UB · Urban Business District
UB zoning in Sussex County, Delaware
UB is the Urban Business District, written for incorporated towns without zoning of their own that opt into the county code. It allows retail, restaurants, offices, personal services and auto uses. Lots need 10,000 square feet, 75 feet of width and 100 feet of depth, and buildings may reach 42 feet.
Purpose
Like UR, the district serves towns that have no zoning of their own. It aims to prevent decline of established patterns while staying flexible so most existing buildings are not made nonconforming. § 115-60
Permitted uses
Any UR use is allowed, plus theaters and indoor amusements, parking lots and garages, car sales, service and repair, car washes, boat sales, retail stores, bakeries, restaurants including drive-in, banks, clinics, laundries, funeral homes, offices, studios, printing, private clubs, wholesale establishments and manufactured home sales. § 115-61
Conditional or special uses
Conditional uses need Article XXIV approval and include enclosed small-animal hospitals, hotels and motels, screened material storage yards, light industrial and warehouse uses, multifamily dwellings and nursing facilities. The Board of Adjustment can grant special use exceptions, including mixed commercial and residential buildings. §§ 115-63, 115-64
Lot and building rules
| Rule | Requirement | Code section |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum lot area | 10,000 sq ft (single-family and other uses) | § 115-66A |
| Minimum lot width | 75 ft; 90 ft where the lot fronts a numbered road on the 1964 General Highway Map, as revised | § 115-66A |
| Minimum lot depth | 100 ft | § 115-66A |
| 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 | § 115-66A |
| Yards, single-family | Front 40 ft (the code prints this as 40 (30)), side 10 ft, rear 10 ft | § 115-66B |
| Yards, other uses | Front 40 ft, side 5 ft, rear 5 ft | § 115-66B |
| Maximum height | 42 ft (single-family and other uses) | § 115-66C |
Each value links to the Article IX 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 UB parcel can host many small-business uses without a hearing, but the lot still needs 10,000 square feet and 75 feet of width on sewer. Non-residential buildings need 40 foot front yards and 5 foot side and rear yards. Ask about buffers if you border a residential parcel.
Official text
Read the district's own article: Article IX, §§ 115-60 to 115-67, 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.