State planners to address Sussex Preservation Coalition Jan. 9
The Sussex Preservation Coalition will meet from 7 to 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 9, at the Lewes Public Library and via Zoom.
The meeting kicks off the coalition’s 2024 monthly programs that bring together local citizens with key decision makers and environmental experts to discuss residential development growth and its impact on the local environment, habitats and quality of life.
The Office of State Planning Coordination and its report on growth concerns in Sussex County will be the focus. Dave Edgell, OSPC director, and Dorothy Morris, OSPC principal planner, will keynote the Jan. 9 session. The OSPC is the primary point of contact between Delaware’s local governments and the state government on planning and land-use issues.
Its recently released annual report found that most developmental growth is in Sussex County, especially in coastal areas, and home prices are so expensive that middle-income households as well as the poor struggle to find affordable homes. For 2022, residential development applications in Sussex County grew by 101%, the highest level in 14 years. Also, a disproportionate amount of new housing for Sussex County was planned in so-called Level 4 areas designated for conservation and preservation. The report says there is a long-term cost burden for developing in Level 4, and the loss of natural land is counterproductive to the state’s quality-of-life and environmental protection goals.
To view the full report and its recommendations, go to sussexpreservationcoalition.org.
SPC is a coalition of individuals and local environmental groups in Sussex County dedicated to preserving and protecting local ecosystems. Its mission is to increase the impact of groups and individuals by working together to educate, organize, advocate and act.
