GEORGETOWN, Del.- Sussex County is assembling a new committee to examine land use policies and the challenges of rapid development.
The Land Use Reform Working Group, approved by County Council on Tuesday, will evaluate the pace and impact of residential growth in southern Delaware.
According to the county, the committee will consist of 10 members representing a range of interests, including affordable housing advocates, builders, citizens’ groups, developers, environmentalists and farmers.
Officials say the group will discuss various land use issues and make recommendations to the Planning & Zoning Commission and County Council.
“Land use and development as a whole touches every one of us,” County Council President Douglas B. Hudson said in a statement. “The Council recognizes the future is now, and that decisions we make today will long outlast any of us.”
Sussex County has experienced significant population growth in recent decades, with new residents drawn to the area’s beaches and lifestyle. County officials expect the committee to present its first recommendations later this year.
"The first focus, the first initiative actually, is to look at where development is happening in Sussex County and actually try to figure out how to make development go in other areas," said Sussex County Administrator Todd Lawson.
Ro Grizzard thinks the working group is a great idea.
"I don't think the community expected things here to explode the way it has," said Grizzard. "It's a good idea so that we're not so overwhelmed that we ourselves become captives of this wonderful place and we can't even use it."
