Milton council approves kayak rental at park
Milton Town Council has unanimously approved a proposal by Quest Adventures to have kayak rentals and a storage area in Milton Memorial Park.
At their May 2 meeting, council members asked Quest Adventures founders Mark and Matt Carter to work with town administration on an agreement to codify terms of the arrangement.
Quest used to have a rental area within town on private property, but after that property changed hands and with the COVID-19 pandemic, the business shut down its Milton location.
Mark Carter said the storage area would be temporary and would include a rack system. The storage area would provide screening and security; Carter said the building could also include a tin roof to help shield the kayaks from the elements. Customers would be able to unhook a kayak and move it to the boat launch via a dolly system. Carter said the storage area would be able to hold eight kayaks, four solo and four tandem.
Carter said ecotourism is an economic driver for communities, and having kayak rentals could help draw more people to Milton. He said kayaks could also be part of larger town events intended to get people active in nature. Carter said the kayak rental would operate in conjunction with the park hours – dusk to dawn – and from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
He said insurance would be handled by Quest; vendors operating in state parks have to carry top-end insurance, and Carter said the company would carry similar insurance in Milton.
Mayor John Collier said he liked the idea of screening because he did not want to see the storage area impede on the view of the Broadkill River. He said while some details need to be hammered out, he did not want to pass over the idea of having kayak rentals in the park.
Councilwoman Annette Babich moved to have the request approved on the condition that a working agreement be agreed upon with town administration. Council approved, by a 5-2 vote, that the storage facility have a roof, with council members Randi Meredith and Rich Baty opposed.
