UPDATED: Sussex County Council Appoints New Members to P&Z and BOA
Image courtesy Sussex County Government
UPDATED – 07/15/25 – The Sussex County Council has approved new members to the Planning & Zoning Commission and Board of Adjustment. A public interview was held for each nominee during this week’s meeting. The Council unanimously approved the appointment of Jeffrey Allen, of Laurel, to the Planning & Zoning Commission. Allen is new to County government, but has served on the Laurel School Board and looks forward to serving on the Planning Commission as zoning and land use rules affect all residents and land owners. Allen will fill the seat held by Robert Wheatley, who will remain on the Commission to close out several pending matters awaiting P&Z consideration. The Council also approved Nathan Kingree to the BOA. Both were nominated by Councilman Matt Lloyd and will begin their three year terms on August 1st.
County Administrator Todd Lawson gave the Council a review of the 2025 Legislative session and some of the bills that will affect the County. Including a couple of bills that specifically target Sussex County – like SB 159 and SB 199 which deal with the electric substation that the Council denied near Dagsboro and SB 199 which delays the effective date of SB 159 until January 31, 2026. Also SB 75, which deals with local control of retail marijuana stores by the counties. Other measures that Lawson discussed include SB 176 – Building permit fee, SB87 – Accessible Dwelling Units (ADUs) and HB 222 which did not move forward – and would have could have raised the fines that the Nutrient Management Commission could charge for violations.
Image courtesy Sussex County Government
Lawson also discussed the Land Use Reform Working Group and the progress the members have made after their first 6 meetings. The group will next meet on July 24th. They will make recommendations that are ready to be drafted into ordinances and provide guidance to the Council to help prioritize the recommendations.
In Old Business the Council revisited three land use applications. Conditional Use No 2557 – on behalf of Stockley Materials, LLC. An amended application was approved by the Council. Change of Zone No 2017 and Conditional Use No 2462 – on behalf of Gulfstream Glen Cove were both approved as well. The votes for all three were unanimous.
Most grant requests are filled by the County Council with little fanfare, but the County Council heard from Millsboro Police Chief Brian Calloway about the Department’s request for funding for a K9 unit. Calloway told the Council that he’d applied for grant funding from the Criminal Justice Council and received over $6000 – then got the bill for their K9 which well exceeded that funding. A second request to the Criminal Justice Council for reverted funds (those not used by other police agencies) was also approved – after Calloway had put in his request to the County. However the County funding would not go to waste – and would be used for supplies and vet bills for the K9, which would also be available to other departments when needed throughout the county. The Council was able to grant $7000 towards Millsboro PD’s K9 unit. Calloway says the dog has been selected as has the officer who will be its handler. They will begin training at the Delaware State Police Academy in September.
In the afternoon session, two of the scheduled applications were withdrawn. A vote on Conditional Use No 2581 on behalf of Zion Church Ventures, LLC for storage/warehouse buildings, and a car wash off Zion Church Road in the Frankford area has been deferred for a week. Conditional Use No 2565 on behalf of F & N Vazquez Concrete, LLC for a concrete and masonry business in the Lincoln/Ellendale area was approved with a 5 to 0 vote.
The Sussex County Council meets again next Tuesday morning beginning at 10am at the County Administration Building on The Circle in Georgetown.
CLICK HERE FOR THE AGENDA FOR 7/22
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ORIGINAL STORY – 07/13/25 – After 2 weeks off the Sussex County Council is back in session on Tuesday morning in Georgetown. There will be two public interviews for nominees to the Planning and Zoning Commission and Board of Adjustment and County Administrator will give a review of the 2025 Legislative session as well as an update of the Land Use Reform Working Group.
Three applications will be revisited in Old Business. A Conditional Use application on behalf of Stockley Materials in relation to an existing borrow pit in the Dagsboro area and a Change of Zone and Conditional Use application for Gulfstream Glen Cove – for a residential community of 50 dwelling units in the area of Burbage Road near Ocean View.
There are four public hearings on land use applications scheduled for the afternoon session.
The Sussex County Council is scheduled to meet at 10am in the County Administration Offices on The Circle in Georgetown.
CLICK HERE FOR THE COUNCIL AGENDA