The bayside beach in Dewey Beach has new rules.
And not everyone is a fan of them.
The small strip of beach along the bayside in Dewey Beach has often been a popular gathering spot, especially at sunset.
Town commissioners created a new first-come, first-served reservation process for the beach Friday. The goal is to clearly define when users should reserve the beach.
But some of the changes, including banning dogs on the beach during the summertime and stricter rules around weddings, anger residents.
Kellyann Palladino said during Friday’s town council meeting some of these new restrictions will hurt the laid-back culture of the beach town.
“We need to have unique rules there that support events and supports our town as a unique town center other than what the ocean beach is.”
The commissioners did end up making a few changes to the new rules, including only enforcing the dog ban when a lifeguard is on duty. Commissioners say the rule would be only enforceable anyways if someone is there to monitor the beach.
The final rules passed unanimously.
Commissioners also discussed the ongoing gith for control over construction of new 5G towers in the town.
Dewey Beach is negotiating with DelDOT to gain sole authority on new permits for wireless towers there, a power it hasn’t had in the past.
Now Dewey Beach is looking into hiring an outside consultant to help with the 5G rollout process, says Mayor Dale Cooke.
“This is, there’s a lot of options here. I don’t think we’re properly informed yet to actually hire a specific company.”
In past meetings, commissioners have noted outside consultants have helped other towns along the East Coast negotiate with wireless companies and secure wireless towers that fit the aesthetic of the town.
At Friday’s Town Council meeting, commissioners instructed the city manager to begin searching for a consultant that meets the needs of the town.
Roman Battaglia is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms.
