GEORGETOWN, Del. -- The growth of Sussex County has created a divide between two groups; those pushing to protect forests and woodlands and those pushing for more housing development in the area.
People from both sides, with the Sussex Preservation Coalition or the Builders and Remodelers Association of Delaware, came out in large numbers to the Sussex County Council and Planning & Zoning Commission's public workshop at the Sussex County Emergency Operations Center in Georgetown on Thursday.
County officials discussed changing the county's land use and housing codes, while reviewing an almost 100-page slideshow presentation on topics including perimeter buffers, forest preservation, and housing. Public comment was not allowed.
Before the meeting, representatives from each organization spoke with WBOC. Jane Gruenebaum, president of the Sussex Preservation Coalition, says Sussex County is the only jurisdiction in Delaware and Maryland without protections for forests and their environmental benefits.
"It's about supporting the community rights to clean air, clean water, flood mitigation, all the things that forests do for us," says Gruenebaum. "They really are critical to human health and well-being."
She says the group is pushing for county leaders to create codes that protect trees amidst rampant home building.
"When you're building a development, and there is a strand of forests, we need to create codes that require plans to be presented in advance about how those trees can be protected," says Gruenebaum. "Let's start with the general statement that does not exist in Sussex County, which is that we should protect our forests. So, just the value statement alone would be first."
However, Mike Riemann, president of the Builders and Remodelers Association of Delaware, disagrees. He says the $1.6B economic value of home building and thousands of jobs it creates shouldn't be stifled by regulations.
"Could the policies that some folks are advocating for, result in sprawl and those types of things that might actually have a more detrimental impact on the environment?" says Riemann. "It's all about having thoughtful conversations and thoughtful policies that make sense for both."
No codes were decided upon, but Gruenebaum says she hopes the conversation bridges the gap between the two groups.
"We are a community here," Gruenebaum. "We all benefit by having good jobs, by having lovely homes, by having affordable homes, by having good education, good transportation. We just need to find a way that we can all work together to make that happen."
The next step will be for county officials to draft any ordinances for topics that they agree upon as it relates to housing and forest protection in Sussex County.