Sumlin Park to honor West Rehoboth residents

In its second house recycling project this year, the Coalition for West Rehoboth moved a Rehoboth Beach home to a new location just outside town in West Rehoboth.

The home, originally located on Country Club Drive, was donated to the coalition and moved to the Sumlin family property, two adjacent lots on Burton Avenue in West Rehoboth.

For Monique Sumlin, whose family donated the property in memory of her grandmother, Barbara, the donation is an opportunity to help the community where her grandparents once lived.

“The main focus – to provide affordable housing for the community and to be able to help the community – is what we are looking to do,” Sumlin said. “The Barbara Sumlin Park is in memory of my grandmother who passed away. She was well-known in the community, and we wanted to have a memorial for her in addition to my grandfather, who lived on the property with my grandmother as well.”

The old family home has fallen into disrepair and will be demolished, coalition project director Kevin McKinney said. Four new homes, including the donated one, will occupy the two lots.

One lot was donated to the coalition and will eventually house two rental homes. The other will house new construction that will be available for sale in an effort to create a small community called Sumlin Park, McKinney said.

The 1,200-square-foot, two-bedroom, one and one-half bathroom home that was moved from Rehoboth awaits a foundation. It will be Sumlin Park's first rental property, McKinney said. The existing structure is set to be torn down this month.

“We are going to landscape it really nice for the community,” McKinney said. “The proceeds of the homes are going to go to the coalition to support community programs for street lights and the West Side New Beginnings program.”

McKinney said his organization is still looking for another home to bring into the community to complete the the four-home park.

“We are partnered with the Community Resource Center and the Lewes-Rehoboth Association of Churches, and they are putting out close to $5,000 a month to help out with the housing needs and provide affordable housing,” he said. “The community is actually going to step in to help develop the property as well.”

In May, the Coalition successfully transplanted a home donated by the Montgomery family from Henlopen Acres to a new location across the canal to Duffy Street. This home has now been righted on its foundation and the Reed family resides in the home.

As efforts continue, McKinney said he hopes neighborhood involvement will continue as well.

“It is a community effort,” he said. “Any work we can give to the community residents, we will to create some jobs also.”

For more information or to make a donation toward the improvements in West Rehoboth, contact Kevin McKinney at kmckinney.wrc@gmail.com, or the Coalition for West Rehoboth at 19801 Norwood St., Rehoboth Beach.