MILTON, DE - With increased populations throughout Sussex County, some homeowners in Milton are concerned that the influx of people could lead to increased damage on neighborhood sidewalks.
Town officials told WBOC that sidewalk maintenance is the responsibility of the homeowner, as designated by town code.
Some neighbors took to social media to express their concern.
"Please do not park on the sidewalks when you visit downtown," a post by Di Pine read.
Pine's family told WBOC that the sidewalk in front of their home had to be replaced by previous owners due to damage from vehicles.
Anita Cafone, another homeowner down the street, said she saw the social media posts.
"People are upset about that because they don't feel that they should be responsible," Cafone said. "Because they're not the ones who are damaging the sidewalks."
Cafone said she has seen more people parking along streets as tourism grows. She said cars will go over the curb due to narrow streets.
Cafone said this worries her as a homeowner.
"It can be very expensive," Cafone said. "My dad was a lifelong resident in Lewes and he also was responsible for the sidewalk, and at one point his sidewalk was damaged and it was like $15,000."
However, Cafone said she is overall excited to see Milton having new visitors.
Kyra Cane, another neighbor, agreed.
Cane said she's never experienced an issue with street parking, and thinks the increase in traffic is good for Milton.
"There are a lot of local businesses that previously were struggling before," Cane said. "Now they're doing really well and now there's a lot of growth in those businesses because of the traffic."
Town leaders told WBOC that they are focused on parking downtown, and that more information will become available as they explore different options.