Beach umbrella shed storage has become line in the sand
A plan to expand beach umbrella shed storage in West Rehoboth has met with mixed reactions.
Richard F. Lynam, who has operated Lynam Beach Rentals in Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach for 50 years, has a petition signed by 25 people in support of the conditional-use application to store sheds on two lots off Hebron Road, an area traditionally used by beach-related companies for storage.
But, some residents and other concerned citizens say enough is enough. They say the neighborhood is making attempts at revitalization and the commercialization of Hebron Road has gone far enough. There doesn’t appear to be much middle ground between the two sides – those opposed want the sheds stored somewhere else. Both sides made their views perfectly clear during a Tuesday, June 29 Sussex County Council public hearing.
Council deferred on a decision as it waits for a recommendation on the application from the planning and zoning commission.
“This is the softest possible commercial use you could have. These are benign structures,” Lynam’s attorney Hal Dukes said. “The sheds have been stored on this road for generations and there has never been an incident.”
Dukes said there would be no impact on the residential character of the neighborhood because the majority of the residences were located on streets behind the parcel.
Lynam said the storage area would be secured with a solid vinyl fence and a gate set back 40 feet from Hebron Road. “It’s a safety improvement and it also improves the appearance – that’s why it’s good for the community,” he said.
If approved, Lynam will purchase the two vacant lots zoned AR-1, agricultural-residential, and GR, general residential, where gas and oil tanks were previously stored, which would allow for more storage space than the adjacent lot he is using. He will need a conditional use for the proposed project because the lots are not zoned commercial.
Adonest Hall, one of the current owners of the property, said the new storage location would help alleviate a visual problem for motorists and cyclists at the intersection of Hebron and Canal Crossing roads. The entrance to the Junction-Breakwater Trail is also on Hebron Road.
Not in favor of application
Eleanor Bailey, a resident who is president of West Side New Beginnings, said there is already too much commercial property in West Rehoboth. “No one cares about us,” she said. “We are the dumping ground. A lot of people have sold out and moved on.”
Richard Legatski, president of the West Rehoboth Community Land Trust, said a 2009 West Rehoboth revitalization plan called for low-density residential development with limited commercial development, such as small shops, compatible with a residential neighborhood.
He said another shed storage location one-half block from the proposed conditional use has become a gathering spot for homeless people with drug activity and prostitution.
“This area is invisible and walled in on two or three sides, but it’s one of the last areas where people can live in affordable homes and be close enough to walk to work,” said Mable Granke of Rehoboth Beach. “This community is trying to survive.”
She said more storage locations would only add to problems already present on Hebron Road, an area she called a dead zone at night.
“The visual image people see are the sheds, and some are in terrible condition. That’s a terrible way to enter a community. The residents have had to put up with this for years and years,” said Beth Doty of Rehoboth Beach. “You need to preserve the cultural heritage of that community.”
