Opinions vary on Rehoboth Beach parking fix

Nearly 100 people showed up for a special parking meeting in Rehoboth, and after nearly three hours of discussion, two things are for certain – there’s a parking problem in Rehoboth and everyone has an opinion on how to fix it.

Held Sept. 21 in the commissioners room of city hall, the special commissioners meeting was spurred by the city parking committee’s recommendation to overhaul meter and permit parking. Among the changes the committee recommended during a presentation to commissioners Aug. 17 were an increase in meters in the city’s core commercial district; extending the meter season and permit season to May 1 through Sept. 30; enforcing meters and permits from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; limiting the number of permits issued per household to two permanent, two transferable and two scooter; and increasing the cost of business licenses that include a free permit or eliminating the free permit.

“Nothing brings out a crowd like parking issues,” said Linda Kauffman, parking committee chair, to begin the special meeting. She then went on to briefly describe the proposed changes. “Cars not moving is hurting the businesses. The question is, how can you create more parking without creating more parking?”

After first ensuring there would be no vote taken at the meeting, Mayor Paul Kuhns said there is parking in the city; it may just not be immediately in front of where customers want to be. The idea is to encourage the spread of cars throughout the city, he said. Kuhns said there’s a lot to consider, primarily, but it has to do with costs the city would have to incur with more employees and better technology.

After a brief discussion among commissioners, the floor was opened to members of the public.

Carol Everhart, president and CEO of the Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce, reminded everyone in the room the chamber was pushing for a parking garage 20 years ago. “They will pay for the convenience,” she said. Everhart said the parking in Rehoboth is too complicated. She said there needs to better signage, pointing people where to go if all they want to do is go to the beach. Use the convention center marquee if needed, she said.

Everhart said her number one concern was the proposal to start the meters at 9 a.m. That would hurt businesses for sure, she said.

Kelly Munyan, Nicola Pizza general manager, said she was very much against the proposal to lengthen the meter season. She said a lot of her local customers don’t come in during the summer months. They’ll come to eat before the meters go into effect, and then on their way out, they say, “We’ll see you in September,” said Munyan.

Wesley Paulson, Clear Space Theatre Company executive director, said he was definitely in support of a garage. He also said he was in favor of the 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. meter proposal.

Jason Russo, Grandpa Mac owner, said if the city extended the meter season in May and September, it would greatly affect the revenue those months. Nobody would come to town in the middle of the week if they had to pay. Russo said the best way to get people to move is by putting a time limit with a high ticket price.

At one point, in response to the discussion related to extending the meter season, someone said if the Delaware Department of Transportation can charge $1 for the Route 1 tolls midweek and then $3 on the weekends, the city should be able to do something similar.

Susan Wood, owner of The Cultured Pearl, wasn’t the first to bring it up, but she said was concerned about a lack of employee parking. She said she tells her employees not to park where customers might park, which sometimes means they end up parking over by Dogfish Head. “And you know what, I know that Dogfish says the same thing to their employees, and their employees park over by the Cultured Pearl,” said Wood.

Wood said she thought it would be a good idea to have employees park in the parking lot of Rehoboth Elementary School.

Laura Hannu-Eckrote, who owns Olive Orchard Tasting Room with her husband Roy, said she was against changing the free parking from 10 a.m. to 9 a.m. She said her disabled husband needs time in the morning to unload product from his vehicle, unless he isn’t going to get a ticket while unloading. The big trucks don’t get tickets, so why does her husband, she asked.

Eckrote then summarized a lot of the sentiment in the room. “If you’re just going to the beach, get off Rehoboth Avenue,” she said.