Ed's Chicken & Crabs Property Decision Tabled - WBOC-TV 16, Delmarvas News Leader, FOX 21 -

DEWEY BEACH, Del. - Ed's Chicken & Crabs was destroyed by a fire after a drunk driver ran into the Dewey Beach business in 2016.  Now the fate of the property has been postponed.

The property owner, Rusty Catts, filed an appeal after the town of Dewey Beach denied his building application.  At the Board of Adjustment meeting on Monday night the town addressed two main concerns for the property.  One is the flood plain requirements that could force the new structure to be elevated by a number of feet.  The other is the Catts' desire to occasionally cook food outside the proposed establishment.

Ed's Chicken & Crabs was in business for 38 years before the 2016 fire.  The law firm representing Catts claims the proposed building should be grandfathered and exempted from this regulation; and the proprietors should have the right to cook chicken outside when desired because of the plans to build an indoor kitchen as well.  

After nearly three hours of testimony, the board decided to digest the information and make a decision in March. 

"We'd like them to take whatever time, within reason, they need to make the right decision. So postponing it two weeks I don't think is a big problem for us, we want them to take their time and make the right decision," said John W. Paradee, a lawyer with Baird, Mandalas, Brockstedt LLC representing Catts.