Creekside planned along Banks Road in Long Neck
The Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission recently heard plans for Creekside, a 116-unit cluster subdivision with a mixture townhomes and single-family homes on 31 acres along Banks Road in Long Neck.
Developer Rudder Road LLC has filed to rezone the property from AR-1, agricultural-residential, to MR, medium-density residential district.
Among the proposed amenities is a community dock on Guinea Creek with 25 boat slips and a kayak launch. State permits would be required to construct the dock.
To support affordable housing efforts in the county, the developer offered to donate $3,500 for each building permit to affordable housing efforts such as the Sussex County Housing Trust Fund or Habitat for Humanity for a total of $406,000 at buildout, said David Hutt, the developer’s attorney, during a Jan. 22 public hearing.
In addition, the developer will donate $500 per permit to the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company for a total of $58,000.
Each homeowner in Creekside would be required to donate $10 per month to the fire company. The funds would be collected by the property owners association.
An abandoned building on the property was the former DuPont Friendship School for African American students, which served the community from 1922 through the 1950s, when it was converted to a private residence. Hutt said no one has expressed interest in the building so it will be razed. Hutt said the developer will erect a historic sign to commemorate the school.
The parcel is located in the county’s coastal area where development is anticipated, according to the county’s comprehensive plan, Hutt said.
Banks Road, the access road, would be improved with 11-foot travel lanes and 5-foot shoulders. Plans show a walking path, pool, clubhouse, a 30-foot vegetated perimeter buffer, sidewalks on both sides of all streets, 12 acres of open space, and a 100-foot buffer of mostly existing forest adjacent to tidal wetlands along Guinea Creek, which borders the property.
Solutions IPEM engineer Jason Palkewicz said other improvements are planned along Banks Road to be funded by the developer of Keystone Bay, a 675-lot subdivision on 311 acres, which was approved by the commission in April 2024.
Sewer would be provided by Sussex County and water by Tidewater Utilities. Hutt said the subdivision is a fill-in project surrounded by development with various zoning classifications. The attorney said some residents have expressed concerns about traffic, buffers and the marina.
He said DelDOT has designated traffic as a minor impact, and a buffer of 30 feet would be placed between Creekside and the adjacent Creek’s End community that does not have perimeter buffers. He said houses would be built at least 50 feet from the property line.
Hutt said contrary to concerns about the marina, there is enough depth for boats.
Commissioners deferred a decision to a future meeting. The public record was left open to add an updated site plan, which was submitted by the developer prior to the meeting, but was not posted by county officials.
Sussex County Council has scheduled a public hearing during its Tuesday, March 25 meeting. Hearings will get underway at 1 p.m.
