Georgetown, Del., Feb. 25, 2025: Sussex County is tasking a new committee to be a force for change when it comes to future land use.

County Council, at its Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, meeting, endorsed a measure to appoint a special committee, known as the Land Use Reform Working Group, that will begin meeting in the weeks ahead to discuss ways the County can and should address the pace and intensity of residential development in southern Delaware.

Growth issues are a perennial issue in Sussex County, which has, for more than a quarter century, seen its population nearly double as new residents, particularly from surrounding areas of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, flock to its sandy beaches and a more laid-back quality of life.

The committee, which will comprise 10 members from a cross-section of disciplines and interests within the community, including affordable housing advocates, builders, citizens’ groups, developers, environmentalists, and farmers, among others, will be empaneled to discuss a broad range of topics as it relates to the County’s future land use. The committee will, in turn, make recommendations to the Planning & Zoning Commission and County Council.

“Land use and development as a whole touches every one of us,” County Council President Douglas B. Hudson said. “The Council recognizes the future is now, and that decisions we make today will long outlast any of us. So, we are going to look to these stakeholders, from a variety of backgrounds, to help us chart the best course forward for our constituents and community.”

County officials expect the committee to bring forth its first recommendations later this year.

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