LEWES, Del. - Residents gathered Wednesday night for a public meeting hosted by the Sussex Preservation Coalition to learn about land-use reforms and the planning process for Sussex County, Delaware’s 2028 Comprehensive Plan.
The meeting, held at the Lewes Public Library, featured a presentation from Jane Gruenebaum, the District 3 councilwoman on the Sussex County Council, who answered questions about how the county will approach the upcoming comprehensive plan update.
Councilwoman, Jane Gruenebaum, answering questions from the public.
Former coalition President Jill Hicks also announced earlier the Wednesday that she is stepping down from her leadership role. Hicks ceremonially passed the baton to Joe Pika, who will now serve as president of the coalition.
Former Coalition president, Jill Hicks, passing the baton to newly named president, Joe Pika.
Hicks said the meeting aimed to help residents understand the county’s planning process and the policy discussions already underway.
“We were bringing the public up to speed on what to expect with the comprehensive plan and the process that the county will embark on, and then also to bring them up to speed on the six priorities that the council is working on that came out of the Land Use Reform working group,” Hicks said.
The comprehensive plan is a long-term planning document that guides decisions about land use, development and conservation across Sussex County.
Pika said residents who attended the meeting showed strong interest in specific ordinances being considered by the county council.
“We had a lot of interest in the specific ordinances that are under consideration by county council. People concerned about open space, forest preservation, the way, for example, that a forest is defined,” Pika said. “People are really digging down into detail.”
Pika said the coalition hopes to serve as a resource for residents trying to follow land-use discussions and policy changes.
“The Sussex Preservation Coalition really hopes to be a conduit for the public, that we provide information to them about what’s going on, to try to reduce the burden on the public to kind of do the research and track what’s happening,” Pika said. “We want to highlight things that are worth their considering.”
County officials are expected to continue gathering public input as work on the 2028 comprehensive plan moves forward.