Office of State Planning Coordination (OSPC)

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What is Preliminary Land Use Service (PLUS)?

(Information below is copied from DelDOT's Knowledge Corner of its Spring 2022 Newsletter on Five Points Working Group.


Preliminary Land Use Service - or PLUS - is a coordination process used by the Office of State Planning and Coordination (OSPC) that involves reviews by all applicable state agencies at the start of the land development process. PLUS adds value and knowledge to the process without overstepping the authority of the local governments to make land use decisions.


The goals to PLUS are to:


PLUS review of major land use change proposals occurs prior to submission to local governments (Chapter 92 of Title 29 of the Delaware Code). Land use change proposals are submitted to state agencies through the OSPC and are the subject of monthly PLUS meetings, at which applicants meet with state agency resource experts to discuss their plans and identify possible issues and solutions. Monthly PLUS meetings give applicants the opportunity to fully explain their projects to all state agencies at the same time, which shortens state response times to more closely align with local government review timelines. State comments are received in time to be of use and more completely reflect state and local land use plans and regulations.


As of January 2022, the PLUS website has been updated to improve the process for applicants and state reviewers. The application process is now electronic and includes a “pre-check” application that allows developers to identify areas of concern before finalizing a design and submitting the project for review. Another big improvement is that applicants are now required to provide an electronic file of the site plan, which will then be geo-referenced by OSPC. The geo-reference will be provided to state agencies so they can make relevant, site-specific recommendations based on the location of features on the site plan. The PLUS application process is outlined in detail here.


Want to know more about the projects currently undergoing PLUS review in your area? OSPC has developed an online PLUS Project Information Dashboard. Users can search by PLUS project name or PLUS ID, or filter PLUS projects by town or county. Based on the filters, the location of PLUS projects will be shown on a map with an accompanying project description. PLUS project details include the name of the project, a description of the proposed project, a status, and any related documents that have been submitted by the developer or the State.


The PLUS review hybrid meeting are held on 4th Wednesdays. Agendas for all previous PLUS meetings can be found here.


If you have questions for the PLUS Team or require additional information about PLUS projects in Sussex County, please contact Dorothy Morris, AICP at Dorothy.Morris@delaware.gov.


Delaware State Code - TITLE 29 

State Government

State Planning and Property Acquisition - CHAPTER 92. Land Use Planning

Subchapter II. Pre-application Reviews

https://delcode.delaware.gov/title29/c092/sc02/index.html

§ 9203. Local land use planning actions subject to review process.

(a) All projects meeting any 1 of the following criteria shall undergo a pre-application meeting and review process as set forth in this chapter:

(1) Major residential subdivisions with internal road networks and more than 50 units, excluding previously recorded residential subdivisions of any size which have not been sunsetted.

(2) Any nonresidential subdivision involving structures or buildings with a total floor area exceeding 50,000 square feet, excluding any previously approved and recorded non-residential subdivision regardless of floor area size, or any site plan review involving structures or buildings with a total floor area exceeding 50,000 square feet, excluding any previously approved and recorded non-residential site plan review regardless of floor area size.

(3) Rezonings, conditional uses, site plan reviews and/or subdivisions, within environmentally sensitive areas, as identified within any local jurisdiction’s comprehensive plan as certified under § 9103 of this title.

(4) Annexations inconsistent with the local jurisdiction’s comprehensive plan as certified under § 9103 of this title.

(5) Applications for rezoning if not in compliance with the local jurisdiction’s comprehensive plan as certified under § 9103 of this title.

(6) Any other project which is required to be referred to the State for pre-application review by local jurisdiction regulations.

(7) Any local land use regulation, ordinance or requirement referred to the Office of State Planning Coordination by a local jurisdiction for the purpose of providing the jurisdiction with advisory comments. The land use regulations, ordinances or requirements that are to be referred to the Office of State Planning Coordination may be specified in a jurisdiction’s Memorandum of Understanding.

(8) County and municipal comprehensive plans as required by Titles 9 and 22.

(b) Any applicant may voluntarily request to participate in the pre-application review process and shall make such requests in writing to the Office of State Planning Coordination.

74 Del. Laws, c. 186, §  1; 


§ 9204. Pre-application review process.

(a) Pre-application reviews shall be conducted and concluded, unless otherwise provided for herein, prior to the formal submission of any document required by the first step under any local jurisdiction’s land use review regulation, including, but not limited to, a “preliminary” or “sketch” subdivision or site plan, or a written request for a re-zoning, conditional use, or annexation by an applicant to the local jurisdiction. The applicant may elect to initiate the pre-application review process simultaneously with the formal submission or application to any local jurisdiction with an approved Memorandum of Understanding as provided for in § 9205(c) of this title. The applicant is responsible for complying with any and all local regulations and is strongly encouraged to meet with local officials prior to initiating the pre-application review process. The applicant shall be responsible for requesting a pre-application review under this chapter.

(b) The Office of State Planning Coordination shall develop an application and procedures for review and shall be responsible for scheduling and coordinating all pre-application review meetings. Meeting dates shall be designated for 1 or more days certain each month and held in accordance with procedures outlined by the Office of State Planning Coordination. Projects shall be heard at a pre-application meeting within 45 calendar days of receipt of a request by the Office of State Planning Coordination. The Office of State Planning Coordination shall give public notice of all pre-application review meetings by following the requirements of § 10004(e) of this title.

(c) Within 20 business days following the date of the pre-application meeting with the applicant, the Office of State Planning Coordination shall furnish to the applicant and the local jurisdiction a written compilation of all comments received at the meeting. Failure of Office of State Planning Coordination to meet the 20-business-day requirement will result in the State forfeiting the opportunity to comment on the local land use planning action. The length of review may be extended by mutual consent of the Office of State Planning Coordination and the applicant. The local jurisdiction shall be notified immediately of any mutually acceptable delays.

(d) Following the pre-application review process and upon filing of an application with the local jurisdiction, the applicant shall provide to the local jurisdiction and the Office of State Planning Coordination a written response to comments received as a result of the pre-application process, noting whether comments were incorporated into the project design or not and the reason therefore.

74 Del. Laws, c. 186, §  1; 


§ 9205. State agency authorities, roles and responsibilities.

(a) All state agencies shall participate in the pre-application review process if requested by the Office of State Planning Coordination and shall provide such assistance and advice as requested by the Office of State Planning Coordination.

(b) In special circumstances, the Office of State Planning Coordination may waive the pre-application requirements of this chapter. Where such waiver is granted, the Office of State Planning Coordination shall provide a written explanation of the causes for the waiver to the relevant local jurisdiction and the applicant. These circumstances may include, but are not limited to, local governments that impose a more stringent review of projects enumerated in § 9203(a) of this title than required by this chapter, or for projects which will provide an extraordinary benefit to the State and the local jurisdiction through economic development, job creation, educational opportunities, public services or facilities, agricultural preservation or protection and enhancement of the natural environment.

(c) In order to more effectively coordinate with the local land-use process, the Office of State Planning Coordination shall, through a memorandum of understanding agreed to by both parties, exempt the local jurisdiction from the provisions of this chapter or modify the pre-application review process specified herein when the local jurisdiction has a Certified Comprehensive Plan and imposes a more stringent review of projects enumerated in § 9203(a) of this title than required by this chapter.

(d) The Office of State Planning Coordination shall coordinate, where possible, the other state review processes including but not limited to the transportation agreements specified in Title 9, and other state land use review and permitting processes.

74 Del. Laws, c. 186, §  1; 


§ 9206. Local jurisdiction authorities, roles and responsibilities.

(a) Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to deny local jurisdictions their final decision-making authority over proposed local land use planning actions.

(b) The local jurisdiction shall, in accordance with this chapter, make its final decision and notify the Office of State Planning Coordination of such decision as soon as possible.

74 Del. Laws, c. 186, §  1; 

MOU Between Sussex County and State Planning Office - Oct. 3, 2003

Sussex MOU Final Signed.pdf