Town code requires eateries provide public restroom
Plans for Playa Bowls restaurant to take over space housing a T-shirt shop adjacent to the Bottle & Cork in Dewey Beach are on hold after commissioners determined a vote to approve a conditional-use application for the eatery would go against town code. ELLEN DRISCOLL PHOTO
Ellen Driscoll May 13, 2021
Plans for Playa Bowls restaurant in Dewey are on hold after commissioners determined a vote to approve a conditional-use application for the eatery would go against town code.
Keith Mushinski submitted the application discussed at council’s April 19 public hearing to convert a T-shirt shop adjacent to the Bottle & Cork into a 159-square-foot, takeout-only kitchen that would serve smoothies, juices and acai bowls.
Dogs allowed on bay beach when lifeguards not on duty
Dewey Beach commissioners unanimously approved a set of rules for the baywalk, public bayside beach and gazebo on Van Dyke Avenue. FILE PHOTO
Ellen Driscoll April 23, 2021
By a unanimous vote April 9, Dewey Beach commissioners approved a set of rules for the baywalk, public bayside beach and gazebo on Van Dyke Avenue that largely mirror those of the oceanside beach.
The one major difference in rules is that dogs will be permitted on the bay beach during the summer season when lifeguards are not on duty. A lifeguard may be assigned to guard the bay beach during certain hours depending on conditions, rules state.
Tuesday, July 17, 2018
Two prominent Rehoboth Beach property owners are pursuing lawsuits against the city’s board of adjustment, claiming the board erred when it ruled to uphold the city building inspector’s interpretation of gross floor area.
Attorney Vince Robertson, on behalf of Gene Lankford and Lankford Properties, filed his lawsuit in December, while attorney David Hutt, on behalf of Jack Lingo Asset Management, filed his lawsuit in May. Both submitted opening briefs March 29 in Delaware Superior Court. In an email April 8, Robertson said the two cases have been consolidated because the issues are basically the same – they both deal with the definition of gross floor area, which in turn affects code-mandated zoning requirements. Hutt, in an email April 12, added that both lawsuits deal with the basic question of what is the exterior face of an exterior wall.
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
After some disagreement over the effective date of the ordinance, Dewey Beach commissioners voted 3-2 on March 2 to impose a 1.5 percent lodging tax on hotels, motels and tourist homes starting July 1.
Commissioner David Jasinski said enacting the tax is the right thing to do, but making it effective April 1 would be too early given that establishments aren’t yet able to operate at full capacity. He suggested the tax be implemented no earlier than July 1 and no later than Jan. 1, 2022.
Commissioner Gary Persinger said he supported the Jan. 1 effective date, and suggested the town follow the state’s practice of exempting permanent residents of a hotel or motel. He questioned whether the party responsible for paying the tax should be noted as the operator, not owner, of the rental property.
Friday, October 2, 2020
From calls for civil disobedience to comparisons with the Baltimore Colts leaving town in the dead of night, Dewey Beach residents and officials united in opposition to the installation of 5G poles along the town’s coastline during a March 2 public hearing on an ordinance to regulate wireless facilities.
Mayor Dale Cooke said the town has no desire for the poles, but they are mandated by state and federal regulations. The town has contacted the governor, and state and local officials to fight the installation, he said.
However, most streets in Dewey are controlled by the state, which is unlike any other town in Delaware, Cooke said. When the town learned about the installations through Verizon, and not the state, Cooke said, the town immediately called the state to put a stop to it.