Parking overhaul for Rehoboth about making a better experience: officials

Parking meters in Rehoboth Beach may still be around this time next year, if recommendations put forth by the city's parking advisory committee are passed.

The board of commissioners met Friday, Sept. 21, at 1 p.m. to discuss the committee's proposed changes to parking and permit regulations. A conversation that will be ongoing in the next several months, city officials say. 

A large crowd of over 50 residents packed the meeting room Friday afternoon.

"Nothing brings a crowd out like parking," said Linda Kauffman, parking committee chair.

The parking advisory committee is made up of volunteers, shop owners, realtors, residents, builders — a cross-sectional group representing varied interests of Rehoboth. The committee has been meeting over the last eight or nine months, trying to answer the question: "How can we make more parking without physically building more parking?"

Kauffman said Friday the committee wants to find a way to take advantage of areas that are underutilized and use holistic approach to move people around and enforce meter feeding.

Recommendations include extending the meter and permit season from May 1 to Sept. 30 and adjusting enforcement hours from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. for both.

Currently, the season runs from the Friday immediately preceding Memorial Day through the second Sunday following Labor Day, from 10 a.m. until midnight for metered parking and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for permit parking. 

Other beach towns are similar with a little bit of variance: Lewes parking enforcement is May 1 to Oct. 14. On beach in Lewes, parking is enforced May 1 to Sept. 30. Dewey is May 15 to September 15, and Bethany is the same.

The commissioners did not publicly voice their opinions before Friday's meeting on the recommendations but say there is a lot to consider.

"Everybody is thinking about how it affects them, however, we as commissioners have to think about how it affects all the stakeholders: downtown businesses, property owners, the traveler who stays outside of town but uses the beach in town," Mayor Paul Kuhns said earlier in the week. "It's really an issue of parking overall."

Kuhns said the proposed changes are not due to a revenue issue but came about as a way to "help manage the parking process in the city."

In 2017, Rehoboth generated over $5.6 million in parking revenue. 

In an effort to increase car turnover, the committee proposed increasing meter rates from $2 to $3 an hour on the first two blocks of Rehoboth Avenue and the first block of Wilmington and Baltimore avenues. Varying pricing and length of time for meters based on demand and location was also put forth.

"People need to understand that the true purpose of a meter is turnover," Kauffman said.

Commissioner Stan Mills acknowledged that the price increase fits in with the philosophy of paying more for prime parking spaces, "but we need to examine the ramifications for it." 

RB Convenience co-owner Jon Wright was looking forward to Friday's meeting. He said many of the committee's recommendations seem "anti-business" and could keep day-trippers away. Over his first summer at the store, Wright heard several customers say, "It is so expensive to park here."

"On our block you have to move your car every two hours," Wright added. "Parking is a definite negative here."

But Kauffman talked Friday about the committee's pro-business focus.

One example used: People who come in at 9 a.m., go to the beach for eight hours, and stay out there.

"That hurts the businesses," Kauffman said. "If we enforce feeding, then that space in a 12-hour period could have four or five or six customers. It’s to get the turnover in those spots, so that a business gets the chance to have more customers."

Parking permit impact 

Changes beyond an extended season could further impact parking permits. The committee recommended increasing permit fees, limiting the number of free permanent permits issued per household, but extending free permits for residents to include scooters.

It also suggested increasing the cost of business licenses that include parking permits or eliminating the free permit, and increasing the cost of additional permits for rental properties.

Longtime visitor and seasonal resident Karl Schreiter said he and his family usually park after 5 p.m., when parking permits are no longer enforced. They frequent the boardwalk, especially Funland and Ryan's, and restaurants in the city. 

Kuhns said he couldn't think of many cities that offer a variety of services and restaurants with free parking.

"People are parking in the neighborhoods because it’s free," Kuhns said. "People can’t park anywhere in Dewey without paying."

Schrieter said extending the enforcement time to 9 p.m. in permit areas could make parking more difficult and thus discourage him from coming into downtown.

"Why do you want to go to a restaurant and pay $6 to $10 to park when you can go on Route 1 and get just as good a meal or better (and park for free)?" he said.

It's a concern Karen Falk has heard from area businesses. Falk is the executive director of Rehoboth Beach Main Street, a tourist information center that represents both businesses and residents in the city. The organization is not taking a position on the recommendations, but Falk said they are receiving feedback on parking through an online survey, which they will present to the city.

"There is a whole swarm of opinions," she said. "This is a vibrant city."

While Falk has heard from people in support of some of the parking advisory committee's recommendations, restaurant owners have told her they are concerned about the higher parking fees and losing free parking in the permit areas after 5 p.m., which could cause people to hit up restaurants on Coastal Highway, where business is booming and free parking is aplenty. 

Carol Everhart, president and CEO of the Rehoboth Beach - Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce, said the main concern she's heard from businesses — especially restaurants — is extending the enforcement time past 5 p.m.

"Would that discourage the customer base that comes in to downtown Rehoboth for meals?" Everhart asked, echoing the phone calls and emails she's received from business owners.

Residents also contacted her with concerns about receiving fewer permanent permits.

"The question that arises from this is, if (these changes are) established and revenue increases, what will that funding be used for?" Everhart said.

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During an Aug. 17 presentation, Kauffman said that price and convenience both drive behavior.

Per the presentation, people coming to Rehoboth don't want to park more than one or two blocks from their destination — especially those lugging umbrellas, coolers and kids to the beach. 

Cars, ride-sharing services, buses, construction and emergency vehicles, pedestrians and bicycles all inundate the coastal city during the summer season. 

Putting in a parking garage would be too costly and even then, the city's little available land wouldn't suffice, per the committee. Converting abandoned driveways into legal parking could increase available spaces.

"There are parking spaces in town," Kuhns said. "It’s just, how far are you willing to walk to get to your destination?"

Addressing Rehoboth's lack of space, the committee wants to promote the use of scooters, as one regular vehicle space can accommodate four or five of them.

That could be done by creating more spaces in critical retail and beach areas, especially where a car could not fit, and giving residents scooter permits at no additional cost. 

"Not everything has to be implemented at one time," commissioner Mills said before the meeting. "It could be over the years, but with any changes you do make, you have to be cognizant that everything you do impacts everything else."

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