UPDATED: Sussex County Council to Hold Land Use Reform Working Group Public Work Session on Oct 14
UPDATED – 10/07/25 – The Sussex County Council met at noon on Tuesday. County Administrator Todd Lawson handed the Council copies of the Land Use Reform Working Group’s Recommendations and Report “hot off the presses.” Lawson says that next Tuesday they plan to have a workshop to go through the report and all 20 of the recommendations. He tells the Council that some of the recommendations are pretty straight forward, others are rather “robust.” Next week the Council will hold a public workshop to discuss the Land Use Reform Group Recommendations and Report at 9:30am in the Sussex County Public Safety Complex on Rudder Lane in Georgetown. The public is also invited – and public comment will be allowed at the end of the discussion.
A second public hearing was held by the Council for the issuance of bonds to finance projects for TidalHealth Nanticoke, Inc. and certain of its affiliates. Deputy Finance Director, Kathy Roth tells the Council that TidalHealth increased the total amount of their bond and a new public hearing was needed. The original issuance was for $140-million of which $84-million would be allocated for use in Sussex County. This new bond issuance is for $185-million with $90-million to allocated to be used in Sussex County. There were no comments for or against the issuance during the public hearing and the Council voted to approve the bond issue with a 5 to 0 vote. These bonds are obligations of TidalHealth Nanticoke – not Sussex County Government. The County Government simply provides a platform for the public hearing for the bonds to be tax-exempt.
In Old Business the County Council revisited a Change of Zone No. 2025 for Northstar Properties, LLC, which was seeking to rezone a 12-plus acre property from AR-1 to C-3 heavy commercial. Council has deferred its vote on this twice – once to keep the record open to submit questions to DelDOT and receive answers and then the record was open for two weeks for the public to submit additional comments on the DelDOT response. The public record was closed on April 22. This week the Council acted on the application – approving it with a 3 to 2 vote. Councilwoman Jane Gruenebaum told the Council that this is primarily a residential area with heavily traveled roads and that the permitted uses for a C-3 zoning do not conform to the neighborhood. She voted against the application as did Council Vice President John Rieley who supported her comments. Councilmen Steve McCarron, Matt Lloyd and Council President Doug Hudson all voted for the application. Lloyd said that he was approving the application as this is an effort to allow people to live where they work and work where they live – and get some of the traffic off Route 1.
There were three afternoon land use public hearings.
The Council approved Conditional Use No. 2519 for Savini Companies who were looking to use about 5 1/2 acres of property for a general contracting and home construction business, service and professional offices and storage near Milton on Old Silo Lane near Shingle Point Road.
There was no vote by the Council on Conditional Use No. 2510 for Henry Villegas-Solis for an auto repair shop on just over half an acre on Layton Avenue off Jersey Road east of Millsboro. There has been no recommendation on this application from Planning & Zoning, so the Council could only hold the scheduled public hearing and defer their vote. The public record remains open until 5 days after P&Z makes its recommendation – then the application will return to the Council for a final vote.
The Council has also deferred a vote on Change of Zone No. 2021 for Crosswinds Landing, LLC. – for a 352 dwelling Residential Planned Community that is currently in AR-1 zoned land. This project “Swan Lake” is planned for just over 183 acres in the area between Route 54 and the Maryland/Delaware State Line in the Williamsville area. Three county residents spoke in opposition to the application. This will be revisited at a future meeting.
Next week the Council will hold a public workshop to discuss the Land Use Reform Group Recommendations and Report at 9:30am in the Sussex County Public Safety Complex on Rudder Lane in Georgetown. The public is also invited – and public comment will be allowed at the end of the discussion.
CLICK HERE FOR THE WORKSHOP AGENDA
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ORIGINAL STORY – 10/06/25 – The Sussex County Council will meet Tuesday – beginning at noon at the County Administration building in Georgetown. There will be a discussion related to the Land Use Reform Working Group’s recommendations and report.
There will be a public hearing at 12:15 on approving an issuance of bonds to finance projects for TidalHealth Nanticoke, Inc.
In Old Business, the Council will revisit Change of Zone No 2025 for Northstar Property, LLC, for a change of zone from AR-1 to C-3 heavy commercial for a 12.6 acre property between Route 9 and Beaver Dam Road west of Lewes.
There are 3 land use public hearings scheduled for 1:30pm.
- Conditional Use No. 2519 for Savini Companies for a offices and storage for a general contracting and home construction business on Old Silo Lane & Shingle Point Road in Milton.
- Conditional Use No. 2510 for Henry Villegas-Solis for an auto repair shop on Layton Avenue in Millsboro.
- Change of Zone No. 2021 for Crosswinds Landing, LLC – from AR-1 to AR-1 RPC for 352 dwellings on over 183 acres on Route 54 and Dickerson Road in the Williamsville area.
This week’s Sussex County Council meeting begins at 12pm in the County Administration Building on The Circle in Georgetown.
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