Rehoboth’s Oak Grove hotel, cottages come down
The hotel and cottages at Oak Grove Motor Court near the entrance to Rehoboth Beach are being demolished.
Paul Lovett, who owns Oak Grove with his brother, Jim, and sister, Donna Benge, said the cottages date back to the 1950s, while the hotel was built in 1960. Lovett said all the wood structures on the property have been demolished and the concrete building off Canal Street will come down in the next few weeks. Demolition has been under way on and off since Christmas.
Lovett said the demolition of the structures is bittersweet for his family. The Lovetts’ grandparents built the Oak Grove Motor Court in the 1950s; the Lovett family has owned the property since the 1940s.
“My brothers and sister have many memories of it,” Lovett said.
He said attempts were made to save the Oak Grove cottages, including possibly donating some of them to West Rehoboth Community Land Trust. Ultimately, Lovett said, it did not economically make sense to move the cottages. He said the wiring, plumbing and insulation in the cottages are old and would require upgrades.
Demolition did not require the removal of a single tree, Lovett said, although there is one disfigured tree that may have to come down.
The removal of the Oak Grove cottages marks the beginning of a transformation of the property. The Lovetts have proposed a major subdivision of the property into 15 buildable lots and renaming the property Oak Grove at the Beach.
Planners look to finalize Oak Grove
The Rehoboth Beach Planning Commission is likely to take final action on the major subdivision of the Oak Grove Motor Court during the panel’s regular meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 14, in the city commissioners’ room.
The planners will review a draft resolution granting conditional preliminary approval of the subdivision, which will be known as Oak Grove at the Beach. The proposed subdivision would divide Oak Grove into 15 buildable lots ranging in size from 5,015 square feet to 7,381 square feet. The property is located at 43 Canal St. and 512 Rehoboth Ave.
The commission’s discussion will be limited to the adequacy of the resolution and revisions to applications documents not reviewed by the commission.
Ryan Mavity covers Milton and the court system. He is married to Rachel Swick Mavity and has two kids, Alex and Jane. Ryan started with the Cape Gazette all the way back in February 2007, previously covering the City of Rehoboth Beach. A native of Easton, Md. and graduate of Towson University, Ryan enjoys watching the Baltimore Ravens, Washington Capitals and Baltimore Orioles in his spare time.
