State park fees could be raised
For the first time in a decade the state's Division of Parks and Recreation may increase in the fees for daily, annual and surf-fishing passes.
Greg Abbott, division manager of business services, said the increase has been under consideration for a long time.
There's a $100 million backlog in capital maintenance, said Abbott, and the time has come to start investing in it. He pointed to the recently closed fishing pier in Cape Henlopen State Park as an example.
The daily entrance fee for residents of Delaware is $3 for an inland park and $4 for an ocean park; for nonresidents it's $6 and $8. An annual pass for state parks is $27 for residents and $54 for nonresidents. An annual surf fishing tag is $65 for residents and $130 for nonresidents.
If the state parks are going to continue to be a place enjoyed by both Delawareans and out-of-state visitors, now is the time to make the improvements, said Abbott.
Roughly 5 million people have visited state parks over the past year, said Abbott, bringing in about $10.4 million in user fees. Half of that amount, he said, comes from users of Cape Henlopen, Delaware Seashore and Fenwick Island state parks.
Abbott said market research is underway to decide how much fees could increase. He said a number of things are being analyzed including how much local municipalities are charging for parking.
User fees make up 65 percent of the state park operational budget, said Abbott, adding that 59 percent of the user fees come from out-of-state visitors. He said the state's goal is to keep the fees as low as possible for Delawareans.
Because the parks budget is so dependent on user fees, officials regularly look for ways to increase revenue.
The division gained notoriety in April when it rented a state-owned house just south of Dewey Beach for the summer as part of a pilot program. The Nanticoke-style house was formerly used by the Delaware Seashore State Park superintendent, but it had been vacant since 2013. Abbot said through Nov. 24, the parks house has taken in $31,600 in revenue, and it's almost completely booked for next summer.
That park's superintendent is now located at the Indian River Inlet, which is nearing the final stages of a $10 million dollar redevelopment project. When completed, the inlet will feature nearly 860 day-use parking spots, 220 RV spaces and 135 tent spaces, divided between the north and south sides.
Abbott said that daily use of beach parks is almost at capacity, so revenue is not likely to increase from that that part, but it's the camping that will show a nice return. He said estimates show $180,000 to $200,00 in additional revenue once the project is complete.
The state is asking for public input on the proposed increase. Three open houses are schedule, one in each county, where staff will be available to answer questions and share information.
The open house in Sussex County will take place 2-4 p.m. and 6:30-8:30 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 2, in the Officers Club of Cape Henlopen State Park.
Chris Flood has been working for the Cape Gazette since early 2014. He currently covers Rehoboth Beach and Henlopen Acres, but has also covered Dewey Beach and the state government. He covers environmental stories, business stories and random stories on subjects he finds interesting, and he also writes a column called Choppin’ Wood that runs every other week. Additionally, Flood moonlights as the company’s circulation manager, which primarily means fixing boxes that are jammed with coins during daylight hours, but sometimes means delivering papers in the middle of the night. He’s a graduate of the University of Maine and the Landing School of Boat Building & Design.
