Sussex officials look at master plan zone

Following up on a goal in its 2018 comprehensive land-use plan, Sussex County officials are taking steps to establish a master plan zone to provide property owners with an option to develop large mixed-use commercial and residential projects on sizable parcels with one application.

At the Feb. 16 Sussex County Council meeting, assistant county attorney Vince Robertson and Sussex County Planning and Zoning Director Jamie Whitehouse updated members on the status of a proposed ordinance to establish the new zoning district.

Whitehouse said the zone would provide for residential, commercial, professional and office space and civic development on one tract of land with interconnectivity within the development and with state roads. Open space would also be a component of the zone.

Robertson said more flexibility for design and density would be permitted in the new zone.

Currently, Robertson said, development is occurring piecemeal. “There is nothing to join it together in a design way or with interconnectivity. This ordinance helps achieve that,” he said.

During the application process, among other submissions, a developer would be required to provide a master plan manual describing existing natural features, nearby development precedents, road circulation, housing types, density, open spaces, accessory structures with landscaping, stormwater management, lighting, and signage design plans.

Robertson said the new zone would consolidate the application process.

“Instead of having multiple and separate subdivision applications, separate conditional applications for multifamily, and then another application for commercial zoning districts, it could all be consolidated into one MPZ application so that the whole thing is one integrated project and design with interrelated community areas, interconnected roadways and sidewalk-path systems, and open space,” he said.

County Administrator Todd Lawson said the county has been approached by a developer interested in master planning for a parcel along the Route 24 corridor.

The zone would not replace the existing residential planned community zone. Robertson said an RPC must be at least 40 acres and contains caps on the amount of commercial space and what types of commercial development is permitted.

For every 100 housing units in an RPC, a developer is allowed 1 acre of commercial development.

Robertson said that would not be the case in the proposed MPZ. “This is the next step past an RPC and C-4 zoning,” he said.

C-4 zoning allows for mixed-use development with the submission of a site plan during the county review process.

Robertson said it would be up to county council to determine minimum acreage and open-space percentage in the proposed zone.

He said the matter will be placed on a future agenda for more discussion and possible introduction of an ordinance, which would eventually require public hearings.