Lewes to consider beach parking changes March 14

Several changes to the way parking is handled on Lewes Beach will go before mayor and city council for a vote at its regular meeting Monday, March 14.

Some items, such as listing all no-parking areas in city code, are aimed at providing clarity, while others are designed to improve safety. Falling into the latter category is a proposal to delineate spaces and possibly add meters to the parking lot at Roosevelt Inlet at the end of Cedar Street.

The city’s engineer has created a plan that would create 32 angled parking spaces. Spaces would be identified using parking bumpers or timbers; painting lines is not possible due to the lot’s loose-stone surface.

“Every bit of feedback we’ve received on the parking layout for Roosevelt Inlet was a preference for the angled parking,” said City Manager Ann Marie Townshend. Another version of the plan called for straight-in parking.

The plan would include two handicap spaces, which are required to be paved, and an area for beachgoers to load and unload their vehicles.

Residents who spoke at a March 10 public hearing were split on delineating spaces, but collectively against adding parking meters.

“I think metering is a bad idea,” said resident Chip Beaverson. “That just creates economic barriers for people.”

Beaverson said delineated space is much needed, as it’s currently a free-for-all in the summer.

“There are fender benders and bump-ups all the time over there,” he said. “It’s not safe for pedestrians or handicapped individuals.”

Resident Stephanie Tsantes said she prefers the city leave Roosevelt Inlet alone.

“If you do delineate it, I hope you take into consideration that a lot of people of limited means go there,” she said. “They fish there; they hang out there; they get solace from watching the sunset. I would hate to do anything to make it cost-prohibitive.”

Resident Dennis Reardon said marking spaces at Roosevelt Inlet was a recommendation of the city’s first beach parking committee, of which he was a member.

“I still think it’s a good idea,” he said. “It would make it more orderly up there.”

As far as metering, though, he’s not for it.

“Roosevelt Inlet has two porta-potties; it’s not like Savannah Beach or Johnnie Walker Beach where you have running water and facilities,” he said.

Other items under consideration by council include identifying no-parking areas in city code, correcting inconsistencies in identifying emergency access streets in city code, and deciding whether to allow parking on paper streets and former paper streets that are now open space. Also being considered are an idea to add yellow striping to clearly identify no-parking zones on streets between Bay Avenue and Cedar Street, and whether to permit reserved on-street parking for homes that do not have off-street accommodations.

“We believe we have an opportunity to make some decisions before the coming season so the whole parking situation can improve rather than continue to become increasingly problematic,” said Townshend.

Other larger-scale issues such as a parking permit system have been pushed off until at least next summer while city staff continues to compile feedback received at a public workshop in January.