PRIME HOOK BEACH Del. – The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) is requiring the removal of an unauthorized concrete structure built near the Delaware Bay shoreline at Prime Hook Beach.
In a final order issued June 29, DNREC upheld the denial of a coastal construction permit application for the 118-foot-long concrete structure at a property in Clifton Shores.
The structure, which sits seaward of DNREC’s coastal construction building line, was built without the required permit. DNREC says it functions as a driveway, not a permitted boat ramp or dune crossover.
As WBOC has previously reported, the department originally denied the after-the-fact permit application in January, saying the concrete structure could increase erosion risks and could become storm debris. Officials also raised concerns about potential impacts to coastal resources and wildlife, including red knots and horseshoe crabs.
The property owner’s representative appealed the decision, arguing the structure provided accessibility and emergency access benefits. DNREC rejected those arguments, saying they did not provide a basis to approve the permit.
Under the order, the structure must be removed between Aug. 30 and Sept. 30, 2026, to avoid restrictions protecting horseshoe crab spawning and red knot migration.
DNREC says the dune area must also be restored and replanted with native beachgrass following removal.
