Rehoboth sees increase in spring demo notices

Barring cases of emergency, Rehoboth Beach’s annual four-month-long moratorium on demolition began May 15.

Including the First Church of Christ Scientist building on Bayard Avenue, there have been nine demolition permits issued in 2024, which is a slight increase over the last two years at the same point in the year – there were six in 2023, seven in 2022. There has also been one house-moving permit issued. Not including the church, seven of the remaining eight demolition notices were for two-story, single-family dwellings.

The outlier this spring is at 313 Country Club Drive, which received a demolition notice for the rear portion of a one-story, single-family dwelling and an accessory structure. This property also received a house-moving permit for a detached single-family dwelling.

Since April 2012, there have been 296 demolition permits issued by the city. There have been a handful of properties to receive two because the original permit expired prior to demolition being completed or they had more than one structure that was demolished. For example, the city issued a permit April 4 for a two-story, single-family dwelling at 204 Philadelphia St. That same property also received a permit Oct. 28, 2015, for a one-story garage apartment.

A good indication of how the rest of the year will go in terms of demolitions will be the number of permits issued in August. The city’s annual moratorium runs to Sept. 15. Oftentimes, there’s a rush in August to get permit applications in and issued so property owners can have their homes demolished as soon as the moratorium is lifted.

Demolition notices in advance of moratorium

• The city issued a permit March 7 for a two-story, single-family dwelling at 205 Norfolk St.
• The city issued a permit March 7 for a two-story, single-family dwelling at 217 Stockley St.
• The city issued a permit March 14 for the rear portion of a one-story, single-family dwelling and an accessory structure at 313 Country Club Dr. This property also received a house-moving permit March 15 for a detached single-family dwelling.
• The city issued a permit March 18 for a two-story, single-family dwelling at 40 Park Ave.
• The city issued a permit March 22 for a two-story, single-family dwelling at 207 Lake Dr.
• The city issued a permit March 27 for a two-story, single-family dwelling at 10 Columbia Ave.
• The city issued a permit March 27 for a two-story, single-family dwelling at 20 Sixth St.
• The city issued a permit April 4 for a two-story, single-family dwelling at 204 Philadelphia St.

DEMOLITION PERMITS ISSUED IN REHOBOTH BEACH SINCE APRIL 2012

Permits issued annually since April 2012:

• 2012: 14
• 2013: 15
• 2014: 23
• 2015: 23
• 2016: 30
• 2017: 30
• 2018: 27
• 2019: 34
• 2020: 32
• 2021: 23
• 2022: 16
• 2023: 20
• 2024: 9, through May 15

Permits issued by month since April 2012:

• January – 24
• February – 20
• March – 38
• April – 13
• May – 6
• June – 3
• July – 9
• August – 62
• September – 39
• October – 39
• November – 26
• December – 17