Rehoboth community planning director leaves after 18 months

A little less than 18 months after taking over as Rehoboth Beach’s first director of planning and community development, Mary Ellen Gray has stepped down.

Gray was hired by former City Manager Laurence Christian in October 2023. Her annual salary was $123,000.

The city didn’t announce Gray’s departure. Instead, Assistant City Manager Evan Miller introduced Corey Shinko, assistant building inspector, as interim director during a planning commission meeting March 14.

When reached for comment, the city declined to provide a reason why Gray was no longer in her position.

Gray’s last day was March 12, and the city will be re-evaluating the position, said Lynne Coan, city spokesperson. Changes not yet determined are anticipated, she said in an email March 18.

Gray’s last day on the job was the day after city commissioners voted in favor of giving the planning commission, not Gray’s building and licensing department, interpretive authority over the site-plan review process. It was an issue that had been hanging over the city’s head for well over a year.

Gray didn’t speak at the March 11 meeting when commissioners took their vote, but she was in the audience, and she provided her opinion on the situation during a special meeting Jan. 23. During that meeting, she said she thought building and licensing should keep the authority to interpret code, while the planning commission focuses on the factors related to community fit. Ultimately, city commissioners sided with the planning commission.

A commissioner initiative Gray was tasked with overseeing is the city’s mixed-used task force, which was created to provide commissioners with recommendations on how city code should reflect that type of development. The task force held its first meeting Feb. 27 and, as of print deadline March 20, has another one scheduled for Wednesday, March 26.

At this time, the multi-use task force will continue to move forward with Nick Walls from Wallace-Montgomery leading the effort, said Coan.

Mayor Stan Mills declined to comment on Gray’s departure. Staffing and personnel is in the purview of the city manager, he said.

Gray could not be reached for comment.