LEWES, Del. — A city parking working group has unveiled a pilot program aimed at easing ongoing parking challenges, including a proposal to create two designated employee parking lots.
Under the plan, one lot on Schley Avenue would add about 140 spaces, while another at Otis Smith Park would provide 60 additional spots. Both locations would need to be paved if the plan moves forward, and officials say details are still being worked out.
The proposal comes after months of research and debate from the Lewes Parking Working Group, as city leaders look for ways to address concerns from people who live in Lewes and business owners.
The group presented the pilot program to the mayor and city council April 22.
For Second Street artist and business owner Abraxas Hudson, parking shortages remain a persistent issue.
“It’s been an ongoing concern even in the off season,” Hudson said. “What you’ll notice is that all the parking spots on Second Street are quite often full, even though there’s no visible foot traffic on the street. So there’s a constant issue of having parking sufficient to accommodate the people who are visiting.”
Hudson expressed concern about relying on satellite-style parking solutions that have been underused in the past.
“I would just hate for them to do what they did prior, which is a satellite parking scenario with the bus that’s just not used to its full capacity,” he said.
Others say any step forward is worth trying. Lewes resident Charlie Lauer voiced cautious support for the plan.
“It’s worth a shot. Take a little pressure off in peak season,” Lauer said. “Two hundred parking spaces really isn’t much, but it’s better than doing nothing, I suppose.”
In addition to employee parking, the working group is proposing designated residential parking zones on Chestnut, Market and Mulberry streets between Third and Fourth streets. The plan also calls for stricter enforcement of the city’s three-hour parking limit, a measure requested by businesses to help increase customer turnover.
Some residents and stakeholders have pushed for a larger, long-term solution: a downtown parking garage — an idea the working group has described as a “pipe dream.”
“A parking garage in the downtown area would be quite amazing, and I think the best solution,” Hudson said.
City officials, however, say a garage would be costly and time-consuming to build, even as some argue it could help prevent visitors from leaving town in search of easier parking elsewhere.
No final decisions have been made. City council members said they plan to schedule a public hearing to gather additional feedback before moving forward.
