Sussex council hears comp plan update

The biggest takeaway from the 2023-24 Sussex County comprehensive plan update is that while the number of subdivision applications over the time period is down from 19 in 2022-23 to nine this past year, the number of lots has increased to 2,557, which is the second-largest number since 2019 – subdivisions are getting larger.

Over the past five years, the Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission has approved 108 subdivisions totaling more than 10,000 lots.

The number of rezoning applications was 15, compared to 25 in 2022-23 and 42 in 2021-22. The number of conditional-use applications received was 76, compared to 68 in 2022-23 and 83 in 2021-22.

Over the past five years, 133 rezoning applications and 323 conditional-use applications have been approved.

Sussex County Planning & Zoning Director Jamie Whitehouse issued the mandatory plan update report during Sussex County Council’s June 18 meeting.

The report includes updates on compliance with initiatives underway related to the comprehensive plan, including transportation, sewer expansion, economic development, land use, new ordinances, housing, recreation and open space, and intergovernment coordination.

“The county continues to see growth across all sectors, including residential, commercial, agricultural and industrial,” Whitehouse said. “Along with this growth is a recent increase in applications for solar farms and renewable energy-related development.”

In the past two years, the county has seen more than 40 applications for these projects.

Economic development

Frankford Business Park

With the assistance of the Sussex County Economic Development Office, the developer received $1 million from the site readiness fund for site work and engineering.

At completion, the new business park, just south of Frankford on Route 113, will have 300,500 square feet of building space on 20 acres.

Among the many new businesses at the park is CP Cases from Maryland. The British company makes a variety of protective gear for military, medical, marine and more uses stemming from its background in shipping rock music instruments. The company has been able to move from shipping to manufacturing in its 25,000-square-foot facility.

Other major businesses include Chesapeake Plumbing and Coastal Trade Supply.

Western Sussex Business Campus

The 100-acre industrial park in Seaford is the result of a partnership among Sussex County Council, City of Seaford and KRM Development Corp., a company specializing in speculative building. The first phase of 44 acres and 50,000 square feet is nearing completion.

Seaford and county council inked a deal to spend $1.88 million on the first phase, with the second and third phases costing $5 million. Up to 1,100 jobs are expected to be created.

County sewer

Whitehouse said several major sewer projects have been completed, started or are being planned.

Connections to the Herring Creek district are expected to be completed by the end of the year. Under construction are sanitary sewer collection and transmission systems for Long Neck communities, Lochwood and Joy Beach.

Approved and in the queue are systems to serve Countryside Hamlet, Oak Acres, Tanglewood, Warwick Park, Pintail Pointe and Wolfe Runne. Other projects in various levels of design include Slaughter Beach and North Georgetown. Ready for design are projects in Briarwood, Indian River Acres, Bethany Forest, Beaver Dam Road and Red Fox Run.

The county has completed the easement acquisitions for the nearly six-mile transmission line from the county’s Piney Neck Regional Wastewater Facility near Dagsboro to the South Coastal facility west of Bethany Beach to eliminate the need for the Piney Neck plant.

Housing

Construction is underway for the first large-scale housing project approved under the county’s affordable rental program that was expanded in 2023. Coastal Tide Apartments, located off Plantation Road near Lewes, includes 198 units with 32 units set aside as affordably priced through the county rental program.

More than $4 million has been awarded through the county’s housing trust fund for low-income direct homebuyer assistance (down payments, closing costs) and grants to developers building affordable units.

Whitehouse said 41 qualifying residents received assistance last year.

During the year, the county expanded its home repair program with American Rescue Plan Act funding to assist 300 households with owner-occupied rehabilitation and emergency repairs, and water and sewer hookups for low- to moderate-income residents.

Open space, preservation

In 2023-24, under the cluster subdivision option in the Coastal Area, more than 456 acres of open space were placed aside in 11 developments. Open space must total at least 30% of the site area using the cluster option, which nearly all developers use.

Over the past four years, more than 1,930 acres of open space have been preserved.

During the past year, the county, in partnership with Sussex County Land Trust, purchased two properties totaling 305 acres, including the 294-acre Forest of Broadkill Preserve off Shingle Point Road outside Milton. The property, costing $1.8 million, is a mix of fields and wooded areas to be managed by the land trust.

Also purchased was the 11-acre Wright properties ($460,000) along the Nanticoke River near Seaford.

The trend continues from 2022, when the county purchased four parcels totaling 151 acres: Hopkins Preserve, 51 acres, Sweetbriar Road near Lewes, $1.5 million (50% discount from property owner Walt Hopkins); Jones Family Tract, west of Millsboro, 47 acres, $650,000; Dawson Brothers Tract, 40 acres, near the Nanticoke Indian Museum off Route 24 near Long Neck, $2.5 million; and Dorman Family Farm Preserve, 13 acres, on Herring Creek near Angola, $400,000.

Transportation

Road improvement projects in the Delaware Department of Transportation’s Capital Transportation Program supported by county officials include: Hudson Road between Route 9 and Route 1 near Milton; Route 9 between Old Vine Boulevard and Dairy Farm Road near Lewes; four projects in Redden Road corridor improvements near Georgetown; Route 24 widening and intersection upgrades from Route 24 to Love Creek Bridge near Lewes; Indian Mission road improvements near Angola; Zoar Road at South Bedford Street near Georgetown, intersection improvements; and Phillips Landing Road improvements near Bethel.

Sussex County has partnered with DelDOT to conduct the Coastal Corridors Study.

The Henlopen Transportation Improvement District was adopted in 2020 with a memorandum of understanding with DelDOT and includes 24 square miles south of Route 9 and west of Route 1.

In the district, developers must pay a fee per unit or commercial footage for road improvements.

Whitehouse said DelDOT has collected $9.6 million since 2020.

The projects last year and their contributions to the district include Reed commercial site, near Milton, $16,000; Scenic Harbor subdivision, Mulberry Knoll Road near Lewes, $52,000; Price Automotive commercial plan, Route 24, near Rehoboth Beach, $85,000; Chase Oaks subdivision, Robinsonville Road near Lewes, $101,000; AllTemp commercial addition, Lewes, $12,000; Grotto’s commercial addition, Route 1, Lewes, $1,500; and Coastal Tide Apartments, Plantation Road near Lewes. $93,000, for a total of $267,000. All numbers are rounded.

The county is working with DelDOT for the possible creation of transportation improvement districts in the Milton area and southeastern Sussex.

Whitehouse said the 2018 comprehensive plan is due for an an update in 2027-28. Work on the plan will begin this year, with public workshops starting next year.