At least one Delaware beach town is looking to increase cost of parking this summer

Spending time in the sun may get a little more expensive at one of Delaware's beaches.

Officials in Rehoboth Beach are thinking about raising hourly rates from $2 to $3 at meters on portions of Rehoboth, Baltimore and Wilmington avenues, closest to the surf.

"We're just trying to make parking easier," Rehoboth Beach Mayor Paul Kuhns said at a Dec. 21 meeting. He said the idea is to move beachgoers to side streets so the main arteries flow better for shoppers.

"When you're closer to the front of the stadium, you pay a lot more," Kuhns said. "The rates are, more than anything else, to move traffic, to move the people that are going to be there a long time going to the beach or going to the Boardwalk."

A parking garage also may be on the horizon. Commissioners are expected to discuss that possibility at a meeting on Monday.

Meanwhile, weekly parking passes will jump from $80 to $90, Kuhns said. The parking permit season will also be extended by two weeks, to match the metered season.

Property owners may also have to pay a bit more for additional permits. The $30 transferable permits could be limited, meaning residents may need to pay up to $250 for extra parking passes.

"It's not an effort just to bring more money into the city's coffers," Commissioner Lisa Schlosser said at the Dec. 21 meeting. "It's more about helping people come into the city and park in a more effective way."

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While those coveted beach parking spots may cost a few more bucks, late-night beachgoers may get some reprieve. Commissioners are considering nixing enforcement of meters from 10 p.m. to midnight.

Currently, the metered parking season in Rehoboth Beach runs from the Friday of Memorial Day weekend to the third Sunday in September from 10 a.m. to midnight. A proposal to extend the metered season has been defeated.

Parking is the coastal resort's largest source of revenue and is expected to contribute nearly $6 million to the city's budget in fiscal year 2019, which ends on March 31.

Delaware beaches: Feed the meter, park the dog

Rehoboth Beach Commissioners are expected to discuss the parking proposals during a meeting at 9 a.m. Monday. A vote could be taken later in January, Kuhns said.

The proposed changes came from about a year of review by a subcommittee on parking and debate among city officials since this summer.

Changes in the past have included upgrading meters to accept credit cards and payment through the Parkmobile app, and raising hourly metered rates from $1.50 to $2 in 2015—the first time those rates rose since 2008. Some failed parking proposals have included ideas such as tying the number of parking spaces needed in new developments to the number of toilets in those homes.

Staff from The News Journal and Delmarva Now contributed to this story. Contact reporter Maddy Lauria at (302) 345-0608, mlauria@delawareonline.com or on Twitter @MaddyinMilford.

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