LWVSC Action Alert to support an amendment to the current Cluster Subdivision Ordinance

LWVSC Action Alert to support an amendment to the current Cluster Subdivision Ordinance

League of Women Voters of Sussex County, DE
Time Range For Action Alert: 
November 21, 2020 to November 30, 2020

 

The League of Women Voters of Sussex County is asking Sussex residents to voice their support for an amendment to the current Cluster Subdivision Ordinance that will extend its provisions to the Coastal Areas where they currently do not apply. These areas are included in Council Districts 3, 4, and 5. As it stands now, developers wanting to cluster aren’t required to meet the same conditions as the non-coastal areas of the county.

Sussex County Council has scheduled a public hearing on December 1, 2020, for discussing the extension of the cluster ordinance to coastal areas.

Ord. 20-05 – The Coastal Area
AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 115, ARTICLE XXV, SECTION 115-194.3 OF THE CODE OF SUSSEX COUNTY REGARDING THE COASTAL AREA

The following information was provided by the Sussex Alliance for Responsible Growth (SARG):
SARG supports the amendment to the current Cluster Subdivision Ordinance to eliminate the two pathways for a Cluster Subdivision option and to immediately standardize the process for applicants to utilize the specific design criteria currently contained in Section 115-25F (3) of the Sussex County Zoning Code.
Three key reasons for adopting the cluster ordinance:
1. It standardizes the “Superior Design Element” requirements to qualify for Cluster status across the County by applying those requirements to the Coastal Area Overlay zone rather than just AR1 land outside of the Coastal Zone.
2. Acts to more fully implement the Future Land Use Vision in the 2018 Comprehensive Plan “to provide for balanced and well-planned future growth and development that supports the County’s economic development goals while preserving the rural character of the County and its natural resources." The vision was not designed to apply just to certain parts of the County; it must be consistent for the entire County.
3. Is consistent with strong public sentiment as expressed in a SARG public survey; over 93% of the respondents were in favor of the proposed amendment to make “superior design” mandatory for all Cluster developments.

For more information about this issue go to these links:

Voice your support for an amended Cluster Subdivision Ordinance that will extend cluster development rules to the Coastal Areas, as has been in effect for the rest of Sussex, and substantially updated in 2019 by Ordinance #2658 . This would standardize the process for applicants throughout our entire county.  

Or write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper using one of these links:

 

Issues referenced by this action alert: 
Natural Resources