SUSSEX COUNTY, Del. - A growing number of Sussex County residents are urging local officials to implement a one-year moratorium on new developments, citing concerns over rapid growth and its impact on the region’s rural character and natural environment.
The petition, directed to the Sussex County Council, has recently gained more than 2,200 signatures.Â
Milford local Julie Morris created the petition and says she still has hope.
"People always say to me, 'oh, it's just too far gone. Why? What's the point?' It's never too far gone until the land is in the water, right? Like it's not too far gone," said Morris.
Supporters argue that a temporary halt on development would allow time for the county to reevaluate land-use planning, infrastructure capacity, and environmental protections. They say unchecked growth is threatening farmland, wildlife habitats, and the overall quality of life in the region.
"They're not doing enough fast enough. Like we could do the moratorium like that. And then you can spend the next year figuring out what you want to do to change the zoning," said Morris.Â
Similar moratoriums have been enacted or considered in other Delaware communities, including Frederica and Dagsboro.
A spokesperson for Sussex County Council told CoastTV they are aware of the petition but have no plans to make it an agenda item. The spokesperson emphasized that council is already working to address development with their 10 person land use working group.
Councilman Matt Lloyd, who previously called for a moratorium on development in agricultural zones, agrees that now it's up to the land use working group, but says depending on their recommendations nothing's off the table after that.
"We'll give it till September. If we don't see substantive changes by then or good recommendations that we can latch on to, that I think will help us build in a more predictable, sustainable way that's going to get us the workforce housing that we need, but stop the high end homes in the farmland that's pushing out the farmers and consuming so much of our natural resources. Then that's what I'll do and like I said, all options would be on the table for me," said Lloyd.