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Public outcry and last month’s landslide election of three candidates staunchly opposed to relaxing the height limit in Dewey Beach have sent Harvey, Hanna and Associates back to the drawing board.
“Sixty-eight feet is a dead issue,” said Harvey, Hanna and Associates President Thom Harvey. “The people of Dewey voted against it. ...We’re in the process of formulating another plan.”
Harvey said the company’s new plan for the Ruddertowne parcel, between Route 1 and Rehoboth Bay, is a 48-foot structure. That’s lower than the originally proposed 68-foot hotel/condominium hybrid but still higher than Dewey’s current limit of 35 feet for new construction.
Harvey said his company is finishing up due diligence and will own the Ruddertowne property by the end of October. He also said the company is talking with hotel chain Marriott regarding the resort complex.
Harvey said the problem, for now, is that the town has yet to make any decisions. The planning and zoning committee is still holding meetings at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, and another at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 9, to decide whether to relax bulk standards in the town’s resort-business area. Then the planners will send their recommendations to the commissioners, who have the final vote.
There is also the chance of a public referendum, which won wide support during the recent election. A referendum might push the decision even further back, possibly until the next election.
No matter the outcome, there is always the option of building townhouses, Harvey said.
“We are OK by virtue of the townhouse plan,” he said. “That backs up the property for us.”
But, Harvey said, building rows of townhouses is more of a last resort. He is still pushing for a resort complex, which he says will extend the shoulder seasons and make Dewey a year-round destination.
“Look at Rehoboth,” he said. “What do they have? An identifiable business district. Look at some of the Eastern Shore communities, like Cambridge. There’s not much going on, but it’s tough to get a room there any time of the year.”
Still, Commissioner Dale Cooke said constructing more houses and eliminating one of the main attractions in town may not be the best idea.
“I want to end up with a commercial district that brings extra people here,” he said.
Mayor Dell Tush, who was elected on the ticket that opposed the height increase, also wants a business district. But, she said, a structure taller than current town codes permit is not necessary.
“I do think there’s a lot of things out there that would be a better option,” Tush said.
Harvey argues that it is nearly impossible to build a 35-foot building in the business district that will attract a large audience. He also said that a smaller structure would cut out amenities in the original plan, such as a baywalk and public restrooms, and 200 parking spaces would be dropped from the parking garage.
No matter what planning and zoning and the commissioners decide, Harvey said he will build in Ruddertowne.
“I go into projects for the long term,” he said. “We want something that will work forever.”
Contact Eddie Phillipps at eddiep@capegazette.com
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