GEORGETOWN, Del. - Sussex County Council has approved a rezoning request that will allow more than 39 acres of farmland east of Route 24 near Lewes to be redeveloped into a mixed-use site featuring businesses and apartments.
In a 3–2 vote Tuesday, the council agreed to rezone the property owned by Belmead Farm LLC from AR-1 Agricultural Residential to C-4 Planned Commercial, a decision that prompted audible gasps from members of the public gathered in the council chamber.
Council members Matt Lloyd, Steve McCarron and Douglas Hudson voted in favor of the rezoning, citing the county’s growing need for housing including affordable housing and stating the project is consistent with Sussex County’s comprehensive plan.
Councilwoman Jane Gruenebaum and Councilman John Rieley voted against the change. Gruenebaum said her opposition was based on environmental concerns, increased traffic and the site’s proximity to nearby schools. Rieley echoed concerns about traffic impacts along the Route 24 corridor.
Gruenebaum also proposed an amendment requiring 15 percent of any residential units developed on the property to be designated as affordable housing.
Supporters of the project argued the rezoning would help address housing shortages while spurring economic growth. Opponents countered that the application failed to meet minimum C-4 zoning standards and would further strain infrastructure in an already congested area.
Several residents spoke out following the vote. Judy Rose Seibert, who lives along Route 24, said she recognizes the need for more housing but believes the location is inappropriate for commercial development.
“Although I do believe that there needs to be more housing, this is a completely inappropriate place to put a C-4 development,” Seibert said.
Natheneal Wilson, a lifelong Sussex County resident, said he was disappointed with the council’s decision and criticized what he described as a pattern of favoring developers.
“They have a pattern of voting for the developers, not for the people, not for the environment,” Wilson said.
The decision followed a lengthy public process, including a public hearing in October that lasted more than four hours. The Sussex County Planning and Zoning Commission had previously recommended approval of the rezoning.
With the zoning change now approved, the applicant must obtain additional approvals from agencies such as the Delaware Department of Transportation and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. According to a Sussex County public information officer, that process could take one to two years.
Once those approvals are secured, the applicant will be able to submit a final site plan to the Sussex County Planning and Zoning Commission, not the County Council. Coast TV News reached out to Belmead Farm, LLC for comment but did not receive a response.
The parcels sit just east of Route 24, a corridor that has seen significant growth in recent years and remains a focal point in ongoing debates over land use, infrastructure and the pace of development in coastal Delaware.
