REHOBOTH BEACH, DE - Rehoboth Beach is in early stages of exploring ways to increase the utilization of its canal access dock at Grover Park. During today's commissioner workshop, recommendations on improvements from Main Street Rehoboth Inc. were discussed.
The Grover Park Canal Access Park, a $1.3 million project built in 2021, received over a quarter-million-dollar investment from the city. Despite featuring amenities such as a kayak rack, boat docking, and occasional summer ferry service - the location remains a bit quiet.
"Many people just didn’t even know the dock was there and even how to access it," said a representative from Main Street Rehoboth in the Commissioners meeting.
Proposed ideas encompassed expanding water taxi services, introducing a kayak slide, and implementing rental options. A key recommendation emphasized a public awareness campaign to ensure the community is cognizant of the dock's existence.
Commissioner Toni Sharp said she hopes the enhancements align with the original purpose of supporting businesses on the less populated west end of Rehoboth Avenue.
"I’m interested in anything that would support the original reasons for having it – which was to help the west end of Rehoboth avenue grow their businesses." said Sharp.
And some locals agree, Karen Levin, who works at Rehoboth Beach Running Company says it would be a huge help to bring people in more frequently on ferry, especially during busy traffic times,
“There are a lot of businesses on that strip that nobody sees. If it stops there, they can come on down the street and see things they haven’t seen before and hop on a ferry back home," said Levin.
While no decisions have been made regarding the recommendations, commissioners are anticipated to collaborate further with Main Street Rehoboth to potentially advance the recommendations.