Dewey commissioners enact parking changes
In continued efforts to simplify parking rules in Dewey Beach, commissioners voted unanimously March 10 to eliminate the four-hour minimum parking permit rate and to increase the daily parking permit rate.
Mayor Bill Stevens said eliminating the four-hour minimum rate would result in a more business-friendly ordinance, as visitors could pay to park for an hour or two, rather than a mandated four hours.
Town Manager Bill Zolper said he has received complaints about the four-hour minimum rate, and he would like to make parking as simple and clear as possible. Parking fines are down while ParkMobile revenues are up, he said, likely due to better education about parking regulations.
Commissioner Gary Persinger said he questioned if the change would allow the town to maintain last year’s revenue. In 2022, he said, about 31,000 four-hour permits were sold, resulting in $360,000 in revenue.
Stevens said if a significant decrease in revenue is seen, the town can make adjustments next year.
Commissioner Elisabeth Gibbings, who also suggested having different-colored signs to denote metered and non-metered areas as a way to reduce confusion, said ParkMobile is convenient because visitors can stay on the beach and replenish their parking.
Also, she noted, unlike meters that display the amount of time left in the parking session, ParkMobile users are unable to use time paid for by a previous vehicle; they have to pay again for the spot.
Commissioner David Jasinski’s amendment to allow parking by the hour in hang-tag spaces was accepted.
In another vote, the daily parking rate was changed to $25, seven days a week. Previously, Zolper said, the daily rate for Monday through Wednesday was $15, and for Thursday through Sunday, the rate was $20.
A $25, 24-hour daily parking rate would be simpler to understand, Zolper said.
Parking rates are significantly discounted as they move from daily to weekly to annual, Jasinski said, noting that a weekly pass is broken down to an average of $11 a day, and the annual pass equates to just a dollar or two a day.
Zolper said visitors who purchase the daily parking pass don’t contribute to the town revenue in terms of rental tax, but they benefit from town lifeguards, public trash receptacles and police, if needed. Jasinski noted that was a good point.
Dewey Beach parking permits go on sale Monday, April 10, and the paid parking season runs from May 15 to Sept. 15 every year.
Free parking will still be available throughout town from 5 to 11 p.m., Monday through Wednesday.
Parking can be paid through the ParkMobile app or through daily, weekly, weekend and seasonal passes. For more information, call the parking department at 302-227-6170 or go to townofdeweybeach.com.
