Dewey Beach Elects Two New Council Members

THE NEWS JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 20, 2008

Dewey Beach residents elected two new members to Town Council today, and passed measures restricting building heights to 35 feet and authorizing a tax of up to 3 percent on rental properties.

Winning seats on council in a three-way race were Marc S. Applebum and Martin G. Seitz, who will replace Dale H. Cooke and Claire Walsh, who did not seek re-election.

Applebaum received 582 votes, Seitz took 542. Kristen Appel finished third with 214 votes. All three candidates are part-time residents of the vacation town.

Appelbaum and Seitz had the endorsement of the Citizens to Preserve Dewey Political Action Committee — a group that formed out of opposition to the size and height of a proposed hotel complex at Ruddertowne.

The town already has a 35-foot height limit, but residents voted 608 to 114 to include the height limit within the town charter. Now the limit cannot be changed by a vote of the Town Council alone, but would have to be changed by referendum.

The rental tax passed 501-218. By some estimates, the tax could bring in $250,000 to $325,000 annually, Applebaum said. In better economic times, the council would have the option of lowering the tax, he said.