Due to brick work needed after bollards and swing gates are installed near the Bandstand, the cost of Rehoboth Beach’s pedestrian safety project has increased by $200,000.

Brick paver work is extremely expensive and it’s all brick pavers at the end of Rehoboth Avenue, said Assistant City Manager Evan Miller, during a special city commissioners meeting Nov. 10.

A little over a month ago, the city announced it was moving forward with a multi-phase pedestrian security project. The first phase of the project includes the installation of nearly 70 bollards; a short, vertical post used to block off areas and control traffic; and two swing gates in the area around the Bandstand and Boardwalk. At the time, the city estimated the cost of the first phase to be $1.1 million.

During a meeting Oct. 17, commissioners awarded a contract for about $423,000 to Texas-based Gibraltar Perimeter Security to begin manufacturing the bollards.

The special meeting Nov. 10 was so commissioners could award a contract for the installation of the bollards and swing gates. 

Miller recommended commissioners award the entirety of the installation contract – $620,000 for the bollards and swing gates, $200,000 for the pavers – to Concentric Security, an Alabama-based company with an office in Sykesville, Md. They’ve worked with Gibraltar on other projects, including the Ocean City Boardwalk, he said, adding the expectation is that Concentric will subcontract out the paver work after the installation is complete.

According to the bid documents, the brick work includes about 1,000 square feet near the Boardwalk and 500 square feet near Rehoboth Avenue.

The $200,000 figure is a rough estimate, which could be very high and end up being significantly less, said Miller.

Prior to the vote, Miller went into a little more detail on the project.

The number of bollards is based on a manufacturer-recommended spacing of 5 feet, said Miller. The general layout is in place, but as the city gets out there, bollard locations may shift a bit, depending on specific site conditions, he said.

Commissioner Mark Saunders asked why the installation costs of the bollards are so high.

Miller said, due to the number of bollards, the project involves excavating the entire work area, installing the bollards and then redoing the paver area that was excavating. Doing it that way will help speed things up and help with aesthetics, he said.

Commissioner Susan Stewart asked how emergency vehicles would get into the Bandstand area.

The travel lanes around the Bandstand would remain and then be blocked with security vehicles during an event, said Miller. As for accessing the Boardwalk, the swing gates are 16 feet wide and can accommodate emergency vehicles, he said.

Construction on two hotels in the immediate vicinity – One Rehoboth to the north, Belhaven to the south – is imminent. Miller said he’s reached out to the developers about having them install the bollards. The last thing the city wants to do is to pay to have the bollards installed only to have the hotels rip them up, he said.

There were a number of business owners and residents who spoke against the aesthetics of the bollards on the sidewalk.

Alison Blyth, owner of Go Fish, is against the bollards being installed on the sidewalk. This is a public sidewalk to the businesses around the Bandstand, and this is just another deterrent, she said, encouraging the use of large planter boxes as deterrents.

Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce President Carol Everhart said this issue garnered one of the strongest responses she’s ever experienced during her time at the chamber. No one is against the need for safety improvements, but they also think the visuals and how the bollards will affect the streetscape should be taken into account, she said.

Ultimately, though, commissioners didn’t change their minds and awarded the $812,000 contract to Concentric.

Mayor Stan Mills said he viewed the vote to award the installation contract as an extension of the vote to award the manufacturing contract.

“The decision has already been made to install them. I have voiced my preference to city management to try to reduce the number across the sidewalk. I don’t know that it can be done. If not, we have to live with that,” said Mills. “I’m convinced this will help thwart problems and terrorist activities in the future.” 

Looking forward, the city expects work to begin as early as February. There’s a completion deadline of May 15.