Coastal DE Towns Protest Against Beach Replenishment Cost Initiative That Would Affect Beachgoers; Suggest Alternatives
Will beachgoers in Delaware see charging for beach access–beach tags or passes? Will they be charged higher parking and shuttle fees? That is what the Association of Coastal Towns communities of Lewes, Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach, Bethany Beach, South Bethany and Fenwick Island are trying to stop from happening. The initiative that they say DNREC is developing would require beach communities to pay all or a large part of the State’s share of the cost of beach replenishment by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. To pay for it, beach communities would be forced to pass along the cost to beachgoers. The concern is the plan would adversely affect Delaware’s coastal economic ecosystem and the State of Delaware. The cost has to be paid somehow, and so the Town of Bethany Beach believes that this initiative needs significant public and legislative review and revision. They strongly suggest other options, as stated below.
Additional Information from the Town of Bethany Beach:
Therefore, we urgently request, as a matter of fairness and professional inquiry, that a
new inclusive committee be formed and that this committee first be charged with
conducting a thorough search for other sources of revenue to help defray the costs of
beach nourishment.
DNREC could also seek or support legislation to designate a larger percentage of the
accommodations tax generated by visitors to our coastal communities. In addition,
some small portion of transfer taxes generated by the sale of homes within the coastal
economic ecosystem could be used to help defray the cost of nourishment. There are
other possibilities that should be examined to everyone’s benefit.
You can read the full document and explanation of the Town’s concerns here…
DNREC-Workgroup (townofbethanybeach.com)
