Certified schools with nationally recognized programs and teachers and profitable businesses and growing industries developed and retained through the years distinguish the county’s comprehensive plan. With easy access to mid-Atlantic areas, residents and businesses enjoy the benefits of the area’s central location and moderate climate. The tourism industry has promoted our historical heritage and our beaches, the area’s greatest natural resource. Residents and visitors alike appreciate the Sussex County lifestyle, in harmony with nature, the environment and business.

The county’s steady growth and economic development have exceeded projections due to county and local government initiatives to provide a “business-friendly” environment, including incentives for new businesses, loans for existing businesses and low property taxes. The County Council aims to assure an exceptional quality of life for all residents of the county.

Our beautiful pristine ocean and bay beaches, along with our historic towns and other amenities, make Sussex County a desirable place to live and visit. Not only are we within two hours of our nation’s capitol and other major cities, the fact is that we are within eight hours’ drive of one-third of the population of the United States.

The county’s newly adopted land-use plan takes into consideration that agriculture is still our No. 1 industry, while at the same time, we must recognize the importance of tourism. Growth is permitted within our development districts, while our agricultural areas, which make up the largest portion of our land mass, allow for the farming industry to take advantage of our rich soils for vegetables and crops for animal feed.

The poultry industry remains a large part of our diversified economy. With reasonable planning and proper administration of our land-use plan, residential development, tourism and farming can still prosper in our county.

Sussex County’s motto, “Sussex County is Your Business Partner,” can best be illustrated at the Sussex County Industrial Airpark. The industrial park is in Georgetown with 17 businesses and more than 1,000 employees and a payroll of approximately $20 million annually.

Other industrial parks in Sussex County include the Selbyville Industrial Park and the Seaford Industrial Park. These areas would make an ideal location for any new or expanded business that wishes to take advantage of the low tax costs in our county.

In closing, I hope that you find this profile helpful. I encourage you to contact our Economic Development Office, county administrator Robert L. Stickels or me so we can further explain why so many people are saying that Sussex County is where they would like to seek employment opportunity, raise and educate their children or just retire and enjoy the quality of life that is the envy of many.

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Sussex towns enjoy growth, development

Sussex County’s building boom continued in 2004 with housing starts from Rehoboth Beach to Bridgeville and Frankford to Milton.

Two of the most glamorous developments are planned near Millsboro and Fenwick Island, where golfing legend Jack Nicklaus is designing two signature golf courses.

A luxury-gated community called The Peninsula will be built at the end of Bay Farm Road, off Del. 24, near Long Neck.

The 800-acre site will include 1,404 housing units, including custom-built lots, condominiums, town houses and single-family homes.

Construction on the course began in fall 2003 and is expected to be completed by 2006.

Bayside, a master-planned community off Del. 54, just west of Fenwick Island, will consist of a mix of home types and a variety of recreational amenities, as well as retail and office space in a town center.

Town Manager Faye Lingo said Millsboro had about 900 acres in the annexation process and 1,000 housing units in the permit process for the first four months of 2004. In addition to the 1,000 units awaiting permits, there are an additional 3,000 housing units in the works, said Mrs. Lingo.

The town had 40 acres annexed in 2003.

Plans are under way for the Village of Eagles, 114 units of townhouses and condominiums on 15.59 acres and Millsboro Landing, 118 units on 15 acres.

The crown jewel for Millsboro is Plantation Lakes, a 650-acre planned community near U.S. 113 and Del. 20.

Amenities include an 18-hole golf course, a commercial area of 460,000 square feet and a main street. Also included are a community center, clubhouse, tennis courts, and a bridge for pedestrians, bikes and golf carts over an environmentally sensitive area near Millsboro Pond.

Two drugstore chains, Eckerd Drugs and Happy Harry’s, have moved to the intersection of U.S. 113 and Del. 24.

The town currently has about $4.29 million secured for a wastewater system upgrade that is expected to cost between $8 million and $10 million.

Another hot spot for developers is Georgetown, the county seat.

Despite a downturn in the national economy, Georgetown has not been affected as far as building permits are concerned.

Town Manager David W. Baird said 108 building permits were issued in 2002, followed by 165 in 2003.

“The first five months of fiscal year 2004 have seen 50 permits issued,” he said.

For the first three quarters of 2002, housing starts in Georgetown numbered 31, Mr. Baird said.

Annexation of 87 acres will bring a shopping center to the eastern side of Georgetown and 272 living units to an area along Arrow Safety Road.

An additional annexation of 70 acres along U.S. 113 will bring to town new commercial development, 232 town homes and 100 apartments or condominiums.

Fund raising has begun for the $5.8 million Georgetown Public Library on West Pine Street. A $1 million donation has been received from Eolyne K. Tunnell and Robert W. Tunnell Jr., and family.

Renovation of The Circle and the train depot were completed in 2002 and a proposed revitalization plan for the Kimmeytown area of Georgetown has been put forth.

In Seaford, small business is booming, with Grotto Pizza, Eckerd Drug Store and Subway among the new businesses. Also, Royal Farms broke ground in the summer of 2004 for a second convenience store location in the Seaford area.

The Field of Dreams recreation facility took root in Seaford’s Ross Business Park and Sports Complex, and more projects are planned.

The city of Seaford made a monumental move when it opened its new $1.9 million city hall on High Street.

The new city hall was dedicated in late August 2004 and opened for business in mid-September.

Work on several subdivision developments also began in Seaford.

The Seaford District Library is in the planning stages of a move to a future location in the Ross Business Park.

Meanwhile, the Laurel Public Library is undergoing major expansion and renovation, and is operating out of a temporary location during the construction phase of the project.

In Bridgeville, ground was broken and initial site work began on Heritage Shores, a housing development and golf course complex.

Located on more than 900 acres of annexed land on Bridgeville’s southern edge, the development is projected to be the future site of 2,000 homes, town houses and condominiums, as well as an 18-hole public golf course and clubhouse.

In August 2004, ground was broken on a $3.5 million project that will create a new headquarters for Delaware State Police Troop 5 and another paramedic base for Sussex County Emergency Medical Services at the former Bridgeville visitor’s center near the intersection of U.S. 13 and Del. 404. This will also include a helicopter pad.

These projects join the Royal Farms convenience store, which opened in 2004, and the Bridgeville Plaza Shopping Center, which opened in 2002 with a Food Lion, a Happy Harry’s and a Family Dollar, along with other tenants.

Projects in Blades included the opening of the dockmaster’s quarters at the Blades Marina at Nanticoke River Marine Park, and renovations to the town office building, Hardin Hall.

Housing developments were ongoing in Laurel and in Blades (Little Meadows) during 2004.

A revitalization project for Rehoboth Beach continues. The multiyear, multimillion dollar face-lift for the downtown district has provided underground utilities, wider sidewalks, easier-to-walk-on median strips, better crosswalks and improved lighting.

The first phase of the project, from Fifth Street to Second Street, was completed in 2003.

The second phase included construction of a traffic circle at the city’s entrance.

A third phase, begun in 2004, runs from Second Street to the boardwalk and includes a new visitor’s center at the circle.

The final phase will be the replacement of the bandstand and turnaround, scheduled for completion by spring 2006.

“The beaches will be at full replenishment by the summer,” said Carol A. Everhart, executive director of the Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce.

“Visitor numbers were up at least 15 percent during July and August, and we had one of our strongest springs ever,” Ms. Everhart said.

Low property taxes reduce cost of living

Sussex County’s gorgeous scenery — from sunsets on the beach to beautiful views of the Nanticoke River — is easy on the eyes, as well as the wallet.

Thanks to tax-free shopping at the Rehoboth Beach outlets and other stores, consumers do not see sales taxes added on to their purchases.

Businesses, whether mom-and-pop markets or large retailers, also do not have to pay additional county taxes.

The property tax also is low. In fact, it is based on a 1974 assessment of a home’s value.

Robert L. Stickels, the county administrator, said that means homeowners are only taxed on about 15 percent of their property’s current-market value.

Homeowners pay 44.5 cents for each $100 of assessed value.

“We feel we are as affordable as any place in the nation,” Mr. Stickels said.

He said the county has been able to keep the property tax low because of large revenues from the realty transfer tax, which is assessed on property sales.

The booming real-estate market in Sussex County has generated enough realty transfer tax proceeds that the county does not rely on the property tax revenue to pay for large building projects.

Construction projects, Mr. Stickels said, are financed using realty transfer tax revenue to keep the county’s debt burden low. Having little debt protects the county and its taxpayers in case the economy stalls and the real-estate transfer tax revenue stream dries up.

“We have been using the real-estate transfer tax for capital projects to help reduce costs and reduce debt, so if the economy does slow, we do not have debt hanging over our heads,” Mr. Stickels said.

“I don’t think there is any other place in the country our size that can say that,” he said.

The county can keep residents’ property tax rates low because it does not use revenue from that tax to fund services.

“We adjust all our fees for services every year,” Mr. Stickels said.

“We make sure they are paying for themselves. We do not want to take money from someone on a fixed income to subsidize a service for someone else.”

In case the economy turns bad, Sussex Countians should not expect to see their property tax bills go through the roof.

Mr. Stickels said he and other county officials would look at tightening the government’s belt and cutting spending instead of asking the residents to pay higher taxes.

“We feel there is funding in our budget that we could reduce before we would raise taxes,” Mr. Stickels said.

“If you have a slowing economy and you start raising taxes, that could be detrimental to businesses. It could slow the recovery of the economy.”
25806 DuPont Highway, Seaford, DE 19973. Phone: (302) 629-1188. Fax: (302) 629-1739.

County keeps permitting process simple

Planning, zoning and site-selection decisions are expedited in Delaware as a result of a comparatively simple organization of both state and county governments. The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control administers major environmental permits for the state. Each of Delaware’s three counties maintains a central office to administer planning and zoning regulations. In addition, the Delaware Economic Development Office provides trained professionals to guide a company through the state and local permit and zoning processes.

State environmental permits

Responsibility for most major environmental permits, including air emissions, ground and surface water withdrawals, water pollution, and solid and hazardous wastes, are administered by a single state agency, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.

The DNREC also has a Business and Permitting Services Office to assist potential permittees with issues relating to small businesses, permitting and pollution prevention. In addition, the Business and Permitting Services Office coordinates Delaware’s Development Advisory Service, which provides one-stop assistance to firms requiring multiple state or federal permits. The service informs applicants of permit requirements, schedules and standards, and arranges meetings, which allow applicants to discuss their projects with all relevant state officials at one time. The Business and Permitting Services Office and the Development Advisory Service can be contacted at (302) 739-6400.

State land-use permits

In addition to the state environmental permits, the DNREC administers the following statutes governing land use in Delaware:

• The Coastal Zone Act controls the location, extent and type of industrial development in the state’s coastal zone, including lands contiguous to the Delaware River, the Delaware Bay, the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. The construction of new heavy industries in the coastal zone, including oil refineries, steel-manufacturing plants, cellulose pulp paper mills, and petrochemical plants, is prohibited. New bulk-product transfer facilities for the movement of materials from vessel to shore or vessel to vessel also are prohibited. Pier facilities for a single permitted industrial facility and the Port of Wilmington are exempt from this prohibition.
• New manufacturing uses begun after June 1971 are allowed by permit issued by the DNREC secretary. Permitted uses must conform to the applicable local zoning ordinance.
• New non-manufacturing business uses, such as commercial, residential, warehouse and distribution facilities, are not covered by the act.
• The Subaqueous Lands Act and the Wetlands Act protect designated tidal wetlands and public and private submerged lands. Approval is necessary for any structure, construction, utility crossings, dredging, filling or excavating in any regulated wetland or subaqueous land.
• The Beach Protection Act requires written approval for any structure, construction or substantial change in the characteristics of any beach, defined as that area along the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay which extends from the mean high waterline inland 1,000 feet and seaward 2,500 feet.
• The Delaware Under-ground Storage Tank Act regulates the location and operation of underground storage tanks containing motor fuels and liquid chemical products, and requires certification that tanks are installed in accordance with the regulations.
• The Delaware Stormwater Management Act provides for control practices to protect water quality.

Local permits

Local zoning approval is required before submission of state permit applications. However, it is advisable to discuss the project with:

• The appropriate local planning department or commission.
• The state Department of Transportation, Division of Highways.
• The Office of the Fire Marshal.

Local permits are granted by individual counties and municipalities.

This makes it imperative that applicants refer to the regulations established by the governing body in the area where a project will be undertaken. Each county administers its own flood plain regulations.

Sussex County permits

The Sussex County Comprehensive Land Use plan was adopted Oct. 21, 1997. Individual land-use plans may be available.

The Sussex County Planning and Zoning Commission requires a site plan review for multifamily residential, commercial and industrial development in the unincorporated areas of Sussex County. A minor review is undertaken by the Planning and Zoning Office and may be completed in one day. The major reviews are made by the Planning and Zoning Office and the county Planning Commission.

These reviews usually require more time. The Sussex County Assessment Department issues building permits. The county has adopted the Southern Building Code Congress International for multifamily structures of more than two units and commercial, industrial uses. The county adopted the Council of American Building Officials Code for single-family, detached dwellings in September 1993.

When necessary, permits for bulkheading must be obtained from the Army Corps of Engineers and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. For additional information, contact the Sussex County Planning and Zoning Office, County Administration Building, Georgetown, DE 19947; (302) 855-7880.

DSBDC provides business programs

The Delaware Small Business Development Center network provides free business counseling and low-cost educational services to existing or prospective for-profit small businesses in Delaware.

Agencies provide expert business assistance

The following Delaware agencies provide information and assistance to the business community: