Sussex officials will set priorities from workshop

Sussex County Council and members of the Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission have received a list of possible code amendments and additions relating to their Sept. 21 joint workshop.

At council's Oct. 10 meeting, County Administrator Todd Lawson said it's up to officials to prioritize a list of possible changes to code from the least to most important.

“We'll do them one at a time,” he said. “It's going to be a process. Stay tuned, because we will be back.”

Any drafted amendments will require public hearings.

Sussex officials will prioritize amendments proposed by staff and the public for each of the following topics:

Buffers

Goal: Develop new buffer requirements; improve standards to preserve existing vegetation/trees in buffer areas.

• Make all buffers the same as to measurements and planting requirements

• Establish new buffer planting standards with input from Delaware Department of Agriculture and local landscaping engineers

• Allow berms in buffers along road frontage

• Require silt fencing during site work installation before grading

• Create buffer area to preserve root structure or increase width of buffers

• Create access points for buffers maintenance

• Create standard signage/delineation requirements

• Establish buffer installation timing requirements for buffers to be installed and inspected before first building permit is issued

• Improve inspection and enforcement with new fines and violation process

• New bonding standards to ensure compliance.

Forest preservation

Goal: Develop new requirements for residential development to encourage and/or require forest preservation.

• Require pre-development forest/woodlands assessment prior to site work

• Develop incentives for preservation, including multifamily housing and density bonuses

• Develop woodlands retention percentages based on density

• Create access points for maintenance

• Import selective cutting and maintenance language from the resource buffers ordinance

• Accept off-site forest conservation easements in the same county hundred to offset tree removal

• Develop forest impact fee to be used for land conservation

• Improve inspection and enforcement with new fines and violation process.

Open space

Goal: Update open space definition and requirements

• Determine county goal for active and passive use

• Update list of permitted uses and non-permitted uses of open space

• Determine if 30% open space is enough.

Interconnectivity 

Goal: Update interconnectivity requirements; require on-site signage and notation on recorded final site plan; require interconnective roads to be state maintained.

Superior design

Goal: Update superior design and subdivision standards.

• Establish superior design standards for all subdivisions

• Improve the superior design ordinance

• Require a yield plan calculation for cluster subdivisions.

Other action

Goal: Update specified code sections and possibly develop new code.

• Require 8 to 10 feet of undisturbed land around stormwater management ponds with Sussex Conservation District input

• Consider new rules for notice-to-proceed timing related to preliminary versus final site plan

• Standardize subdivision construction hours

• Require trash bins and roll-off containers to have covers

• Consider new rules for subdivisions with housing on two sides of one road

• Delete detached from accessory dwelling units requirements; review 800-square-foot reference; review other options, including park models

• Establish designated meadow requirements

• Improve mobile home requirements for single- and double-wides.