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Lewes Beach: It is zoned open space now!

August 23, 2018

Thank you for covering the Lewes Beach parking issue in your articles and editorial. From these discussions it is clear that the topic is bigger than just parking. It is planning for the wise use of Lewes's bayfront resources for an increasing number of residents and visitors.

Many audience members agreed that paving the dunes near the public beach for parking is not an option. And I am heartened by their number. However, to date you have not reported the fact that the dunes around the public beach are zoned Open Space.

The purpose of Open Space from Lewes's planning documents is to "Preserve the physical diversity and the harmonious relationship of the City with its natural environment by providing an opportunity to preserve lands from urban development." Storage or parking of vehicles is not a permitted use in Open Space. Open Space is important to us all every day. And this has been acknowledged by the fact that these lands are zoned Open Space now.

This natural area surrounding the beaches is sometimes called Prickly Pear Park for the native cactus that blooms in late spring. Shortly, your neighbors will be picking beach plums there. It is habitat for local wildlife and migratory birds. These dunes help our Community Preparedness Rating that helps keep our insurance rates down. As noted during these meetings, open space surrounding Lewes is going away. This is not the time to consider reducing the amount of open space that we have at least some control over to our benefit.

This is one of those topics that the followers need to keep leading until the leaders recognize the followers are correct. The next action is to make our Open Space permanent and work to improve the habitat provided by those spaces, so we do not have to revisit a situation like this again.

Thomas Nobile
Lewes

 

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