VRP · Vacation-Retirement-Residential-Park District (closed)
VRP zoning in Sussex County, Delaware
VRP is the Vacation-Retirement-Residential-Park District, a closed district that cannot be applied to new land. Its rules cover planned parks of manufactured and modular homes: a 25 acre minimum tract, 5,500 square foot lots at least 50 feet wide, and a 25 foot front yard.
Closed district: the code no longer applies it to new land.
Purpose
The district encourages planned vacation, retirement and residential park developments that fit the surrounding area and the Comprehensive Plan. It is superimposed on other districts, and section 115-140 treats it as closed to additional land. §§ 115-132, 115-133, 115-140
Permitted uses
The article has no standalone use list. It allows manufactured and modular homes, one dwelling and one accessory structure per lot, and small retail businesses meant mainly for park residents such as a grocery, laundry or beauty shop. §§ 115-137, 115-139
Conditional or special uses
Not specified in the district article. The Planning and Zoning Commission may attach conditions on layout, circulation and performance during review. § 115-136B
Lot and building rules
| Rule | Requirement | Code section |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum tract | 25 acres, excluding streets and roads | § 115-134A |
| Minimum lot area | 5,500 sq ft | § 115-138A |
| Minimum lot width | 50 ft for typical lots | § 115-138A |
| Front yard | 25 ft minimum | § 115-139C |
| Side yard and rear yard | Side 2 ft, rear 5 ft, with 15 ft between structures | § 115-139D |
| Maximum height | Manufactured homes 14 ft; modular homes 18 ft | § 115-137 |
| Open space | 300 sq ft minimum per lot | § 115-139I |
| Perimeter buffer | Landscaped strip at least 50 ft wide | § 115-139J |
| Parking | 2 off-street spaces per lot | § 115-139K |
| Status | Closed district; cannot be applied to additional land | § 115-140 |
Each value links to the Article XVII 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
VRP rules are written for park-style communities with small lots and close spacing. No new VRP land can be created, so this matters mainly if you own or buy in an existing park. Ask the park owner or Planning and Zoning for the approved plan.
Official text
Read the district's own article: Article XVII, §§ 115-132 to 115-140, 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.