Questions remain on Deauville Beach transition back to state

After the annual three-month hold, Delaware State Parks will again be enforcing entrance fees at state parks across the state beginning Friday, March 1. Everywhere except Deauville Beach in Rehoboth Beach.

Following a year-long negotiation between officials from Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and Rehoboth Beach, DNREC announced earlier this month that it would resume operational control of Deauville Beach.

Given the timing for the transition, the division will not be charging a fee at the start of fee season, said Michael Globetti, DNREC spokesperson, in an email Feb. 28. It is anticipated that the automated fee machines and staff responsible for collection of daily entrance fees will be in place prior to Memorial Day weekend, he said.

The city had overseen the operation of this section of beach, which is owned by the state but falls within city boundaries, since an agreement was signed in 1975. Negotiations failed following a proposed increase by the state in the lease terms with the city. During negotiations for a new lease, DNREC proposed a fee that would’ve comprised 10% of all daily parking and annual pass revenue sold at Deauville Beach. The decades-old lease called for a $2,500 administrative fee due at the beginning of the lease, with an annual fee of $1.

Commissioners sent the proposal back to the state, saying it had been good stewards of the area for the entirety of the lease and that the city was actually losing money – about $25,000 per year – by providing services under the previous contract. Ultimately, neither the state nor the city would budge.

The Division of Parks and Recreation is evaluating the previous fee structure under City of Rehoboth operations, and it will soon be proposing daily entrance fees and a seasonal pass for the property, said Globetti. DNREC wants to ensure the daily entrance fees are reasonable when compared with the city’s to avoid the property becoming a discounted lot used for people to park at Deauville and walk into Rehoboth, he said.

For its ocean parks, DNREC charges $5 per day for in-state vehicles and $10 per day for out-of-state vehicles. Rehoboth Beach recently changed its parking meter rates to $4 per hour during the 12 hours daily that parking meters are in effect during the summer – 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., May 15 to Sept. 15. The city also increased parking permit costs.

The Division of Parks and Recreation’s goal for the parking lot at Deauville Beach is to support the recreational activities there, said Globetti. The division is 70% self-funded, and it is currently developing an operating budget for Deauville Beach that aims to ensure any proposed fees will directly support operational costs to manage and maintain the property, he said.

The Division of Parks and Recreation anticipates the tennis court operations will continue unchanged during the 2024 season, said Globetti. The division is anticipating the recruitment, hiring and training of about 10 ocean lifeguards, he said.

DNREC Police park rangers will be responsible for enforcing rules and regulations at Deauville, which will become part of the Cape Henlopen State Park management unit, said Globetti, adding that DNREC has also been coordinating closely with Rehoboth Police as well. The close proximity of Gordons Pond will make day-to-day enforcement very convenient, he said.

DNREC may be taking over Deauville Beach operations, but the city still has a significant piece of infrastructure that falls within the beach’s boundaries – a pump station for the ocean outfall is located on the corner of Surf and Henlopen avenues, while the ocean outfall pipe itself, which ends a mile due east of Deauville Beach, runs under the parking lot and beach.

Lynne Coan, city spokesperson, said city staff met with DNREC staff last week to discuss infrastructure, beach concessions, police services, the outfall maintenance easement and other items related to the transition. The city is waiting to hear back from DNREC before having further conversations and arriving at final determinations, she said.