LEWES, Del. - The Lewes Board of Adjustment voted 3-1 on Tuesday in favor of the Historic Preservation Architectural Review Commission's authority over the location of a giant menhaden fish net reel. The vote decided the reel is a city structure and HPARC has jurisdiction over all city structures.
During the summer of 2020, the Lewes Historical Society moved the menhaden fish net reel to its main campus because submitting an application to HPARC. When an application was submitted, HPARC denied the society's application to keep it on the property.
Tuesdays hearing was not about the location of the reel; rather it was a decision on if HPARC has jurisdiction over the structure.
Candace Vessela, chairperson of the Lewes Board of Adjustment, said in a statement, "The question at issue in the appeal made by the Lewes Historical Society was ultimately a very narrow jurisdictional question that turned on whether or not the net reel qualified as a '“structure”', since HPARC has jurisdiction over all structures within the City of Lewes. The Board of Adjustment members voted 3-1 the net reel fell within the scope of the definition of “structure”, thus making it subject to HPARC review.”
The Board of Adjustment appeal hearing lasted more than five hours and many people testified and were in attendance.
City Manager Ann Marie Townshend said many who testified argued about what the zoning codes should be rather than what they actually are now.
"The scope the review was not regarding whether or not the net reel should stay, it was whether the process was properly followed," Townshend explained.
Even after Tuesday hearing, the Lewes Historical Society said there are still discrepancies in the city codes.
"I don't necessarily think there is a resolution in place," Jim Abbott, director of the LHS said. "I think there is still confusion over, over the zoning."
Lewes officials plan to continue working with Lewes Historical Society on a resolution to the menhaden fish net reel.
As of right now, the reel will remain on the campus of the Lewes Historical Society.