LEWES, Del. - A plan to add portable restrooms at several Lewes beach access points is being scaled back for now as city leaders gather more feedback from locals.
Deputy City Manager Janet Reeves updated Mayor and City Council on May 19 about the proposal to place portable restrooms near beach crossovers. After hearing concerns and input from people who live near the proposed locations, the city decided to move forward with a pilot program instead of installing all five portable restrooms this summer.
There are currently public restroom facilities at Johnnie Walker Beach and Savannah Beach, with portable restrooms at the Roosevelt Inlet. The pilot program would place restrooms near the Children’s Beach House.
“We are going to engage the Children’s Beach House to see if in the right of way on either side of their property, on North Washington and Michigan, they would be amenable to that,” Reeves said. “If they are in agreement, we'll contact the adjacent neighbors to discuss with them. If it does move forward, we would be monitoring that through the contractor to get a sense of usage.”
In March, the city discussed placing five portable bathrooms at beach access points. The proposal included two locations between Roosevelt Inlet and the Children’s Beach House and three between the beach house and Savannah Beach.
City officials previously said it would cost about $500 per month for a contractor to provide and maintain each portable restroom from May through October.
The restroom proposal is part of a larger beach improvement effort being completed with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. While the portable bathrooms are not a requirement of the five-year plan, it is being explored as a part of it. The improvement plan helps Lewes remain eligible for federal and state funding connected to beach replenishment projects.
Other recommendations from DNREC include replacing faded signs, adding clearer beach access markers and creating updated visitor maps.
