekly basis and have measured the water levels. Cooper also said she believes the water was a foot deep at one point during the winter, but was not certain of the exact depth.

"We want it finished even more than the residents do," Cooper added.

But Philip Knab said he thinks if officials wanted to drain the water they could.

He said there is a drain pipe that borders the property, then goes under his driveway. About six weeks ago, someone came out and made some markings on the ground, then asked Rikki Knab when would it be all right to tear out that pipe. She told them they could remove it the next day as she and her husband were going out of town for a few days.

No work was ever performed on the drain pipes as far as the Knabs can tell.

"Unfortunately, you have kids playing in [the ponded water]," he added.

The couple said they are hoping some official will be able to relieve their plight and get the water moved.

"Not only does it flood, but it's created a back-up in the area," Rikki Knab added. "Our home has suffered. To what extent, I don't know. I won't know until they get the project finished."

Damaged homes may be more costly than replacing drain pipes and pumping the water out if any agency or company is found liable for damages.

The expanded parking lot will provide an additional 40 spaces for visitors to the library, bringing the number of spaces to 70. The project is fully funded by the county at $142,738.

Maria Taylor, an information officer with DNREC that also oversees Mosquito Control, said officials from the that agency have talked to the Knabs and plan to visit the site sometime in the coming week. She said they are backlogged with jobs because of the excessive rain that has put mosquito spraying on hold.

Taylor said officials will examine the site for mosquito larvae and, if needed, will treat the water.

"We don't deal with the drainage issues," she said, adding they could contact those in charge of the project and advise them to address the problem.

"Our house is swarming with mosquitoes," Rikki Knab said, hoping someone can help alleviate the problem.

Reach Roxann Moore at (302) 537-1881, ext. 108, or by e-mail at mailto:rmoore@smgpo.gannett.com

Originally published Wednesday, June 18, 2003