C-3 · Heavy Commercial District
C-3 zoning in Sussex County, Delaware
C-3 is the Heavy Commercial District for larger auto-oriented retail and services on major arterial roads, including vehicle sales, rental and major repair. Lots need at least 1 acre, 75 feet of width and 100 feet of depth. Buildings are capped at 150,000 square feet of floor area and 42 feet in height.
Purpose
The district serves larger-scale, auto-oriented retail and service businesses on major arterial roads for local and regional residents and travelers. § 115-83.17
Permitted uses
Permitted uses include greenhouses and nurseries, cannabis cultivation and retail stores, hotels, convenience stores and fuel stations, retail, pharmacies, restaurants, wholesale trade, offices and banks, small wineries or breweries, commercial recreation, places of worship, child care, clinics and care facilities, motor and non-motor vehicle sales, rental, repair and storage, car washes, distribution centers, self-storage, warehouses, government facilities, kennels, veterinary clinics and vendor stands. § 115-83.18
Conditional or special uses
The article lists special use exceptions from the Board of Adjustment, such as parking and loading relief. Former subsection 115-83.19A on conditional uses was repealed on 11-18-2025 by Ord. No. 4025. §§ 115-83.19, 115-83.20
Lot and building rules
| Rule | Requirement | Code section |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum lot area | 1 acre | § 115-83.22A |
| Maximum lot area | None stated | § 115-83.22A |
| Minimum lot width | 75 ft; 150 ft where the lot fronts a numbered road on the 1964 General Highway Map, as revised | § 115-83.22A |
| Minimum lot depth | 100 ft | § 115-83.22A |
| 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 | § 115-83.22A |
| Yards | Front 60 ft, side 5 ft, rear 5 ft | § 115-83.22B |
| Yards next to a residential district | Side yard at least 20 ft and rear yard at least 30 ft | § 115-83.22B(2) |
| Maximum floor area | 150,000 sq ft | § 115-83.22C |
| Maximum height | 42 ft | § 115-83.22D |
Each value links to the Article XIC 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
C-3 needs a full acre, so small commercial lots do not qualify. Vehicle sales and major repair are core uses here. The conditional-use subsection was repealed in late 2025, so ask Planning and Zoning how an unlisted use would now be handled.
Official text
Read the district's own article: Article XIC, §§ 115-83.17 to 115-83.23, 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.