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Council hears push to define 22missing‑middle22 housing and recalibrate SCRP to spur workforce units
Summary
The working group recommended defining duplexes, triplexes, stacked flats and cottage courts, permitting them in targeted districts, creating objective standards, expanding the density‑bonus program and recalibrating the SCRP to 10–15% to encourage developer participation. Council members sought stronger links to infrastructure and safeguards for农業
Georgetown, Del. — Sussex County's land‑use workshop on Oct. 14 put housing recommendations at the center of debate, with the working group urging changes aimed at increasing housing diversity and the supply of workforce units.
The working group recommended that the county break "multifamily" into distinct, smaller categories — duplexes, triplexes, stacked flats and cottage courts — so the zoning code can apply standards specifically tailored to each building type. "One of the things the working group thought would be helpful is to take that great big umbrella of multifamily and carve it up into duplexes and triplexes, and cottage courts," Jillian, the working‑group presenter, said.
Why it matters: Council members and staff agreed greater housing diversity could improve affordability, but multiple members warned that new housing types must be aligned with infrastructure capacity. Councilman McCarran raised concerns about farms' land values if densities were reduced or changed in conservation areas.
SCRP and density bonuses: The group recommended recalibrating the county's SCRP (inclusionary housing) program to lower the required affordable percentage from 25% to about 10–15% and adjust AMI targets to make projects financially feasible for private developers. It also proposed expanding the density‑bonus program and tying bonuses to public benefits such as farmland preservation or workforce housing funds.
Staff and next steps: Staff told council the SCRP and density‑bonus changes are code amendments that could be pursued more quickly than mapping and rezoning changes tied to the comp plan. Jillian and staff signaled they could draft code language and a timeline for council review.
Direct quotes from the meeting (verbatim): "If we could reduce some of those hurdles, then perhaps we could entice, more housing to be built," a staff member said when describing developer concerns about multifamily approval pathways.
"There's a sweet spot to hit where you're not giving away too much density, but you're also providing appropriate amounts of affordable housing that economically works for developers," the staff presenter said of SCRP adjustments.
Ending: Council asked staff to return with draft code language and implementation options; no ordinance changes were adopted at the workshop.
