The following letter was sent to Rehoboth Mayor Sam Cooper, commissioners and planners.
We celebrated your overwhelming victory in the recent election and were encouraged that you addressed the excessive noise issue from large houses in the Cape Gazette, Aug. 1.
I agree, the noise from oversized pool houses is an expanding problem for the city. This has been a recurrent issue this summer. The rental ads for these dwellings highlight them as entertainment hubs with sleeping capacity for 16 or more. These are dormitories or frat houses, not residential homes. The concrete and solid house siding surrounding these pools amplifies the noise better than Bose speakers ever could.
I have enjoyed our Rehoboth neighborhood for 40 years. Occasionally families do have parties and children do make noise. But the repetitive flood of renters, who have no concern for the community, eat, drink and make merry from 8 a.m. till 11-plus p.m. for seven straight days. And then the next group arrives. The high rental fees give these visitors a sense of entitlement to party early and often. They have created frequent noise disturbances for many in the area.
This is an escalating conflict. I encourage you to stop this problem before Rehoboth becomes just another overdeveloped, noisy, concrete island. We have a commercial district for these party palaces. We were unique with our small town charm, abundant shade trees and, for the most part, attractive housing. Why do we want to evolve into just another overcrowded concrete jungle?
My objective is for you to eliminate the noise being generated by these pool houses. Please consider freezing future building permits until this issue is defined, understood and addressed. The expanding number of these pool properties is putting a severe burden on many Rehoboth property owners. Pool owners and renters clearly violate the Rehoboth city code, section 189-7 (noise disturbance).
These noisemakers do not belong in residential neighborhoods. Please confirm the meeting date when this issue will be addressed.
Harry Nothacker
Rehoboth Beach
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