This story has been updated to indicate a recommendation decision was deferred.
Sussex County’s Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing Wednesday on permitting a tent city for people experiencing homelessness.
The Commission voted to defer a vote on a recommendation for County Council to approve a land use permit to the community after hearing from a supportive crowd.
Tharros Village – also referred to as Camp Tharros – is a low-cost, self-governed and state-approved community that was set up outside of Lewes along Route 1 last fall. It served 28 residents.
After operating under state approval last year, Tharros now needs sign off from the county and has not been able to welcome residents back since winter shelters closed. Tharros was supposed to reopen March 15 this year but awaits approval from the county.
“Tharros is rooted in the values of dignity and stability and community building. It is not only responsive to local needs, but it is a responsible use of existing resources and partnership,” Tharros site director Mike Agnew said.
The public hearing saw 39 attendees in favor of County Council approving a conditional use permit. No attendees attended in opposition.
One problem is a county regulation that requires Tharros be no closer than 400 feet to another dwelling, but Tharros is about 275 feet away from a dwelling and is unable to move back because of a treeline, according to Agnew.
The main purpose of the hearing was to defend the particular location along Route 1 to county officials.
“Why this particular address? And this address is kind of unique,” Agnew said. “Remember that it's 7.2 acres. There's a large buffer there, and we would say that it's state owned. We don't have to negotiate a price or enter into a lease. The state has given us a $1 lease and a Memorandum of Understanding last year that we hope to continue this year.”
Tharros volunteer Gene Tranor said the resources at the site along Route 1 are why they need that specific plot of land. It includes easy access to Beebe Healthcare workers, portable showers and toilets, trash collection and case management assistance.
“Where else on Route 1 between Lewes and Rehoboth can you find immediate access to Route 1 to a paved spot, cleared out area owned by the state or some government municipality that will give it to us for $1 – work with us, provide fencing, do all these things with so little capital investment?” Tranor said.
The state is prepared to lease the land out to Tharros for $1. Sussex County Council is slated to take up approving Tharros’s permit June 17.
Until then, Tharros residents are largely living in encampments without the resources the site provided them. That includes access to health care and contact with health care professionals.
“Throughout the winter time, we had a continuation of case management since we opened Tharros last October until Code Purple closed on March 15,” Agnew said. “And then it was abandoned. In addition to that, we also lost the ability for Beebe Healthcare to contact them as patients.”
Residents also had and lost access to storage lockers.
Agnew said the last two days have been eventful for Tharros. There is a paved lot on the property that Agnew said they were not granted permission to use.
Agnew wrote to DelDOT’s secretary to push for that permission, which would allow for emergency services to reach the community. That rejection was rescinded, and Agnew said Tharros will now be able to use the paved area.
Agnew and the hundreds of volunteers involved with Code Purple hope for the Tharros to be a fair weather village open to residents for nine months of the year.
The City of Lewes awarded Tharros an ARPA grant to fund a fence around the property, Agnew said.
“Unlike an encampment, each of our residents gets permit, and with that permit, they actually own that 20 foot square piece of land,” Agnew explained. “And if there's disruption in the camp, they can call 911, and DSP will come out, and they won't throw the baby out with the bath water.”
Tharros is self-governed by its residents and will receive help from Tharros and local volunteers. Agnew said this model has served residents well in the past.
“What's interesting in this self-governed model, everyone recognizes the value that they're getting. This permit is really coveted by these people, and they're going to protect it. And if there's a disruption, they want the disruption to end. If there's one bad behavior or one disruptor, they're going to throw them off the island.”
Tranor added that residents need to be treated with respect.
“If we thoughtfully think about a 12-month process and work backwards and say ‘how far back do we need to go on our approval process?’, assuming we all like it, to start it so that we don't lose anything,” Tranor said. “[So that] the guests aren't scattered. They're there. It's seamless for them. That's how we preserve their dignity.”
The permitting process normally takes 18 to 24 months, according to Agnew. But County Council is expediting this process to about three month’s time. Tharros will have to plan on renewing the permit by next spring.
When decided, the Commission’s recommendation will be taken into account at County Council’s June meeting.
