Comments on the City Staff Beach Parking Options 1/8/2023
On Monday, January 9th, the Mayor and City Council will meet to discuss and possibly vote on the staff list of options for a new permit parking system. Click here for a copy of the options. Given the shortness of time, if you have comments about the proposal, we urge you to either attend the City Council meeting -in person or digitally - on January 9th, starting at 6:30pm. Click here for the Zoom link. Or, you can send your comments via email.
What follows is a list of the comments that have been shared with LBCA, starting with questions and answers from Council Member Saliba, as well as submissions from Keena Ross, De Taylor, Janie Warren and Bob Payne, and Dennis Reardon.
From Council Member Saliba:
The overall goal of a proposed parking permit system is to provide more structure and order to those parking on Lewes Beach. This leads to other questions:
1. How will it help? 1) provide clarity as where and where not to park; 2) provide safer conditions for motorists, bikers, runners, et al by removing spots on Cedar Street and ensuring proper driver visibility on side streets and generating a new source of revenue for the city. Any surplus above administrative costs could be dedicated to a beach-related issue like a resiliency fund.
2. Will it help more than it will cause confusion and frustration? There may be more confusion in the beginning (like experienced for most new programs), but the hope is this will eventually reduce confusion/frustration for those seeking parking spots.
3. Is it for the good of Lewes citizens while also protecting the interest of property owners affected there? My hope is this will enhance the Lewes Beach experience for all Lewes citizens and property owners and help manage the demand for on-street parking. By charging a modest fee for seasonal, weekly, or weekend permits, this would encourage people coming only for the day to use one of the public parking lots Roosevelt Inlet, Savannah, or Johnnie Walker beaches where food options and bathroom facilities are available.
4. Will it help those individuals with no driveways? This should not impact these homeowners. We will change their "authorized parking only" signs to "resident parking only" signs so that those with parking passes are not confused that "authorized" means parking passes.
5. Is it to create another revenue source for the City? It will create a new revenue source but only after the administrative costs are covered. This is not the primary reason for this proposal but certainly could provide new revenue. The City is facing a decline in transfer tax revenue and has made some tough budget cuts, so it is important to explore new sources of revenue.
6. How will it impact on the property owners on Lewes Beach directly affected by this permit system? If LB property owners have ample driveway parking, they likely will not need to purchase permits. If they typically entertain summer guests, they may have to purchase 1-2 permits (I would purchase two permits). As mentioned previously, I am hopeful those who invest in permits will have more respect for our community.
7. What challenges arise from such a permit system? The proposed computer-based, license plate recognition program addresses many concerns with hang tags, stickers, etc. Municipalities who currently use it have lauded it as efficient and user-friendly.
9. Who would the proposed permit system hurt? Some believe it could create a hardship for those who do not have computers or smartphones. For these folks, we can process permit passes at City Hall. It may initially harm those visitors outside of Lewes who may not be aware of the program until they arrive in Lewes. Again, there will be a learning curve as with all new initiatives, but we will promote this through email, social and traditional media.
10. Why charge taxpayers to park, Rehoboth provides taxpayers with two free passes? Both the Army Corp of Engineers and DNREC have made clear “public access” is a consideration in funding for replenishment, dredging, and other services. We believe we can charge a discounted fee to our taxpayers without risking this important funding. Placing the full burden on non-residents/taxpayers would likely trigger a negative reaction from the Army.
11. Does the proposal consider beach capacity as a factor? This also had a “public access” component. We cannot use the beach capacity argument to limit access to the beach without jeopardizing state and federal funding. Recent legislation championed by Senator Tom Carper a more favorable 90/10 federal-state and local match vs. the previous 65/35 match. Hence, we expect the Corps will pay much closer attention to public access.
From Keena Ross
Dear Mayor Williams,
First, thank you for serving our City of Lewes. I truly respect and value your contribution. The job is not always easy, and your devotion is sincerely appreciated. It’s my understanding that you like to give due consideration to proposals for changes within our city and welcome citizens’ input on matters, whether that is to educate or understand how such proposals would impact citizens. As I read the City’s Lewes Beach-Savannah Road to Roosevelt Inlet- permit proposal, I ask what is the goal of such a permit system? This leads to other questions:
1. How will it help?
2. Will it help more than it will cause confusion and frustration?
3. Is it for the good of Lewes citizens while also protecting the interest of property owners affected there? s
4. Will it help those individuals with no driveways?
5. Is it to create another revenue source for the City?
6. How will it impact the property owners on Lewes Beach directly affected by this permit system?
7. What problems does it solve? Does it solve more problems than it causes? If so, what and how?
8. What challenges arise from such a permit system?
9. Who would the proposed permit system hurt?
10. How would this be an improvement over the current parking situation with no permits?
Would you please answer or request the specific answers to the above questions for our citizenry prior to voting on such a proposal? And perhaps more importantly, post the answers publicly (Perhaps as a mailing to residents and property owners and note in the Cape Gazette?), and allow time for people to review it and even respond. People often will support a cause if they understand the reasons for it. As I carefully and thoughtfully reviewed this proposal, I could not answer all the questions.
I go back to another and perhaps the most important question brought up earlier, when it comes to evaluating the parking needs of Lewes Beach. What it the beach capacity? How many people will the beach hold? If you listen to the meeting of the January 18, 2022 workshop answering questions via zoom in 2 sessions (one at 5(ish) pm and another at 7 pm), that question came up over and over as people joined in online and did not realize the question was already asked, again and again. (I don’t recall the exact number, but I think it was 8-10 times(?). The staff’s initial response was they didn’t know and indicated that they didn’t plan to pursue the answer. However, later in the meeting, as this question kept being asked, then the tone of the answer began to change. Finally, when asked about the beach capacity the staff member gave an answer to the effect that they’d need to find out. This was an answer that showed it was worth inquiring about. This begs the question, “Prior to submission of this proposal, was the beach capacity determined?” If not, please ask someone with an MBA to determine the answer, as it can be done and can be used as a general guideline in determining policies for parking in the area under consideration in this proposal.
When I started to write to you, my original purpose was to call to your attention my concerns of the items within the proposal. Yet upon the preponderance of the proposal, the answers to the questions noted above became even more important than my concerns. The answers to those questions are very important for ALL to know, before deciding and going forward with any parking permit system.
Thank you so much for your time and consideration.
Kindly,
Keena Ross
From De Taylor
Dear Mayor Williams, Councilman Saliba, Councilman Ritzert, Councilwoman Jones and Councilwoman Vessella,
I read the proposed parking permit policy that you are voting on at the January 9 council meeting.
It will not solve the parking problems on Lewes beach. Residents are going to have to purchase a permit to park in front of their property for $100 per car per year. This is a no go for me. We live at 8 Delmar Ave. Yes we have a driveway that holds our 2 cars. What if we have project we want to do on the front yard and park on the street. That car/truck would need a $100 permit to park on the street. Also if we are having guests we often park on the street so they can use the driveway . Again parking on the street would require a $100 permit per car per year. So you want me to pay $200 per year to park in front of my own house? To say I'm not happy is an understatement.
The problem is the day trippers who park up and down Cedar and the side streets not the residents. They are the ones that must pay. You can charge them enough to absorb the cost of putting your property owners license plates in your system. And for starters you could enforce the state laws that are currently in place like not parking right at a corner. not parking right up at a stop sign, not parking on emergency access roads, etc.
The point of a parking permit system is not to penalize resident but to control the influx of non resident day trippers who over whelm Cedar Street and the side streets with cars. When cars are parked on both side of Cedar and the car doors are open 1 car can get down Cedar Street at a time. That's right
Cedar becomes a one lane road.
Vote no on this policy that was not well thought out and will not solve the problem.
Deirdre Taylor
From Janie Warren and Bob Payne
Dear Mayor and City Council Members,
Thank you for considering a permit system for Lewes beach. We think it’s a great idea to institute the permit system to generate revenues for the City – something we have long wondered about. Have you considered that, if beach goers are charged $2.50 per hour at public beaches, that the cost for permits should be priced along very similar lines? We believe that might very well equalize things – i.e., people not rushing to streets first (causing safety concerns) since it’s cheaper than metered parking?
Our family has had a Lewes cottage for 65 years and we fully recognize we don’t have a private beach in front of the cottages. By the same token, we are paying city and county taxes for having cottages in Lewes. Therefore, we completely support the institution of a permit system in Lewes which may bring some order to the chaos and safety concerns we have seen in the past few years on our streets. Our main concern is one of safety. Parking on both sides of Cedar Avenue is one of the biggest hazards we face out on the beach in the summer. We’re talking about turning out onto Cedar from state named streets, meeting an oncoming car when there are bikers and walkers and there is no place to pull over.
That actually happened to us this summer on Cedar – a FedEx truck had to pull into the center of the road to avoid bikers and there was nowhere for us to go as we approached them in our car. We have to pull way out into the street to see (because of the cars parked on Cedar) if we can proceed out onto Cedar. Cedar should be kept as clear as possible for safety reasons – pure and simple. We understand Cedar Avenue is a State Road, which would indicate it might potentially be treated like Cape Henlopen Drive (with no / limited parking on either side).
If the new permit system is modeled after Rehoboth and Dewey systems, we understand Rehoboth cottage owners get permits issued to them – no charge - that may be used anywhere in the city. How is it that Rehoboth manages to do this?
Thank you for taking the time to read our email and consider our points.
Janie Warren and Bob Payne
From Dennis Reardon
BEACH PARKING PERMIT REVIEW
January 2023
Comments
1. The City staff has not opined on whether or not a permit parking system is desirable or necessary for the City. Rather the report makes recommendations on how the project team believes an effective parking permit system could operate if approved by M&CC. It appears that now this report is on a M&CC agenda for consideration.
2. The threshold question regarding a permit parking system is what is it’s
purpose, what issue will it solve and what is the benefit to the City and it’s residents. It seems to me that considering a proposed parking permit system before this question is addressed is putting the cart before horse.
3. It is your obligation to consider all the ramifications of a permit parking system prior to addressing a proposed system itself.
4. This proposed system impacts all residents of the City. It absolutely requires a public hearing.
5. There were two Beach Parking Committees with public hearings. In January 2022 the City held a public hearing in which there were many, many questions and comments. Although in June 2022 the City Manager announced at a public workshop that the questions and comments were compiled there has yet to be a public forum where this was presented and discussed.
Questions
1. Does this proposal requiring parking permits in only one section of the beach violate the provisions of the Warner Grant which states that the beaches are for the use of the residents of the city, county and state? How do you differentiate one section of the public beach within the Warner Grant from another.
2. There is a City Committee addressing parking on the town side of the canal. Why is permit parking only being considered on the beach side of the canal?
3. Why do taxpaying homeowners in the City of Lewes have to pay to park in one area of the beach side of the canal?
4. In the summer of 2022 there were approximately 9 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day when parking was challenging. In the prior two years it was more challenging but Cape Henlopen State Park allowed limited parking which had a direct impact on parking between Savannah Road and Roosevelt Inlet.
5. Given #4 why consider May and September.