Sussex County Council amended its future land-use map for the Reed Farms site on Gravel Hill Road near Milton during its April 21 meeting.

The vote to reclassify the property from low density – classified for rural, farmland areas – to a developing area, which is a higher-density growth area, passed 4-0. Councilman John Rieley was absent from the meeting.

Council held a public hearing Jan. 6 on the request for the 67-acre site on the west side of Gravel Hill Road, 300 feet south of Route 16.

Neighbors were upset they did not get a chance to comment on details of development plans, which they believe include heavy industrial uses. Discussion was limited to map changes, which do not take into consideration specifically how the land will be used.

This was the second time an application for the property has been considered by council. In April 2021, council rejected the same map amendment request and a proposal to change the zoning of the site from AR-1, agricultural-residential, to H-1, heavy industrial.

The property owners took the county to court to challenge its decision only on the future land-use map amendment. They did not contest the zone change decision.

After nearly four years of litigation, the Delaware Court of Chancery ruled in July that Sussex County Council had to hold a new hearing on the map change.

The zoning remains AR-1, limiting development to no more than two houses per acre. Any other project would require approval by county council, either through a zone change or approval of a conditional use.

“This is in no way a change of zone,” Councilman Steve McCarron said before the map change vote. “That is a process that would require an application, its own public hearing and plenty of public input.”

McCarron said he backed the map change proposal under consideration by council at its meeting.

“The property is on the outskirts of Milton on an improving road,” he said. “I believe this change is acceptable.” 

No additional comments were offered by council members before the vote.