AR-2 · Agricultural Residential District (closed)
AR-2 zoning in Sussex County, Delaware
AR-2 is a closed Agricultural Residential District that shares Article IV with AR-1. Section 115-27 bars applying it to new land, but existing AR-2 land keeps its rules. The article's lot-size tables list AR-1 only; AR-2 yards are 15 feet at the side and 20 feet at the rear, with a 42 foot height cap.
Closed district: the code no longer applies it to new land.
Purpose
AR-2 uses the same purpose section as AR-1: protect agricultural land and allow low-density single-family homes. Section 115-27 declares AR-2 a closed district, so it continues only where it was already legally established. §§ 115-19, 115-27
Permitted uses
Article IV lists permitted uses for "AR" districts without separating AR-1 from AR-2, so the AR-1 use list applies: single-family homes, farms, churches, parks, unlit golf courses, private recreation, one accessory dwelling unit, Sussex County Rental Program developments and cannabis facilities. §§ 115-20, 115-21
Conditional or special uses
Conditional uses are listed once for both districts and include agricultural-related industry, airports, marinas, cemeteries, extraction operations, care facilities, multifamily and townhouse projects, manufactured home parks, private clubs and public or utility facilities. § 115-22
Lot and building rules
| Rule | Requirement | Code section |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum lot area and width (lot-size tables) | Not specified in the district article; the § 115-25 lot-size tables list AR-1 only | § 115-25A, § 115-25B |
| Yards, cluster with central sewer | Front 25 ft, side 10 ft, rear 10 ft, minimum lot width 60 ft (AR-1 and AR-2) | § 115-25C |
| Yards, all other lots | Front 40 ft (the code prints this as 40 (30)), side 15 ft, rear 20 ft, minimum lot width 100 ft (AR-1 and AR-2) | § 115-25C |
| Maximum height | 42 ft (AR-1 and AR-2) | § 115-25D |
| Status | Closed district; cannot be applied to additional land | § 115-27 |
Each value links to the Article IV page on eCode360. Where the code shows a front yard as 40 (30), this page reports the code's own notation. The explanatory district table (Table I, § 115-156A) is a PDF attachment that this summary did not read, so ask Planning and Zoning what the 30 figure means for your lot. Lot-size figures assume the standard option unless a row says otherwise.
What this means for a parcel owner
If your parcel is in AR-2, it sits in a district the county no longer applies to new land. The code does not give AR-2 its own lot-size row, so ask Planning and Zoning which lot-size minimum they apply. The yard and height rules above apply to both AR districts.
Official text
Read the district's own article: Article IV, §§ 115-19 to 115-27, Sussex County Code Chapter 115 on eCode360. The county zoning map shows which district a parcel is in: Sussex County online map.
Summary as of 2026-10-24; the code controls.