Code cleanup should be priority in Rehoboth

The Rehoboth Beach Planning Commission recently learned of a potential project to convert the Canalside Inn into townhomes. While the general consensus was positive, concerns were raised about ambiguity in the city’s code. 

According to planning Commissioner John Dewey, the R-2 zone allows for all sorts of residential uses, but he couldn’t find anything other than single-family house data. He said this raises all kinds of concerns, because it means city code is incomplete and silent on the mathematics for what can be built.

This isn’t the first time the incompleteness of Rehoboth’s code has been brought to light. It's been on the city commissioners’ to-do list for years and was one of the top action items coming out of the city's current comprehensive development plan. It's the reason for the years-long legal battle between the city and the developer of the Ocean Bay Mart property on Route 1. It's the reason the city has created a mixed-use zoning task force. It's the reason why city staff included $100,000 in next year's proposed budget to start the rewriting of code. 

Cleaning up the city’s ambiguous zoning code should remain a top priority. Rehoboth Beach is constantly evolving, and redevelopment is inevitable. Small second-home beach cottages are being turned into large rental properties. Many of the buildings in the city's commercial district haven't been redeveloped in decades and are ripe to be. Rehoboth isn’t immune from Sussex County’s housing boom. Though housing developments aren’t being built as in areas outside the city, aging properties within Rehoboth like the Canalside Inn are being viewed in a different light. For those who are looking outside the box for a potential project, Rehoboth should do all it can to ensure its code is crystal clear on what is allowed and what is not.