A Sussex County committee examining land use policy continues to discuss recommendations for County Council.
As Sussex County contends with rapid growth, county lawmakers established a Land Use Reform Working Group to look at the county’s zoning laws and land use plan.
Earlier this month, working group members spent significant time discussing how to protect existing trees in the county. Jon Horner with the Delaware Home Builders Association, a member of the working group, says developers need incentives to preserve existing woodlands.
“Somebody that has a fully wooded parcel, we don't want to deprive them of all economic value, but we want them to be incentivized to develop it in a way that is going to preserve as much of that as possible," he said.
That led to one of several larger discussions on open space. Jill Hicks with the Sussex Preservation Coalition called for the return of a controversial ordinance that was eliminated in 2018.
That ordinance required developers of so-called “cluster subdivisions” - which put houses on smaller-than-normal lots in order to preserve green space - to calculate the total number of lots allowed, assuming a 20,000 square foot lot size. That would be the maximum number of houses allowed at a smaller lot size, leaving more room open for conservation.
The Land Use Reform Working Group is also vetting a recommendation to let agricultural support businesses build in agricultural-zoned areas.
Jay Baxter with the Delaware Farm Bureau, a member of the working group and a Sussex County farmer, was supportive of the idea.
“There is not one single industrial farm in Sussex County, and we're very proud of that point," he said. "But we need industry to provide our products to, otherwise we're not going to grow our products and our land is going to go up for sale.”
Expanded uses could include equipment repair, farm stands, and processing facilities.
The working group is set to meet again Thursday, when members are expected to continue finalizing recommendations.
