Consultant: Rehoboth canal dock is safe for public to use

The canal dock in Rehoboth Beach has been closed for several months for two reasons – the annual winter closure and out of an abundance of caution because the canal bank above the dock had settled, which caused cracks along the walkway leading down to the dock.

Well, warmer weather has arrived and a consultant has said the dock is safe to use, but city commissioners are still debating if it should be reopened.

For various reasons, it took about a decade for construction of the dock to come to fruition, but it opened along the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal in May 2021. This January, commissioners were told by city staff that the canal bank above the dock had settled, and there were safety concerns. The city closed access to the walkway and dock indefinitely. A few weeks later, commissioners were told there is a need for riprap to stabilize the slope regardless of if they decide to remove the canal dock and its supporting walkway.

Commissioners resumed the discussion during a workshop May 5. The city hired consultant Wallace Montgomery to perform an assessment of the retaining wall. Engineers Dave LaBella and Erin Collins presented their findings at the workshop. They recommended a two-part approach – immediate maintenance and monitoring, plus one of two long-term options: either removing and replacing the dock, or removing the dock and stabilizing the area.

The estimated cost for immediate maintenance and monitoring, which includes riprap at the base of the wall, is about $340,000. The estimated cost for dock removal and replacement is about $1.9 million. The estimated cost for removal and stabilization is a little more than $1 million. 

LaBella recommended a year of monitoring. He said that would allow the city to determine if the wall is sliding or if it has slid. The hope is that it slid, he said.

There were questions about the quality of soil used during the construction of the canal bank. Collins said they know what kind of soil should be used, but they don’t have samples of the soil that was used.

The Wallace Montgomery assessment concluded that from a structural standpoint, the canal dock is available to be open for public use, but the city should also consult with a geotechnical engineer to ensure the slope is stable for opening in its current state.

Voicing concerns about the quality and method of construction, Commissioner Craig Thier said he wants to keep the dock, but doesn’t want to spend $350,000 only to find out later the whole structure needs to be removed.

Commissioner Patrick Gossett asked if any future dredging of the canal and impending refurbishment of the bridge crossing the canal immediately south of the dock could affect the canal bank.

Yes, said LaBella. Outside factors are still very much a factor, he said.

As she’s done in the past, Commissioner Susan Goode continued to express concern about the stability of the canal bank because the city’s ocean outfall pipe and one of two main water lines run parallel to the canal in that area. She said the city should look into a lawsuit against the builder.

Commissioners are weighing the two big-ticket costs because there are questions about how much the dock actually gets used. However, the city doesn’t have good statistics on the use of the dock.

Dave Green, Cape Water Tours owner, said his business, based in Lewes, runs trips to Rehoboth on Fridays during the summer, and he estimated he had 1,800 passengers last year. He also said they run special trips on occasion.

“If we had 10 boats during Sea Witch, they’d all be full,” said Green. “We do use it, and we’d like to use it more.”

There was no decision made or consensus reached about the future of the dock at the end of the discussion. However, commissioners tasked City Manager Taylour Tedder with getting the recommended geotechnical report done soon to see if it’s possible to reopen the dock.