Rehoboth Avenue sidewalk not being closed after all

The sidewalk in front of the Rehoboth Beach's new city hall won't be closed after all.

The city announced on Wednesday that a new, temporary walkway will be installed for the city hall construction and will be in place from July 17 to Aug. 12.

The temporary sidewalk will allow pedestrians to use the north side of the street next to where construction is being done rather than being rerouted to the south side of the street.

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The temporary walkway is necessary in order to allow work to be done on the Rehoboth Avenue entrance to city hall, which includes grading and installing stairs.

The bus stop by the new city hall will remain in operation during the construction.

Previously, commissioners discussed a plan  to close the entire sidewalk in front of the new city hall beginning July 17 and rerouting pedestrians to the south side of Rehoboth Avenue.

But the Rehoboth Beach city manager Sharon Lynn decided Wednesday, after consulting with EDiS, a construction company in Wilmington, that an alternative route can be created to allow for safe, easy access for pedestrians.

The Rehoboth Beach Commissioners learned of this July 5, and although most of the commissioners were in favor of the decision, commissioner Kathy McGuiness was outspoken in her opposition to the decision to close the sidewalk.

"I am not happy with this," she said at the meeting. "And I think we need to have a discussion about this."

She said she did not want property owners and businesses along the route to deal with an alternate route that she described as "unnecessary."

"When you are talking about closing the busiest sidewalk in the busiest city in the state at the busiest time of year, you have to use common sense," she said. 

The city requests pedestrians obey construction signs, barricades and use caution while walking.

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