Grove Park Canal Dock slated to open June 12 in Rehoboth

The much-anticipated public opening of Rehoboth Beach’s new Grove Park Canal Dock is slated to take place Saturday, June 12.

City Manager Sharon Lynn made the announcement during a commissioner workshop June 7. It took 10 years of raising money and 10 months of construction, but the city celebrated the completion of the dock with a ribbon cutting in early May.

The new dock is located in the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal, behind the Rehoboth Beach Museum. There had been a delay in the opening of the dock to the public because the insurance company wanted a better fence at the top of the canal embankment.

City Arborist Liz Lingo, who also oversees the city’s parks and recreation activities, said during the meeting the fence was actively being installed. Pending uncooperative weather, she said she expected the fencing to be done by the end of the week.

RFPs for water taxi, non-motorized services

In addition to announcing the opening of the dock, commissioners briefly discussed who will be providing services at the dock. In May, the city issued requests for proposals for a water taxi service and a kayak service.

Initially, the city had looked at modifying code to create a business license category that would allow any business that obtained that type of license to operate at the dock. However, during the meeting, Lynn said contracted services provided by specific vendors were the preferred way to go for city staff. It’s the practical approach, she said.

Lewes-based Cape Water Tours and Taxi was the only business that responded to the RFP for the water taxi service. There were two responses to the RFP for kayaks – Lewes-based Quest Adventures and an unnamed business run by Asaf Ohana and Richard Green.

The deadline to submit a proposal was June 3. Lynn said city staff would evaluate the requests and come to the commissioner meeting Friday, June 18, prepared to make a recommendation to commissioners. 

First in-person commissioner meeting in over a year

The agenda for the commissioner workshop June 7 was the typical affair – city manager’s report, committee reports, old business, new business, commissioner comment and citizen comment. However, the meeting was held in person for the first time in over 15 months. The last in-person commissioner meeting prior to the recent workshop was a workshop and budget meeting March 9, 2020.

In addition to being the first in-person commissioner meeting in 15 months, it marked the first time Mayor Stan Mills, Commissioner Patrick Gossett and Commissioner Jay Lagree were able to sit at the commissioner table since being elected in August.

“This is quite exciting for me to be up here,” said Mills, who then congratulated Gossett and Lagree.