Lewes launches mobility parking pilot program
The City of Lewes has launched a pilot program aimed at allowing residents with mobility issues to park in front of their own homes.
The pilot project is set to begin Tuesday, July 1, and run through the end of the year. Council will decide whether to extend the program after that.
Once an application is approved, the city will paint a special marking in front of the applicant’s home, indicating it is a reserved space.
The applicant will receive a placard to display when they are parked there.
“We discovered that it’s really no loss in parking area, because those cars are on that street anyway,” said Councilman Joe Elder at the June 26 mayor and city council workshop. “But people with mobility difficulties are constantly moving to get close to their homes.”
The city is charging a $25 fee for this year, but it will be $50 for a full year should the program remain.
Residents have to meet a list of criteria to receive special parking:
• Delaware handicap license tag
• Proof they do not have any off-street parking, including parking in a rear alley
• Must be a full-time resident.
Only one spot will be permitted per address. Only the vehicle registered for that home will be allowed to park there. It will not be open to other vehicles with handicap tags.
The details of the pilot were hashed out by Elder and a small ad hoc working group comprising Patty Kirby, Bob Wallace and Kerry Tripp. City Manager Ellen Lorraine McCabe and Police Chief Tom Spell worked closely with the group.
Mayor Amy Marasco has touted working groups as a way to tackle issues faster and get more citizens involved.
The pilot project applies to the town side of the city. Residents on the beach side can already apply for special mobility parking permits for up to two cars.
The reserved parking will be in place year-round.
“I look forward to it. I certainly will benefit from it, and I think other people will too,” Wallace said.
Elder said the working group found there are 113 homes in the city that do not have any off-street parking. He estimates 30 to 35 people might take advantage of the program at the start.
Spell has said there will be no issues enforcing the special parking, according to Elder.
“We want people to be able to age in place in Lewes. We don’t want them to have to leave because they can’t walk down the street,” Elder said.
The application is available at ci.lewes.de.us.
Bill Shull has been covering Lewes for the Cape Gazette since 2023. He comes to the world of print journalism after 40 years in TV news. Bill has worked in his hometown of Philadelphia, as well as Atlanta and Washington, D.C. He came to Lewes in 2014 to help launch WRDE-TV. Bill served as WRDE’s news director for more than eight years, working in Lewes and Milton. He is a 1986 graduate of Penn State University. Bill is an avid aviation and wildlife photographer, and a big Penn State football, Eagles, Phillies and PGA Tour golf fan. Bill, his wife Jill and their rescue cat, Lucky, live in Rehoboth Beach.
