Cape park plans include new bathhouse

What a difference two years make.

During the 2022 Cape Henlopen State Park community meeting to discuss capital projects, 18 people showed up. This year, nearly 200 people attended the meeting Aug. 1 in the Officer’s Club at the park.

It was at that 2022 meeting that plans for a restaurant in the park were revealed. Once local residents realized the plan, it set off a wave of opposition and the formation of the Preserve Our Park Coalition. Park staff eventually withdrew the plan.

During the 2024 presentation, Delaware State Parks staff were on hand to discuss a series of display boards depicting ongoing and proposed projects at the state park.

Those projects include a new David B. McBride Beach Bathhouse, a new park office, a reconfigured entrance road, campground improvements, a new Fort Miles Museum entrance area, an addition of 3,300 feet to the Point Trail and a new Wolfe Neck Trail.

Some projects are in the design phase and some have funds available, but not all.

“We are trying to solve problems we have within the park,” said Delaware State Parks Director Ray Bivens. “But it all depends on resources.”

New bathhouse

Plans include a new bathhouse just north of the existing structure, which dates back to 1976. No significant renovations have ever taken place.

Issues highlighted at the current bathhouse include needed plumbing and electrical upgrades, meeting Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, lack of space for a lifeguard office, no space to administer first-aid out of public view, and not enough restrooms for the volume of beach users.

A new bathhouse would address all of these issues, Bivens said.

The director said $1 million has been budgeted for preparation of construction documents, with the total cost estimated at $7 million to $8 million.

The bathhouse will be larger to accommodate an increased number of toilets and meet accessibility standards. Toilets and showers will be handicap-accessible.

Bivens said the new facility would offer the same level of food service as the existing building.

The area for the new building will be reviewed for rare and endangered species, and if necessary, plans will be adjusted. The four Fort Miles gun mounts near the main parking lot will be not be disturbed.

The existing bathhouse will remain in place during construction, which is expected to take one year. Once the work is complete, the old bathhouse will be demolished. The beach crossing from the parking lot at the site will be maintained. No construction date has been set.

New entrance road

No one disputes the fact that the entrance to the park is inadequate and confusing. Last July 4, the line waiting to get in was more than 3,100 feet long. With proposed changes, staff said, the maximum waiting line would be 110 feet.

The goals of the new entrance plan are to keep queuing within the boundary of the park and not along a public road impacting adjacent communities, allow separate access for campers, ease park access for emergency vehicles and incorporate a new park office into the design of the entrance.

Four preliminary concepts were completed by Century Engineering for staff review.

“We have one of the worst road networks anywhere,” Bivens said, adding that visitors not only drive to the park but also bike and walk.

New park office

Bivens said the current office is too small to house staff and provide service to park goers, and it has no public bathrooms.

The new office will provide space for park administration and consolidate staff currently housed in four different locations, including park police.

The proposed design provides for barrier-free access to the office and restrooms, easy access from the park entrance and park circulation roads, and additional parking, including larger spaces for buses and recreational vehicles.

A public lobby will provide indoor queuing for park pass purchases, a gift shop and interpretative displays, with outdoor space for programming.

Projected cost of the new office and entrance is $6.5 million with construction in 2025-26.

Fishing pier 

A new fishing pier is also included in the capital projects plan with a price tag of $22 million at its current length of 1,250 feet. Nearly $1 million is needed to make repairs identified in a recent inspection.

The current pier has exceeded its expected life span.

Since 2012, the park service has spent $2.1 million on repairs to the pier.

The fiscal year 2025 Bond Bill included $250,000 to conduct a study to explore the feasibility of a new pier, including possible locations and lengths.

Built as part of Fort Miles in 1942, the original pier was 1,786 feet long. A fire at the end of the pier and damage to support pilings has reduced the length by more than 500 feet. Another 44 feet will be off-limits soon.

Staff said an upcoming inspection this fall could result in further action.

Shoaling is also impacting fishing conditions along the pier.

The pier is also used by SPI Pharma, located at the entrance to the park, to pump water via a pipeline under the pier to the plant where magnesium for antacids is extracted.

Biden Center

After two years of construction, the $12 million Biden Environmental Center renovation project is nearing completion. A grand opening is expected to take place this year.

The building was used as a naval training center from 1962 until the state purchased it in 1998. It was converted to a conference, meeting and events center. It was named in honor of then-U.S. Sen. Joe Biden, who was instrumental in transferring the park land from the military to the state.

The center was forced to close to the public in 2014 because it did not meet handicap-accessibility standards.

The new center is fully accessible and is outfitted with state-of-the-art technology. It has four meeting/training rooms and hotel-type rooms to accommodate up to 42 guests for overnight stays for those using the facility. The center also has a commercial warming kitchen and public restrooms.

The center can be utilized for environmental studies, and by student, government, corporate and family groups for conferences, retreats and meetings.

Bookings will be available in 2025.

Point Trail

A more than 3,300-foot, 10-foot-wide trail is planned to connect to the existing bike loop off Post Lane and Queen Road. The trail would contain a 480-foot raised boardwalk to limit impacts to an environmentally sensitive area.

Also included are a rain garden and bike racks near the north parking lot. Construction could begin in late 2024 depending on the availability of funding.

Projected cost: $1.5 million.

Wolfe Neck Trail

The $1.75 million, six-mile loop trail at the Wolfe Neck site is on hold due to the discovery of artifacts during a Phase 1 environmental investigation.

Fort Miles Museum addition

The capital plan includes an addition at the existing entrance of Battery 519, which houses the Fort Miles Museum.

The new lobby will provide space for ticketing, orientation and interpretation, office space and handicap-accessible restrooms.

Plans for Phase 1 of the project are to design the entrance to clearly differentiate between the historic World War II Battery 519 and the new construction, and to provide an improved transition to the museum.

Phase 2 will include new World War II and Cold War exhibits throughout the museum.

The Fort Miles Museum and Historical Area includes six barracks, a fire control tower, an orientation building, parking, restrooms and the Fort Miles Artillery Park.

Projected cost is $14 million, with Phase 1 at $2.5 million.

Major projects on the list

Some big-ticket projects have been included in the previous capital plan, including $5.5 million for sewer upgrades and a possible connection to the City of Lewes; $4 million for replacement of all outdated water lines and valves; $7 million for a new nature center; and $4 million for exterior repairs/replacements to the University of Delaware Wave Pool building.