2025 City Updates

July 2025

City Commissioners

Beach Replenishment

This topic and especially who pays for it was the subject of a workshop discussion by the Commissioners on July 7. In the past, beach replenishment has been done every three years, with 65% paid by the Federal government and 35% paid by the State. Rehoboth Beach was due to get replenishment this winter, but there are now no Federal funds available for this year. Commissioners had a lengthy discussion with Tony Pratt, former DNREC official now serving as a consultant to beach communities. He advised that our dunes are in good shape, but all agree that one storm could change that. Conversations are ongoing with the Delaware Congressional delegation, as well as state and county officials to restore or replace the federal funding.

Canal Dock Reopened

The Grove Park Canal Dock has been reopened. The dock, which provides two boat slips and a launch area for canoes and kayaks, is open from sunrise to sunset. Boats may utilize the boat slips to load and unload passengers and supplies for a maximum of 30 minutes. The city had closed the dock earlier this year due to evidence of settling of the retaining wall. Following two nine-point surveys over a two-month period, it was determined that the dock is stable and safe to use. Conditions will continue to be surveyed on a monthly basis.

New Advisory Committees

Several months ago, Commissioners voted to sunset the existing Committees on Animal Issues, Beach & Boardwalk, Environment, Trees & Green Infrastructure, and Streets & Transportation. Now, they are being replaced with two new Committees: a new Public Safety Advisory Committee (to include issues formerly handled by Beach & Boardwalk, Animal Issues and Streets & Transportation), to be chaired by Commissioner Mark Saunders; and an Environment Advisory Committee (to include issues formerly handled by the Environment and Trees & Green Infrastructure Committees) to be chaired by Commissioner Craig Thier.

Civility Ordinance

Rehoboth Beach Commissioners adopted a new code on July 18 related to civility in the workplace. The code applies to city employees and elected officials. Such ordinances or codes of conduct are common in both public and private workplaces. The ordinance is not intended to cut off or limit spirited debate but is designed to set standards and restore collegial dialogue and respectful treatment of all.

Planning Commission

Coast Hotel

This project was approved at a public hearing of the Planning Commission held on June 27, 2025. The approved scope of the project will add 10 additional guest rooms and guest amenities. The applicants had previously sought and received a variance from the Board of Adjustment approving the hotel owners’ request to increase the size of the hotel (Floor Area Ratio or FAR) to help balance the unanticipated costs incurred when a significant portion of the west-facing side of the original building was found to be unstable and in need of demolition and rebuilding.

Atlantic Crowne Hotel

The Atlantic Crowne Hotel project was approved at a public hearing of the Planning Commission on July 24, 2025. This 55-room hotel project is located on Baltimore Avenue immediately behind and adjacent to the Atlantic Sands Hotel property. Members of the Planning Commission, in their public on-record descriptions of the evidence supporting their individual vote, expressed their appreciation of the collaborative problem-solving approach and open communication provided by the developer. The developer also made commitments to abutting residential neighbors on Maryland Avenue to help mitigate some concerns expressed during the course of the public hearing.

Belhaven Hotel

The Belhaven Hotel project was re-approved at a public hearing of the Planning Commission on July 24, 2025. This project is located on the south side of Rehoboth Avenue at the Boardwalk. Originally approved in July 2024, the owners added 13 rooms, bringing the total number of rooms to 105. This is a large parcel of land, a portion of which extends behind some businesses on the Boardwalk and includes frontage on Wilmington Avenue. The developers requested and received a variance on FAR from the Board of Adjustment, increasing the FAR for this project from the 2.0 FAR stated in the City Code to a FAR of 3.0. The process of reviewing the project application also led to legal challenges which were resolved in favor of the City’s position in support of the Planning Commission. During every public comment period for each of the many Planning Commission meetings and hearings on this project, abutting neighbors expressed significant concerns for the stability and safety of their properties due to potential damage from the construction of this project. In response to these concerns, the City will use outside engineering experts to review the detailed construction plans for any such concerns to ensure that issues are identified and addressed prior to any building permit for this project being issued.

Oceanside Reserve

The Planning Commission conducted the first Preliminary Review of the application for this project on June 26, 2025. The property is a large 7.75 acre parcel that faces Route 1 and is known now as the BayMart Shopping Center. This public meeting addressed the initial proposals by the developers, but it was not a public hearing leading to any final decisions. The developers presented initial sketches and schematics for a subdivision of single-family homes on single-family lots. Code requires that lots must be no less than 5,000 square feet in area. These calculations are made after streets are planned and other public infrastructure is accommodated. The next step in the process is for the developer to revise the proposed plans based on feedback received from the Planning Commission, City Staff and the public and to resubmit the application to the Planning Commission if they would like to proceed further. 

 

May 2025