Sussex County’s Planning and Zoning Commission issued an official recommendation that County Council approve a zoning permit for Tharros Village after deferring a vote on it last month.
The village set up outside of Lewes along Route 1 last fall before residents moved to Code Purple shelters for the winter. Those shelters closed March 15, and Tharros wasn’t able to reopen on time due to zoning and permitting hurdles.
Tharros leaders are holding an information session at Lewes Public Library Thursday from 5:30-7:30 p.m to update its efforts to reopen the camp.
Site director Mike Agnew said volunteers haven’t been able to stay in touch with some residents while in encampments.
“There was no incentive, frankly, because they fell into a state of depression and many of them are still there,” Agnew said. “So we keep track of them, yes… We do visit them from time to time, bringing them the things that they might need. But it's not a it's not a good situation.”
Agnew said encampments are not safe or healthy environments, and most of Tharros’s former residents have chronic conditions and no access to health care outside of emergency room visits.
The village was authorized by the state last year. Under Gov. Matt Meyer, state officials encouraged Agnew and other Tharros officials to seek county permits instead this year.
Sussex County officials have expedited the permitting process, which normally can take up to 18 months. Agnew said his team has multiple irons in the fire right now.
“We've been successful at every gate that we pass through so far,” Agnew said.
While that’s true for the county permitting process, Agnew and his team sought a temporary Memorandum of Understanding from the state to open immediately.
“The state was has been silent,” Agnew said. “We sent a letter to the state informing them of the county's offer back at the beginning of April and they've elected not to respond.”
If they were able to obtain that, County officials agreed they would honor an interim approval to open Tharros until County Council made a decision on the conditional use permit.
Tharros officials are in the process of negotiating a new agreement with the Office of Management and Budget at the state level. They hope to have the County Board of Adjustment approve a variance.
“Tharros Village needs to be at least 400 feet from the nearest dwelling, and it's right now 300 feet from the nearest dwelling,” Agnew said.
Sussex County Council will hear Tharros’s request for a zoning permit at its June 17 meeting.
