Partitioning of 408 Scarborough in Rehoboth moves forward

The partitioning of 408 Scarborough Ave. in Rehoboth Beach took its first step toward completion with the unanimous approval of the preliminary review by the planning commission Feb. 14.

The review was requested by owner Timothy Naughton of The Evergreene Companies LLC. Previously, the one-story brick house fronted Scarborough Avenue. Naughton has requested rotating the front yards 90 degrees so they face Hickman Street.

According to a Feb. 3 report prepared by Building Inspector Matt Janis, the proposed partitioning and rotating of properties meets the requirements of a minimum lot size of 5,000 square feet for each lot. He said the two lots both have 50 feet of road frontage and each lot can contain a 4,000-square-foot rectangle.

During the meeting, Janis said no building permit applications had been submitted for either of the lots.

Attorney Vince Robertson represented Evergreene at the hearing. He said the 90-degree-rotation served two purposes – moving the driveways to Hickman Street and away from the intersection was a safety issue; under the proposed partition, more of the lot’s trees could be saved.

Prior to their favorable votes, planning commissioners Michael Strange and Jeff Trunzo noted that while the application meets minimum city requirements, the partitioning will also increase housing density and stormwater runoff.

A public hearing and a final vote on the partitioning is expected to take place at the planning commission’s next meeting, which is scheduled for Friday, March 13.

200th demolition permit since April 2012 issued

The demolition permit for the single-story house at 408 Scarborough Ave. was one of a record-setting 34 permits issued by the city in 2019.

Through Feb. 16, the city has issued four demolition permits in 2020, including the 200th Feb. 3 for a one-story, single-family dwelling at 334 Hickman St. The city issued the 199th permit Jan. 22 for a one-story, single-family dwelling and an accessory structure at 3 State Road.

The other two permits, issued in early January, were for a one-story single-family dwelling at 216 Hickman St. and a two-story single-family dwelling and an accessory structure at 213 Stockley 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: 4

Permits issued by month, since April 2012:

• January – 19
• February – 9
• March – 22
• April – 8
• May – 6
• June – 3
• July – 9
• August – 42
• September – 28
• October – 26
• November – 17
• December – 11

DEMOLITION PERMITS ISSUED IN REHOBOTH BEACH, SINCE APRIL 2012