REHOBOTH BEACH, DE - City leaders in Rehoboth Beach discussed possibly extending the city's paid parking season on Monday. The proposed extension would add 61 extra days to the season.
The city's current parking season goes from May 15th through September 15th. The new proposed dates would extend from May 1st through October 31st. The recommendation comes from the results of a traffic study done in the city in 2023.
City officials said the extension would help manage the city's increasingly busy shoulder season and demand for parking. According to city leaders, the extension would encourage parking space turnover and bring in additional revenue.A full breakdown of the proposal can be found on the city's website.
In that breakdown, city leaders provided a potential additional revenue estimate of roughly 1.6 million dollars that could be brought in from the proposed 61 extra days. That same breakdown lists the estimated expenses for the extended season at around $340,000.
WBOC spoke with multiple local business owners on Monday. Many of them said they worry that the proposal could hurt their businesses.
Jessica Hubbell, the store manager at Stoneworks Lapidary, said many locals only shop with them outside of the paid parking season.
"I think it's frustrating as a small business in Rehoboth because we depend on that," Hubbell said. "To survive here year-round, we depend on the local people to come here in the off-season."
Michael Holland, the owner of L.E.H Soap Company, said he worries the proposed change could push away locals to towns without extended parking fees.
"They're not gonna come in for a simple walk, a sandwich, or to buy a bar of soap in my case if they constantly are worried about their meter, or feeding the meter," Holland said. "That's a hindrance I hear from my people."
A spokesperson for the city told WBOC late Monday afternoon that, if the proposed change were to happen, it would not take effect before 2026. According to the city spokesperson, the potential change will continue to be discussed by commissioners in the coming months.