Council grants conditional use for private garage on 0.46-acre Baltimore Hundred parcel

Sussex County Council approved a conditional use permit to allow a private garage on a 0.46-acre parcel in Baltimore Hundred, the council record shows.

The permit enables construction of an accessory storage building in an AR-1 (agricultural residential) zoning district where such structures typically require conditional use when no dwelling is present on the parcel.

Applicant John Elsassance told the council he recently purchased the property and intends to build a pole‑barn–type building to store personal items including a boat and two vehicles. "We plan on retiring down here in a year or 2, and I wanna build a building to keep that stuff in," Elsassance said when presenting his reasons for the request. Council staff explained the code restricts accessory storage structures on lots without a dwelling to reduce crime risk from unattended buildings.

Planning and Zoning recommended approval with conditions; the record included the applicant's conceptual site plan, a DelDOT service-level-evaluation response, staff analysis, and a utility planning comment from the engineering department. Council members asked whether mechanical work or hazardous materials would be stored on-site; the applicant answered no hazardous materials and only minor vehicle maintenance. The council closed the public hearing with no speakers in favor or opposition.

A motion to adopt the conditional-use ordinance was moved and seconded; council members voted unanimously in favor, with several citing the Planning & Zoning Commission recommendation and testimony at the hearing as the basis for their votes.