The Sussex Preservation Coalition supports the Sussex County Land-Use Reform Working Group’s decision to deliver a set of recommendations for consideration by Sussex County Council on how it might change land-use policies. It is now time to broaden the discussion and give the public a chance to participate.
The elections of 2024 sent a clear message: Land-use policies and practices in Sussex need to change. The working group was the starting point in shaping that change. These recommendations do not solve all the challenges Sussex confronts, and some of the proposals are controversial.
All the recommendations, even those we heartily endorse that protect natural resources, deserve further scrutiny and discussion. At this point, we believe the working group has accomplished all that it can, and the public must now become engaged.
SPC will continue working on critical problems. In particular, these recommendations do not go far enough in:
- Providing for adequate infrastructure
- Protecting valuable natural resources in the conservation area
- Addressing the affordable housing crisis beyond the call to build more
- Closing housing affordability gaps at all income levels by setting goals – a final target and milestones along the way.
All of these are especially important given the recommendations that would apply in county growth areas.
Sussex needs to keep working on its challenges. Time is of the essence. Success requires working together to find solutions to our common problems. The Sussex Preservation Coalition sought to represent the public’s demand for change during the working group’s deliberations and is convinced that much can be accomplished when stakeholders work together.
To learn more, attend the next SPC meeting at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 16, at the Lewes Public Library.
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