C-4 · Planned Commercial District
C-4 zoning in Sussex County, Delaware
C-4 is the Planned Commercial District for large planned commercial, retail and mixed-use projects. A project needs at least 3 acres and County Council approval of a development plan, and up to 40 percent of the developable area may be duplexes, townhouses or multifamily. Individual lots start at 7,500 square feet.
Purpose
The district encourages carefully planned large-scale commercial, retail and mixed-use development through unified design, protecting existing and future development and serving Comprehensive Plan goals. § 115-83.24
Permitted uses
Permitted uses include duplexes, multifamily dwellings, townhouses, home occupations, hotels, convenience stores, retail, pharmacies, restaurants, offices, banks, small wineries or breweries, indoor and outdoor recreation, places of worship, child care, clinics and care facilities, vehicle sales and service, garages, self-storage, warehouses, government facilities, technology centers and vendor stands. The article lists single-family dwellings as repealed. § 115-83.26
Conditional or special uses
The article lists special use exceptions from the Board of Adjustment, such as parking and loading relief and temporary permits for manufactured-home-type business structures. County Council reviews the development plan under § 115-220 and § 115-221. §§ 115-83.25F, 115-83.28
Lot and building rules
| Rule | Requirement | Code section |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum district area | 3 acres, which may be one or more parcels | § 115-83.25C |
| Housing share | Up to 40% of developable area may be duplexes, townhouses or multifamily | § 115-83.25E |
| Minimum lot area | 7,500 sq ft | § 115-83.30A |
| Minimum lot width | 75 ft; 150 ft where the lot fronts a numbered road on the 1964 General Highway Map, as revised | § 115-83.30A |
| Minimum lot depth | 100 ft | § 115-83.30A |
| 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 | § 115-83.30A |
| Yards | Front 60 ft, side 5 ft, rear 5 ft | § 115-83.30B |
| Maximum floor area | Not specified in the district article | § 115-83.30C |
| Maximum height | 42 ft | § 115-83.30D |
Each value links to the Article XID 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-4 is a planning-driven district, so the approved development plan matters more than the lot table. A project needs County Council plan approval and at least 3 acres in the district. Ask Planning and Zoning for the plan history on your parcel.
Official text
Read the district's own article: Article XID, §§ 115-83.24 to 115-83.31, 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.