C-5 · Service/Limited Manufacturing District
C-5 zoning in Sussex County, Delaware
C-5 is the Service/Limited Manufacturing District for small-scale light industrial, wholesale distribution and personal service uses. Lots need at least 15,000 square feet, 75 feet of width and 100 feet of depth. Buildings are capped at 50,000 square feet of floor area and 42 feet in height.
Purpose
The district supports small-scale light industrial, wholesale distribution and personal service uses, and the code says permitted uses must include a retail component. § 115-83.32
Permitted uses
Permitted uses include agriculture-related businesses and nurseries, wholesale trade, business services and offices, wineries, breweries and distilleries, manufacturing, material storage yards, places of worship, motor and non-motor vehicle sales and repair, distribution centers, self-storage, warehouses, public safety and utility facilities, communication towers, commercial kennels, technology centers and vendor stands. § 115-83.33
Conditional or special uses
The article lists special use exceptions from the Board of Adjustment: parking and loading relief, off-premises signs and temporary permits for manufactured-home-type business structures. § 115-83.35
Lot and building rules
| Rule | Requirement | Code section |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum lot area | 15,000 sq ft | § 115-83.37A |
| Maximum lot area | None stated | § 115-83.37A |
| Minimum lot width | 75 ft; 150 ft where the lot fronts a numbered road on the 1964 General Highway Map, as revised | § 115-83.37A |
| Minimum lot depth | 100 ft | § 115-83.37A |
| 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 | § 115-83.37A |
| Yards | Front 60 ft, side 10 ft, rear 10 ft | § 115-83.37B |
| Yards next to a residential district | Side yard at least 20 ft and rear yard at least 30 ft | § 115-83.37B(2) |
| Maximum floor area | 50,000 sq ft | § 115-83.37C |
| Maximum height | 42 ft | § 115-83.37D |
Each value links to the Article XIE 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-5 fits small shops that make or distribute goods and sell some at retail. The 50,000 square foot building cap and 10 foot side and rear yards set the practical envelope. Next to residential land the yards grow to 20 and 30 feet.
Official text
Read the district's own article: Article XIE, §§ 115-83.32 to 115-83.38, 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.