Lewes considers kayak/paddleboard storage rental

The City of Lewes is considering offering storage rental for small watercraft such as paddleboards and kayaks at the beach and near the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal.

Deputy Mayor Andrew Williams introduced the idea at mayor and city council’s Jan. 10 meeting.

“This came from discussions I’ve had with several neighbors in Lewes,” he said. “They often put their kayak in the trunk and shlep it down to the canal [or beach] … I’ve seen one gentleman walk his down Savannah Road in a trailer.”

Williams showed pictures of different racks that could be used. He said they could be placed at Savannah Beach (Beach 1), Johnnie Walker Beach (Beach 2), Canalfront Park or other locations.

Williams said the racks could be viewed as amenities for people who have these hobbies, but they could also be a new revenue source.

“Just in conversations with my neighbors, they said they’d be willing to pay a couple hundred dollars [per season] to store their kayak or paddleboard in there,” he said.

Councilman Khalil Saliba agreed it was a good idea, but not only because it’s a possible new income source for the city.

“This is just another way to get cars off the road,” he said. “[It] allows people to store, in an orderly way, their paddleboards or their kayaks. This way they don’t have to use vehicles to get to the beach [or canal].”

The proposal was unanimously referred to the parks and recreation commission. Williams tasked the commission with providing recommendations on potential locations, number of racks and a fee structure. Parks and rec is scheduled to discuss the issue at its Monday, Jan. 24 meeting. A link to the meeting can be found on the agenda at lewes.civicweb.net.