BY ALEX RUOFF
DEWEY BEACH — After months of public comment during monthly council meetings, town administrators have begun a series of monthly meetings to discuss a proposed ordinance aimed at creating more public parking.
Proposed as a way of reclaiming right-of-way space to be dedicated for public parking, commissioners are considering establishing an ordinance aimed at demarcating spaces along Dewey’s roadways.
Since the proposal arose in November, residents have been commenting on the matter during meetings, oftentimes delaying them.
Many feel the measure could take away land they have been using as private parking since before Dewey was incorporated in 1981.
“The idea is to run these meetings until they become redundant or we feel that everything that needs to be said has been said,” said Town Manager Ken Lodge. “That way the commissioners will be able to formulate a thorough ordinance using everyone’s input.”
Officials said they estimate by clearing the right-of-way — publicly owned land along the roadside — of overgrowth, mailboxes and driveway space, they could create up to 1,700 new parking spaces.
Property owner Barry Howell said in a written statement that it would be seizing land being used by residents to benefit visitors during busy weekends in the summertime. He said the measure seems to be unreasonable.
“Consider the cost to the town –which means the citizen’s funds –to enforce this ordinance,” he said. “We’re talking about painting miles of lines, repairing infrastructure where needed, relocating dozens if not hundreds of mailboxes … We’re talking about tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
Commissioner Martin Seitz said the move was designed to bring in more income through the sale of additional parking permits, something they need to be thinking about in tough economic times.
“The town sells parking permits and we need to look at that as an asset that can be maintained,” he said. “There’s a lot stuff that’s grown into the right-of-ways and it’s clear that there’s a lot of potential there.”
Currently, Seitz said, the town receives roughly $200,000 per year in revenue through the sale of about 900 permits — a number that could double without reaching the full extent of the ordinance.
“We don’t even have to reclaim it everywhere we are talking,” he said. “I would be for just doing what we need.”