Sussex County Council appoints P&Z, board of adjustment members
Sussex County Council appointed a new planning & zoning commission member and a new board of adjustment member July 15, the latest nods toward a shift to limit development in the booming county.
Council voted 5-0 to back nominations by Councilman Matt Lloyd, one of three members of the five-person council who defeated incumbents in the fall elections, running on platforms emphasizing control of housing growth.
Jeffrey Allen of Laurel will serve on P&Z, while Nathan Kingree, a Seaford native who lives in Georgetown, joins the board of adjustment. Their three-year terms begin Friday, Aug. 1.
Lloyd chose to replace P&Z Chair Robert Wheatley, who had served for 30 years, and Kevin Carson, a board of adjustment member since 2019. Last month, Lloyd said he would choose candidates more philosophically aligned with himself.
“I’d like to thank them both for stepping up to serve,” Lloyd said after the July 15 votes. “They are both lifelong residents of Sussex County … They’re both very intimately aware of our districts and the county generally, and they understand the plight we seem to be in.”
Development in recent years has burdened roads, schools, emergency services, healthcare providers and the environment. Council this year created a land-use reform working group that is drafting recommendations to council intended to limit sprawl, create more housing options, and protect farmland and the environment.
“They may be new, but they are very sharp individuals, and I trust and have a world of confidence that they are going to be value-adds very quickly to the commission and the board of adjustment,” Lloyd said of his appointees.
Council had no questions for Allen or Kingree prior to their votes, but both answered questions from County Administrator Todd Lawson about their relevant background, philosophies about development and ability to do the work.
Allen said his past community involvement includes serving on the Laurel school board, including time as vice president; the board of Laurel Little League; and leadership roles while working for Nationwide Insurance.
Kingree said he has worked as a public defender, judicial law clerk and is currently a staff attorney for the Delaware Justice of the Peace Court, where he serves on the Civil Forms and Process Committee, which revises court forms and procedures, and sometimes recommends legislation to the General Assembly.
“I’m excited to not only be part of the discussion and ensure that proposed projects meet current ordinances, but to also have a voice in the upcoming comprehensive plan,” Allen said. “I’m interested in serving because I care deeply about the balanced growth, infrastructure planning and ensuring that residents’ voices are heard in land-use matters.”
Kingree said, “I’m seeking the opportunity to serve on the board of adjustment out of a strong commitment to public service, and a belief in the importance of fair and principled land-use decision-making.”
“As a longtime resident and legal professional in Sussex County, I understand that planning & zoning issues often raise passionate concerns,” he said. “In this context, I believe the role of the board is to apply the law with consistency, impartiality and a clear understanding of both individual rights and the broader public interest.”
While he has no experience with land-use issues, Kingree said he studied relevant law in college, and his work as a lawyer gives him a foundation to serve on the board of adjustment.
Neither Allen nor Kingree anticipated any conflicts of interests in their new roles.
Another resignation on the five-member P&Z is expected soon as J. Bruce Mears plans to resign as soon as a replacement is found, Council President Doug Hudson said July 17.
“He’s been an excellent public servant and worked very hard over the years,” said Hudson, who has been friends with Mears since grade school. “He thinks it’s time to move along.”
Mears has served a total of nearly 30 years on several county boards, including the board of adjustment, said Hudson, who was not immediately sure how many years he had served on each panel.
Hudson said July 17 that Mears informed him of his decision a week or two earlier, and Hudson has begun interviewing potential successors. Mears’ term will end in 2026.
Kevin Conlon came to the Cape Gazette with nearly 40 years of newspaper experience since graduating from St. Bonaventure University in New York with a bachelor's degree in mass communication. He reports on Sussex County government and other assignments as needed.
His career spans working as a reporter and editor at daily newspapers in upstate New York, including The Daily Gazette in Schenectady. He comes to the Cape Gazette from the Cortland Standard, where he was an editor for more than 25 years, and in recent years also contributed as a columnist and opinion page writer. He and his staff won regional and state writing awards.
Conlon was relocating to Lewes when he came across an advertisement for a reporter job at the Cape Gazette, and the decision to pursue it paid off. His new position gives him an opportunity to stay in a career that he loves, covering local news for an independently owned newspaper.
Conlon is the father of seven children and grandfather to two young boys. In his spare time, he trains for and competes in triathlons and other races. Now settling into the Cape Region, he is searching out hilly trails and roads with wide shoulders. He is a fan of St. Bonaventure sports, especially rugby and basketball, as well as following the Mets, Steelers and Celtics.
