After unanimous passage by the General Assembly of a bill to protect Cape Henlopen State Park, many supporters of the bill are wondering when Gov. John Carney plans to sign it.

Senate Bill 6 cleared both the House and Senate June 30 – the last day of the legislative session – but there has been no word of when Carney will sign it.

“I believe it’s just a matter of the process,” said Sen. Russ Huxtable, D-Lewes, the prime sponsor of the bill.

Huxtable put forth the bill after local residents, led by the Preserve Our Park Coalition, took issue with state plans to build a bar and restaurant near the bathhouse and Hawk Watch at the Lewes-area park.

Nearly a thousand people attended a meeting in December 2022 to oppose construction of a restaurant and bar, and the legislation affirms protection of the park under the 350-year-old Warner Grant.

Huxtable said Carney has not yet taken possession of the bill, which would give him 10 days, excluding Sundays, to take action on the bill. He could sign it into law, or do nothing and it would still become law. If he vetoed the bill, it would go back to the General Assembly, where it would most likely be overridden since no legislators opposed it.

“I anticipate he’s just taking his time with this,” Huxtable said. “I don’t anticipate any issues.”

The governor’s office did not respond for comment before the Cape Gazette’s deadline.