Rehoboth business owners share parking concerns

In response to Rehoboth Beach commissioners recently considering an extension of paid parking into the shoulder seasons, downtown business and property owners met Feb. 11 to discuss why that would be a bad idea and what could be done instead.

The pay-to-park season in Rehoboth Beach currently runs May 15 to Sept. 15. In early December, city staff started a discussion about extending the season to May 1 to Oct. 31. It wasn’t brought forward as a recommendation. Instead, it was brought forward for consideration because if commissioners were in favor of the change, that was the time to decide to allow staff to prepare the financial implications – additional revenue and staffing expenses – for the coming Fiscal Year 2026 discussion, which began in late January.

Ultimately, commissioners decided to defer an extension of the parking season for the 2025 season. Instead, it will be discussed over the coming year for possible implementation in the 2026 season.

The Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce hosted the recent meeting of the chamber’s Downtown Rehoboth Advisory Task Force.

Chamber President Carol Everhart said she recognizes it seems early to begin discussions for the 2026 season, but commissioners were discussing it in December and now is the time for the city’s businesses to get their recommendations worked out.

Before opening it up to discussion, Everhart asked, by a show of hands, who thought the parking season should stay the same. Almost everyone in attendance raised their hands. 

Above the Dunes owner Mike Venanzi said the number of day-trippers coming to town is way down from what it used to be and extending the parking season would continue to discourage customers. Also, he said, it makes it hard for employees coming from western Sussex to justify working downtown when they can park for free and work at restaurants or hotels on Route 1.

Venanzi said he would encourage the city to cut costs, because the cost of everything related to doing business is going up. Business owners can’t keep paying for the mistakes made by the city, he said.

Rachel Webster, owner of Rehoboth Toy and Kite Company, said she would rather see a price increase during the season than an extension of the season, because, for example, when she travels she’s already committed herself to paying the parking costs at that destination.

Webster said one of her concerns is the lack of business after 5 p.m. It used to be busy until 11 p.m. or midnight, but that’s not the case anymore, she said.

Chip Hearn, owner of The Ice Cream Store, said 30 years ago businesses were told to think of ways to collectively expand special offerings into the shoulder season. That was done and it’s become spectacular, he said.

The city can’t tax the shoulder season because if they do, a lot of people won’t return, said Hearn.

Susan Wood, owner of Cultured Pearl, said one of the problems she sees is that the area outside the commercial district isn’t pedestrian friendly, which means people staying in houses just a couple blocks away still drive. There are sections of town with no sidewalks and some are poorly lit, she said.

Chris Trahos, whose family has been in Rehoboth since the 1930s and owns commercial property on the Boardwalk, Rehoboth Avenue, Wilmington Avenue and First Street, said their tenants are reporting that business overall for 2024 was strong, but there weren’t as many local coming into town Monday through Thursday because of the increase to $4 an hour city wide. Something needs to be done to encourage day-trippers to return, he said, suggesting the city consider dropping weekday rate to $2 an hour, while keeping $4 an hour on the weekends.

Trahos said he thought the business community would be willing to consider the institution of a minor weekend rate – $1 to $2 an hour – in the shoulder season in exchange for lowering the summer weekday rate to $2 an hour in order to encourage more locals to come into town during the week.

In addition to the parking season as a whole, there was a discussion about parking related to the Sea Witch Fesitval. A specific concern was the practice of parking cars on Rehoboth Avenue the entire week beforehand so parade goers can save spots for the parade on Saturday.

A number of people recommended the city make it so people can’t park their cars on Rehoboth Avenue overnight the week of the parade.

Everhart said she would like to see the meters turned back on that week. The No. 1 reason events go away is because they get too big, she said.

In the end, there were no formal recommendations made by the group. However, there could be some in the future. The chamber took notes during the discussion and passed out a questionnaire that attendees were encouraged to fill out.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with a clarification on the comments made by Chris Trahos.