Residents of a second manufactured home park are in talks with Lewes’ Board of Public Works to consider how to connect their homes to municipal sewer and water systems.
The Cape Coves manufactured home park approached Lewes in search of a way to replace failing septic and water systems with the city’s public utilities.
Lewes previously annexed Donovan Smith Mobile Home Park to address similar concerns after Donovan Park’s owner received multiple citations for a failing septic tank. That marked a new approach to remedying public health hazards manufactured home communities face statewide, though many aren’t close enough to municipalities to connect to public utilities.
Lewes Board of Public Works General Manager Austin Calaman says the discussions with Cape Coves residents are still at an early stage.
“The park wanted to know what it’s going to look like for them from a monetary standpoint," he said. One yet-to-be resolved question is whether the project will receive state subsidies.
And because the park isn’t directly adjacent to the city, residents can’t pursue annexation yet. Instead, residents can only pursue a pre-annexation agreement with Lewes that would streamline the process once the city’s boundaries border the park.
