LEWES, Del. - The Lewes Parking Working Group met again Friday morning to discuss parking solutions to keep everyone happy, including residents, visitors and businesses.
The group mentioned the idea of city-wide 3-hour parking, which is yet to be defined where exactly that would apply to.
A residential parking permit program is also something the working group is exploring. Officials are studying models in nearby beach towns such as Rehoboth Beach and Bethany Beach, as well as areas in other states, to see how similar communities manage parking in compact downtown areas.
During Friday's meeting, the group mentioned the possibilities of zoning by street and curb marked spots within the program.
Patricia Gibler is in the group, offering perspective as a longtime local, who doesn't have a driveway and often has to walk several blocks to get home.
"Spaces are taken up by tourists. And employees. I've always felt the employees are fine. To tell you the truth, I don't know that they really do monopolize a lot of the places, but we have a tourist town and a beach town, and it's just become a lot more difficult for people like me as we get older especially," said Gibler.
Not all working group members agreed on different possible solutions, with Councilman Joe Elder bringing up parking garages.
"The bottom line we keep coming up with is we really need a parking garage here, but that's a big expense," said Elder. "And I don't think that's something we want to look at at this time, because there's so many things out there that we have to do as a city."
Elder emphasized that it's all about striking a balance.
"I think we're at a point now where fewer than 50% of the homes here are occupied by full time residents. So, we are very seasonal. And that's great for our economy and for our businesses. And we want to see our businesses thrive," said Elder. "We're looking at some concepts to try and get more of the folks that are serviced by Lewes into our businesses, while at the same time trying to protect our residents. "
Currently, Lewes uses a metered parking system divided into two areas — downtown and the beaches — along with several non-metered lots throughout the city.
Any recommendations from the working group would need approval from mayor and council before being implemented.