Georgetown planning commission approves Habitat for Humanity preliminary site plan, grants three waivers

The Georgetown Planning Commission at its meeting approved a preliminary site plan for a 3,200-square-foot, one-story office and warehouse to be built by Sussex County Habitat for Humanity at 404 Kimmy Street and granted three waiver requests related to parking surface, fence height/chain-wire, and building façade materials.

The site plan, presented by Mark Davidson, principal land planner with Pennoni Associates, covers about 2.03 acres on the east side of Kimmy Street, roughly 100 feet north of Tracy Street. Davidson said the proposal is for an office/warehouse building with about 44 square feet devoted to office use and the remainder to storage and warehouse functions and that the project would connect to town water and a force main across Kimmy Street using a small grinder lift station. "This pond, as an infiltration, will also handle off‑site drainage," Davidson said, describing a larger infiltration pond sized to accept some roadway runoff and portions of adjacent backyard drainage.

The commission's site-plan approval was conditioned on addressing the town engineer's outstanding comments and obtaining required agency approvals before final sign-off. The applicant reported that the fire marshal and the Sussex Conservation District have already approved the site plan package.

Why it matters: The site will be in the town's UB1 zoning district and faces residential and light-industrial neighbors, including the Townsend property and a nearby wastewater facility. Commission members placed emphasis on setbacks, buffering, traffic sightlines and stormwater management because the plan…