One has to wonder if the members of the state-funded commission for shoreline management even visited our beach towns before writing their report.
If they had, they would know that the people who primarily benefit from our beaches are day trippers from northern Delaware and across the region, and also families who rent hotel rooms along Coastal Highway. Even a cursory look the numbers would make that clear. For example, the City of Rehoboth Beach has a grand total of about 3,000 housing units, but hosts between 7 million and 10 million visitors a year.
The beach towns already serve as the cultural hubs for the thousands who live nearby in unincorporated Sussex County. Their residents are immensely civic-minded, supporting our independent libraries, museums, the art league, and charities too numerous to list. To expect them to come up with the millions proposed by the state commission is neither practical nor fair.
Our beaches are a precious Delaware resource that we all share. The burden of maintaining them should fall on the state.
-
A letter to the editor expresses a reader's opinion and, as such, is not reflective of the editorial opinions of this newspaper.
To submit a letter to the editor for publishing, send an email to viewpoints@capegazette.com. All letters are considered at the discretion of the newsroom and published as space allows. Due to the large volume of submissions, we cannot acknowledge receipt of each submission. Letters must include a phone number and address for verification. Keep letters to 400 words or fewer. We reserve the right to edit for content or length. Letters should be responsive to issues addressed in the Cape Gazette rather than content from other publications or media. Letters should focus on local issues, not national topics or personalities. Only one letter per author will be published every 30 days regarding a particular topic. Authors may submit a second letter within that time period if it pertains to a different issue. Letters may not be critical of personalities or specific businesses. Criticism of public figures is permissible. Endorsement letters for political candidates are no longer accepted. Letters must be the author’s original work, and may not be generated by artificial intelligence tools. Templates, form letters and letters containing language similar to other submissions will not be published.
