The Land Use Reform Working Group in Sussex County finalizes its recommendations for county council.
Nine of 10 members of the working group supported the final package of 20 recommendations voted on last week.
Updates to land use mapping, consideration of existing density, defining “missing middle” housing types, and establish clear standards for rezoning were among the recommendations
Members believe the changes offered can help protect the environment and local ecosystems by de-incentivizing development in sensitive areas while encouraging development in already built upon spaces.
Christophe Tulou is the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays executive director and working group member.
“I think the biggest recommendation, basically, is that the county clearly define what they believe is a growth area and where they don’t. And one of the key drivers for the decision where to have that growth take place, is that’s where the infrastructure is. That’s where the roads already are.” he told DPM.
Recommendations also include proposed changes to land use mapping and defining and encouraging “missing middle” housing types.
Tulou says the package is designed to be accepted as a whole, noting that several suggestions are contingent on other changes in the package also being implemented.
“The implications of doing land use badly are that you are compromising those natural values and those system services that actually sustain all that is attractive about living in Sussex County.” he said.
Tulou says the group brought their full package together over the course of around six months, and believes they were able to make a “significant” amount of progress in that short amount of time
Tulou expects Sussex County Council to consider the suggestion package “in the near future”
