Lewes Mayor and City Council unanimously approved sidewalk and lane widths and some bump-outs for the Burton subdivision streetscape program, allowing engineers to move forward on submitting a bid for the project.

Council will discuss other features like trees, parking and bike sharrows at a later date.

The streetscape is the city's responsibility. It will be completed after the Board of Public Works finishes a massive project to replace deteriorating underground water pipes on Burton, Paynter, DuPont, Park and Johnson avenues, and West Fourth Street. 

Burton residents have been subjected to discolored water for decades. The BPW has said it is safe to drink.

The pipe replacement is expected to begin in the fall and be completed in 2028.

"Getting clean water is the highest priority," said Mayor Amy Marasco.

Council approved the following design elements:

• 4.5-foot-wide sidewalks on Park Avenue
• 5-foot-wide sidewalks on Johnson Avenue and West Fourth Street
• 11-foot-wide traffic lanes on West Fourth Street, with 8-foot parking
• 17-foot traffic lanes on Park Avenue
• Bump-outs at the corner of Park Avenue and West Fourth Street.

No other bump-outs were approved.

Bump-outs serve two functions: traffic calming and as a space to plant trees. 

Engineers had proposed placing several more along the south side of West Fourth Street.

Bump-outs were a discussion topic at a public hearing on the streetscape, which was held right before the council meeting.

Elaine Simmerman, who lives on West Fourth Street, had asked council to reconsider the bump-outs.

"Existing bump-outs elsewhere in Lewes have created problems," Simmerman said. "They can interfere with turning movements, reduce parking flexibility and make snow removal more difficult and potentially unsafe."

Councilperson Tim Ritzert ultimately voted with his colleagues to accept bump-outs only at Park Avenue and West Fourth Street. But, he said they serve an important function.

"I don't like abandoning bump-outs on Park [Avenue]. I respect that it's impactful for taking away parking spaces, but it creates an environment where trees can thrive," Ritzert said.

Lisa Decker owns properties on West Fourth Street and on Market Street. She showed council a photo of an existing bump-out on Market Street, which she claimed makes the street look commercial.

Decker called the entire streetscape plan overkill.

"We don't want painted parking spaces, we don't want bump-outs, we don't want our mature trees destroyed with still no recommendation for replacing them," Decker said. "Let's work together with our city engineers to come up with a plan that works and not try to shove everything into a 2026 cookie-cutter way of doing things. It's not attractive."