Improvements sought for Bay Resort Hotel in Dewey

The Bay Resort Hotel in Dewey Beach could undergo significant renovations and additions, pending a board of adjustment hearing set for Monday, May 16.

Attorney Glenn Mandalas, representing property owner Moore Blue Water, filed an application for the hearing that seeks four variance requests, two special-exception requests and a request to appeal the town building official’s decision that a proposed outdoor pool would not be in compliance.

County records show that Moore Blue Water LLC purchased the Bay Resort in December 2018 for $9.7 million. In December 2021, Blue Water Development, which shares an Ocean City address with Moore Blue Water LLC, also purchased nearby Pier Point Marina in Dewey for $5.75 million. 

In the hearing application, Mandalas wrote that in February, plans for renovations and additions were submitted to town Building Official Daune Hinks, who informed the applicant that a few items would need relief from the board in order to be constructed as proposed.

“These items are integral to the overall plan being proposed, they satisfy the legal standard for a variance or special exception, and if granted, they will help transform the property into a real destination within the town,” Mandalas wrote.

Of the four variance requests, one seeks a rear-yard setback variance to permit a proposed pool enclosure and multi-level deck structure to extend seven feet into the 10-foot rear setback.

Another requests a side-yard setback variance to permit a proposed new outdoor pool along Rehoboth Bay to extend four feet into the 10-foot setback.

The third requests a front-yard setback variance to permit a ground-level cabana to extend six feet into the 18-foot setback, and the fourth requests a variance of 7.5 inches from the town’s requirement for 12 inches of freeboard for nonresidential structures.

The special-exception requests are to relocate an existing gazebo to a location 12 feet into the 18-foot front-yard setback, which is six feet from the front property line, and to permit an elevator bulkhead structure to extend 42 inches above the roof peak.

“We’re enthusiastic about the revitalization of this property,” Mandalas said by email May 4. “The design team has added impressive features that are in character with the surrounding area while also offering an enhanced guest experience.”

The hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m., Monday, May 16, at the Lifesaving Station, 1 Dagsworthy Ave. Go to townofdeweybeach.com for the full agenda and meeting materials.