FENWICK ISLAND, De. - A new ordinance in Fenwick Island could change the way people get around town. The town council is proposing an ordinance that would prohibit low speed vehicles (LSVs) which are similar to golf carts. If passed, violators of the ordinance could face a $100 fine. Delaney Twining is the manager at Nantuckets and says the carts play a crucial role in keeping his restaurant busy.
“It's pretty essential in the summer. Summer time we'll do 250-300 dinners per night and it's really hard for people to find that parking spot in Fenwick Island,” Twining said.
On top of eliminating the need to find parking, supporters of LSVs say they also cut down on drunk driving as well as alleviate traffic. Fenwick Island Mayor Vicki Carmean says it's important to listen to the public, but there are safety concerns with LSVs.
“We have concerns about pedestrian safety, we have concerns about these vehicles crossing the highway. I think it's a safety factor, a concern that people have about what this would do to our streets,” Carmean said.
Jim Simpson started a petition to keep LSVs. He says he has 154 vetted signatures and tied them all to properties in Fenwick Island. He also sent a Freedom of Information Act request to the town, asking for incidents involving LSVs from January 1st 2019 to February 14th 2022. Simpson says since that time, there were no incidents involving low speed vehicles.
“In that time frame, a little over two years, there were no complaints on LSVs in the entire town,” Simpson said.
There is a public session on the ordinance scheduled for Friday at 2:30 before the council votes on the matter. The town is not required to hold the public session but says they want to be as transparent as possible.
