Lewes Canalfront Park saved from condos

The City of Lewes has transformed into a resort area over the last few decades. It was something foreseen by former Mayor Otis Smith back in 1960.

“He predicts a growth along the Atlantic seacoast north of Rehoboth Beach which will eventually reach Lewes and make this whole section of eastern Sussex County one large resort area,” wrote Jim Flood in a July 9, 1960 edition of the Evening Journal.

Knowing what Lewes and eastern Sussex have become, it’s interesting to read what was written about the town 65 years ago.

“Just inside Cape Henlopen, this town with a colorful and well-remembered past, has an uncertain future. In fact, to quote one town official, Lewes is at the crossroads. Its natural potential as a resort area, barely exploited, may be the avenue for growth and renewed vigor.”

The impetus for the story was a recently approved marina along the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal.

“Some say the quaintness of Lewes will be ruined by the marina,” said John Richardson, a commissioner at the time.

Of course, the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal is now lined with marinas, but the Lewes Boatyard was the subject of a major effort to save it from development. According to a Cape Gazette story in June 1998, Jim Kiernan and Rob Moore planned to build 23 residential condos and 23 retail shops on the site. The plan, called Pilothouse, was amended to 24 condos and 18 commercial units, then again to 20 condos and 10 commercial units. They had agreed to purchase the property for $1.5 million.

The idea of Canalfront Park surfaced in April 1999, when residents Mike Klemmer and Gavin Braithwaite, among others, began gathering pledges, and architect John Mateyko drew up a plan for the property. Also involved in the effort were Mike Rawl, Joe Stewart, Cape Gazette co-founder and publisher Dennis Forney, among others.

The park idea became more of a realistic goal when Lewes Mayor and City Council unanimously voted against preliminary approval of the Pilothouse project in December 1999. Council members cited traffic congestion, pedestrian safety and boat slips concerns. City officials also said at that meeting they were interesting in buying the property.

The dream became reality in June 2000, when the newly formed Greater Lewes Foundation negotiated a deal with Kiernan and Moore to purchase their contract for the property. To make the deal, funds were raised by the City of Lewes, State of Delaware and private donations through the Greater Lewes Foundation.

The City of Lewes officially took ownership of the land that would become Lewes Canalfront Park Nov. 11, 2001. After years of fundraising, the first phase of the park opened in June 2007. The park was finally completed in 2009, becoming one of the city’s crown jewels.