Rehoboth unsure what to do about Lake Gerar Tot Lot

Rehoboth Beach is in the middle of planning its budget for next year, and for the second straight year, the future of the Lake Gerar tot lot is taking up a significant part of the discussion.

The city’s fiscal year runs April 1 to March 31. City Manager Sharon Lynn presented commissioners with a $27.7 million budget Jan. 15. The proposed budget includes a 2 percent raise for employees and approximately $4.9 million in capital improvements.

As of now, there’s $350,000 toward a new playground for the Lake Gerar tot lot. During a budget meeting Feb. 8, City Arborist Liz Lingo said the playground is the oldest in the city and she has recommended it be demolished in favor of a larger, handicap-accessible playground because it’s no longer safe. Lingo made the same recommendation last year with a proposed budget of $250,000. Last year, commissioners earmarked $100,000 toward the playground, but then COVID-19 hit and the city playgrounds were closed.

Lingo said if the city does replace the playground, it must adhere to Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. She said costs have gone up in the past year and this year’s figure is a better representation of how much the project would cost.

The project’s financial impact on the budget hasn’t been the sticking point as much as concerns about unknown environmental impacts, removal of trees and loss of tranquility have been.

Commissioner Jay Lagree said he is concerned about a larger playground because of how it might affect the health of the lake.

Commissioner Susan Gay said she’s heard from constituents they like the park because of the shade provided by the trees.

Lingo said her professional opinion was that the Japanese pines aren’t worth working around because they’re an invasive species that have reached their expected life span. She added that for every tree removed, the plan would be to plant two shade trees in its place.

As for the expanded footprint, Lingo said a quarter-acre playground in a 15-acre park seemed reasonable.

The city received more than two dozen letters before the budget meeting. Every one of them addressed the tot lot, and all but one did not want to see it expanded in size.

One of the letter writers was Terri Eskew, who lives off Henlopen Avenue. She spoke during the meeting and said the issue wasn’t the money. Instead, she said, the issue was minimizing artificial aspects in the park so people can enjoy the natural aspects. 

The city doesn’t celebrate playground, the city celebrates trees, said Eskew, referencing the city’s long standing as a recognized Tree City by the Arbor Day Foundation.

Ultimately, commissioners tasked Lingo with coming to the next budget meeting with multiple designs and a financial breakdown of each.

Possible metered parking at Grove Park

First the first time this budget cycle, there was a discussion about adding a new source of revenue – metered parking at Grove Park.

Commissioner Patrick Gossett broached the subject. He said there are 36 parking spaces in the parking lot, three of which are marked for handicapped use. He suggested setting aside a total of six spaces for the Rehoboth Beach Museum, the Rehoboth Beach Main Street office and the Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce office. He also suggested allowing free parking for five hours every Tuesday for the Rehoboth Beach Farmers Market.

Gossett recognized there would be some up-front costs associated with installing parking meters and reprinting parking brochures, but he estimated the city could bring in $60,000 to $70,000 a year in revenue if the lot was metered.

No decision was made on the subject, but the possibility was generally greeted with positivity by fellow commissioners.

Mayor Stan Mills said it might be a good way to account for costs associated with the new canal dock. He tasked Gossett with presenting a formal outline at the next budget meeting.

Commissioner Richard Byrne said he liked the idea of the city not leaving the money on the table, especially if the western end of Rehoboth Avenue gets developed.

Commissioner Edward Chrzanowski said he wasn’t against the idea, but it would also be good to include representatives from the museum, chamber and Main Street as part of the discussion.

Current fiscal year finances expected to meet budget

Lynn began the most recent budget meeting with some good news on the current fiscal year. Due in large part to what she described as a potentially record-breaking year for transfer taxes, she said the city’s revenues are tracking on target to match expenses.

The city had previously reported it lost roughly $2 million in expected parking revenue this past summer. However, said Lynn during the recent meeting, transfer tax revenue is already $1.6 million above the previous year – $3 million to $1.4 million. There’s been a huge increase, she said, adding a reasonable forecast for the entire year will be $3.5 million. 

The next budget meeting is scheduled to take place Friday, Feb. 19. As of press deadline, the time had not been posted.