LEWES, Del. — Even in the middle of winter, finding a parking spot in downtown Lewes can be a challenge. During the summer months, the city says, demand only intensifies.
“Downtown, which is such a lovely little town. But parking is kind of a pain,” said Melinda Girardi, who lives in Lewes.
City leaders are working to ease that burden. The Lewes Parking Working Group is meeting Friday at 9 a.m. at City Hall Council Chambers to continue drafting ideas aimed at balancing the needs of residents, visitors and local businesses.
Gaia Coffee Co. owner Ben Masino said the parking shortage affects both his staff and customers.
“It can be really frustrating. Especially, when your staff's trying to rush to work and stuff, and they can't find anything. They have to park maybe at the library has happened a few times,” Masino said.
His biggest concern is lost business.
“Probably like my largest concern; customers tell me is like 'we would love to come try your coffee, but we can't find parking,'” he said.
Girardi said she loves to shop local but the city’s parking app and meter requirements can add up quickly.
“If I use the parking meter app. It's a two hour minimum. So that's $3.50. And then they charge you 50 or $0.65 for using the app, which I find ridiculous. So it's like $10 for a cup of coffee. Like I have a coffee maker at home,” Girardi said.
Currently, Lewes uses a metered parking system divided into two areas — downtown and the beaches — along with several non-metered lots throughout the city.
One idea under consideration is a residential parking permit program. 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.
“I think it's a great idea. I think especially people living right here should have Park have at least one parking spot,” Girardi said.
According to the working group’s draft framework, many of the most pressing parking challenges are seasonal, tied to peak visitor months and special events. Issues outlined for review include protecting residential parking availability, increasing turnover in high-demand downtown spaces, addressing long-term parking by employees and contractors in residential neighborhoods, and improving enforcement of time limits.
The agenda for Friday’s meeting also includes a recap of a recent presentation to the mayor and City Council on off-season parking in the business district, discussion of enforcing three-hour unmetered parking and exploration of potential pilot areas for a residential permit program.
Any recommendations from the working group would need approval from mayor and council before being implemented.