Decision on Del. Electric Co-op expansion delayed by Sussex planners
Utility says its Greenwood facility is cramped
The Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission decided Wednesday to delay allowing the Delaware Electric Cooperative to expand its Greenwood headquarters.
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Decision on Del. Electric Co-op expansion delayed by Sussex planners
Utility says its Greenwood facility is cramped
By GEORGETOWN — The Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission decided Wednesday to delay allowing the Delaware Electric Cooperative to expand its Greenwood headquarters.
The facility would like to grow onto an adjoining lot it owns, but it needs approval from the county to do so.
The lot is zoned agricultural residential but is marked for future industrial use in the 2019 county land use plan, according to the applicant.
“The existing Greenwood facility has become space-constrained, and several activities on-site need more room,” said Dana Dunphy of Century Engineering, representing the co-op.
Original plans included relocating a section of Cart Branch Road, but that option is no longer under consideration, she added.
Not all permits and approvals from other agencies have been received, Ms. Dunphy said, but DEC plans to begin construction as soon as they are and when the county approves.
The growth would include two new structures along Cart Branch Road: an approximately 14,500-square-foot vehicle enclosure and an almost 10,000-square-foot maintenance building.
Also planned are storage areas for utility poles, a gravel-and-asphalt yard, the company’s own utility installation and a stormwater facility.
Further, Ms. Dunphy explained, the applicant feels that there would be no impact on surrounding properties, in part due to a fence with privacy slats surrounding the entire campus.
This extension would allow the cooperative to maintain its current level of service, while expanding to meet the needs of developing areas of Sussex County, Ms. Dunphy explained.
P&Z commissioner Brian Butler said he had visited the site, adding, “I have no issues with anything, so I have no questions.”
Commissioner Bruce Mears agreed, saying he appreciates the privacy slats for the proposed fence, and that he also had no questions.
Additionally, county staff confirmed they had no issues to address.
Nevertheless, the commission voted unanimously to delay making a decision. The proposal will return at a to-be-scheduled meeting.
