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Let’s keep Lewes the town we know and love

February 6, 2014

The following letter was sent to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission with a copy submitted to the Cape Gazette for publication.

I am writing to ask that you not issue a variance “to permit live entertainment, external speakers and amplifiers” outdoors on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry terminal patio.

The citizens of Lewes, The First Town in The First State, have worked hard to preserve the heritage and quaintness of our beach community. We promote our uniqueness on our www.lewes.com website:

“Welcome to the quiet but progressive town of Lewes, Delaware. Where the sun, the sand, and the sea are still the number one attractions. Founded in 1631, the townspeople have taken great pride in their historic heritage and enjoy the opportunity of sharing it with you. Lewes is situated where the Delaware Bay and Atlantic Ocean meet at Cape Henlopen. Nowhere can the beauty of Cape Henlopen State Park be equaled. In this preserved land you find miles of beautiful beaches, nature trails and bird sanctuaries.”

Although we are in one of the fastest growing areas in Sussex County, the citizens of Lewes and the surrounding areas have worked hard to preserve our protected location off the main drag of Route 1 and the noise and traffic of the other beach communities of Delaware. Lewes has some of the best restaurants, best small museums, best library, best farmer’s market, and best bed and breakfasts in the region while maintaining the peacefulness of a quiet and historical beach community.

As a property owner and taxpayer in the City of Lewes and Sussex for 26 years, my family is opposed to issuing a variance to allow live amplified entertainment on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry Terminal patio.

Our Port Lewes home sits on the Delaware Bay adjacent to the Lewes Ferry Terminal and Cape Henlopen State Park. We are very much impacted by what happens with the Cape May-Lewes Ferry property.  We saw last summer how the amplified music made a normal conversation on our deck or putting our grandchildren to bed, a challenge.

When we bought in Port Lewes in 1988 we picked our home carefully. Port Lewes was the perfect place. With the state park on two sides of us, the protected Bay in front of us, and the Cape May Ferry to the north, we felt sure our home would retain its value for generations to come.

You have a unique opportunity to help preserve the uniqueness of Lewes. Please don’t take even a small step to start us down the road of becoming just another noisy, crowded beach town along the mid-Atlantic shore… a step that may lower our property values… a step that could change the very nature of what makes Lewes and Port Lewes unique.

Jim and Mary Culley
Lewes

 

 

  • A letter to the editor expresses a reader's opinion and, as such, is not reflective of the editorial opinions of this newspaper.

    To submit a letter to the editor for publishing, send an email to newsroom@capegazette.com. Letters must be signed and include a telephone number and address for verification. Please keep letters to 500 words or fewer. We reserve the right to edit for content and length. Letters should be responsive to issues addressed in the Cape Gazette rather than content from other publications or media. Only one letter per author will be published every 30 days. Letters restating information and opinions already offered by the same author will not be used. Letters must focus on issues of general, local concern, not personalities or specific businesses.

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