No appetite to extend Rehoboth parking

Following little to no public support, Rehoboth Beach commissioners have decided to not pursue a change in the length of the parking season.

During a commissioner meeting Dec. 20, Mayor Stan Mills said he was concerned that extending the season for 2025 would step on a lot of toes, especially those of the business community.

The issue was first brought forward for discussion by Assistant City Manager Evan Miller during a workshop Dec. 9. He brought it up because the recommendation was one of more than 40 that were included in a parking and traffic study the city paid for the summer before. If the change were going to be implemented for next season, now was the time to begin to think about budget implications, he said.

The parking season currently runs May 15 to Sept. 15. Extending the season to May 1 to Oct. 31 would add 61 days to the season and about $340,000 in expenses, which takes into account salaries, vendor fees, the printing of additional permits, new signage and stickers, and a few other things, said Miller. The expected amount of additional revenue would be about $1.65 million, he said.

Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Carol Everhart and Rehoboth Beach Main Street Executive Director Dan Slagle spoke against the change.

Everhart said the chamber is against the implementation for the 2025 season, but is willing to work with the city for something in the 2026 season.

Slagle said he’s taken the temperature of downtown businesses and overall it wasn’t a great season. Additionally, he said, there is a lot of pressure from Route 1.

Above the Dunes owner Mike Venanzi said he recognizes there are shoulder season issues related to some special events, but those can be addressed without affecting everyone. This is way too important of an issue to decide hastily, he said.

Sandra Skidmore isn’t a city resident, but considers downtown Rehoboth part of her home. She described herself as a plain old gal who has lived across the canal for 35 years but volunteers for city organizations. She said Rehoboth isn’t Ocean City, Md., or Virginia Beach, Va., and should strive to not be them. 

Commissioner Suzanne Goode said she was concerned the city has been dragging its feet on the issue for years. The city paid a consultant $200,000 for recommendations on problems the city has been dealing with for decades, she said, questioning the need for the consultant’s work in the first place.

What do people expect the chamber and business owners to say, said Goode. Costs have gone up and businesses are being short-sighted, she said.

Ultimately, commissioners decided to defer any action on extending the parking season for the 2025 season. Instead, it will be discussed as part of the upcoming budget cycle for possible implementation in the 2026 season.