C-2 · Medium Commercial District
C-2 zoning in Sussex County, Delaware
C-2 is the Medium Commercial District for retail sales and consumer services near arterial and collector streets, with no outside storage or sales. Lots need at least 15,000 square feet, 75 feet of width and 100 feet of depth. Buildings are capped at 75,000 square feet of floor area and 42 feet in height.
Purpose
The district supports retail sales and consumer services and a range of professional and service businesses, mainly near arterial and collector streets. Uses must have no outside storage or sales. § 115-83.10
Permitted uses
Permitted uses include nurseries, retail marijuana stores (subject to § 115-194.7), bed-and-breakfasts, hotels, convenience stores with up to six fuel dispensers, retail up to 75,000 square feet, pharmacies up to 35,000 square feet, restaurants, offices, banks, small wineries or breweries, places of worship, child care, clinics, care facilities, self-storage, warehouses, government facilities, funeral homes and veterinary clinics. The section was amended in 2019 and on 11-18-2025. § 115-83.11
Conditional or special uses
The article lists special use exceptions from the Board of Adjustment rather than conditional uses: parking and loading relief and temporary permits for manufactured-home-type business structures. § 115-83.13
Lot and building rules
| Rule | Requirement | Code section |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum lot area | 15,000 sq ft | § 115-83.15A |
| Maximum lot area | None stated | § 115-83.15A |
| Minimum lot width | 75 ft; 150 ft where the lot fronts a numbered road on the 1964 General Highway Map, as revised | § 115-83.15A |
| Minimum lot depth | 100 ft | § 115-83.15A |
| Lot area without central sewer | 3/4 acre where the lot is not on central sewer or lies in a sewer planning area approved by County Council | § 115-83.15A |
| Yards | Front 60 ft, side 5 ft, rear 5 ft | § 115-83.15B |
| Yards next to a residential district | Side yard at least 20 ft and rear yard at least 30 ft | § 115-83.15B(2) |
| Maximum floor area | 75,000 sq ft | § 115-83.15C |
| Maximum height | 42 ft | § 115-83.15D |
Each value links to the Article XIB 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
A C-2 parcel allows a wide mix of shops and services, but outside storage and outside sales are prohibited. The 60 foot front yard and the 20 and 30 foot yards next to residential land can shrink the usable building area. The county amended the permitted-use list on 11-18-2025, so confirm current text.
Official text
Read the district's own article: Article XIB, §§ 115-83.10 to 115-83.16, 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.