Officials set to vote on Ocean View zoning request for proposed apartment complex

OCEAN VIEW, Del. – The Sussex County Council has a big decision to make Tuesday where they will decide on whether or not they’ll approve a zoning change request that would allow a three-building apartment complex to be built near Ocean View. But the proposal isn’t sitting too well with homeowners who believe the addition will cause more traffic. The proposed complex would be built off of Muddy Neck and Parker House Road. Currently, that property is zoned as an agricultural-residential district which means it’s designed to allow two housing units per acre. But the property owner is asking that that zoning be changed to a general residential zone that would allow three units per acre. But with those added houses, residents say that will cause more traffic than the area can handle, and could even result in decreased property value.

“The traffic obviously is at its maximum capacity. I can imagine those who are renting their homes out during the summer, they could be impacted those who have second homes down here may not love that and may even choose to sell at a lower value which would depreciate property values,” said one homeowner, David Schlichter.

The county council was supposed to vote on this zoning change last week but ultimately decided to postpone this vote to Tuesday to take more time to think about it. The council is scheduled to meet at 10 AM.