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Sussex officials aim to update manufactured home regs

Proposed amendments to code would reduce confusion and cut red tape
August 26, 2019

Sussex County officials want to update code relating to manufactured homes and temporary structures.

Proposed amendments to code would cover temporary manufactured home-type structures for construction and model home/lot sales and manufactured home placement in AR-1, agricultural-residential, zoning.

Sussex County Director of Planning and Zoning Janelle Cornwell said a business or developer wanting to use a temporary trailer must apply for a special-use exception with the Sussex County Board of Adjustment, pay $400 and appear at a public hearing. Under the proposed ordinance, use of a temporary trailer would be a permitted accessory use without an application to the board of adjustment. In addition, the director could grant time extensions past a two-year deadline.

Under current code, in AR-1 zoning, a manufactured home not in an established park must be placed on a minimum three-quarter-acre lot not in a subdivision and can't be more than five years old. In addition, multi-sectional manufactured homes are not permitted.

Under the proposed ordinance, Cornwell said, manufactured homes, including multi-sectional, double wides, etc., could be placed on any size lot not in a subdivision in AR-1 zoning. The amendment would apply only to lots where manufactured homes had not been placed before.

She said double-wide homes can replace existing single-wide homes.

“This would reduce confusion,” she said.

Councilman Sam Wilson of Georgetown asked whether the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control would allow manufactured homes without central sewer service to be placed on three-quarter-acre lots. Cornwell replied that DNREC could grant a waiver to allow homes on smaller lots with individual septic.

While Cornwell suggested a change up to 10 years in age for homes, on a recommendation from Councilman Doug Hudson of Dagsboro, council said 15 years would make more sense. Cornwell said council can amend the age of homes based on public comment.

In addition, proposed changes would allow administrative approval for construction of garage studio apartments, placement of manufactured homes in emergency, hardship situations and the use of manufactured home-type structures for business, commercial or industrial use.

Administrative approval would do away with the need for an application for a special-use exception. However, adjacent property owners would still be notified of any proposed projects.

Cornwell said adjacent property owners would have 10 days to express concerns. She said concerns would trigger a board of adjustment public hearing.

New ordinances will be scheduled for public hearings before Sussex County Planning and Zoning Commission and county council.

Cornwell said all other regulations relating to manufactured homes would remain the same, including how they are placed on lots, tied down and connected to utilities. “They must meet the housing code, and they are inspected multiple times before a certificate of occupancy is granted,” she said.

 

 

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