M · Marine District
M (Marine) zoning in Sussex County, Delaware
M is the Marine District, which keeps waterfront land for marinas, boat sales and repair, seafood handling and tourist services. Lots need 10,000 square feet, 75 feet of width and 100 feet of depth. Height is capped at 42 feet for single-family and multifamily buildings and 45 feet for other uses.
Purpose
The district preserves waterfront land for marine commercial uses such as docking, boat sales, storage and repair, and seafood packing and processing. Dwellings are discouraged because land is limited, though low-density residential use is allowed. § 115-84
Permitted uses
Any MR use is allowed, plus boat sales, rental, building, storage and repair, boat fuel sales, docks and piers, marinas and yacht clubs, hotels and motels, bed-and-breakfasts, multifamily and mixed-use buildings, restaurants, marine supply retail and telephone facilities. Over-water structures need site plan review by the Planning and Zoning Commission, and administratively approved special events are limited to three per year. § 115-85
Conditional or special uses
Conditional uses need Article XXIV approval and include airports and heliports, aquariums, bus terminals, camps, fairgrounds, seafood processing and packing, hospitals, manufactured home parks, boat parts manufacturing, marine laboratories, nursing facilities, campgrounds, public utilities, recreation facilities and sports arenas. § 115-87
Lot and building rules
| Rule | Requirement | Code section |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum lot area | 10,000 sq ft (single-family and other uses) | § 115-90A |
| Minimum lot width | 75 ft; 150 ft where the lot fronts a numbered road on the 1964 General Highway Map, as revised | § 115-90A |
| Minimum lot depth | 100 ft | § 115-90A |
| Minimum 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 | § 115-90A |
| Yards | Front 40 ft (the code prints this as 40 (30)), side 10 ft, rear 10 ft (single-family and other uses) | § 115-90B |
| Maximum height, single-family and multifamily | 42 ft | § 115-90C |
| Maximum height, other uses | 45 ft | § 115-90C |
Each value links to the Article XII 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 Marine District parcel is reserved mainly for water-oriented businesses, though houses are allowed at lower priority. Docks, piers and bulkheads usually trigger site plan review, so budget time for it. Check the front yard, since the code shows 40 (30).
Official text
Read the district's own article: Article XII, §§ 115-84 to 115-91, 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.