FENWICK ISLAND, Del.- It's not just parking spaces, it's a town issue, a community concern.
A new proposal in Fenwick Island would change the requirement of new businesses and current ones looking to rebuild. They would have to have one parking spot for every 50 feet of patron area. A change from the 100 feet that it is now.
Which has some business owners unhappy, like Tim Collins, a long time Fenwick Island resident and owner of Southern Exposure store, "One common thread that has won through the whole parking issue and that is that the formula that the town is proposing simply does not work, meaning that it's impossible to take one formula and apply it to all the commercial properties."
But the Mayor of Fenwick Island Natalie Magdeburger said it's needed for the small town, "The real question that is out there is whether or not 29 parking spaces is sufficient for a restaurant that has a capacity of 212 patrons and 30 employees and that's what we're confronted with."
"We spoke with some people on Fenwick Island and they said they're for the parking proposal because visitors coming in need a place to park and then living here there's just not enough parking but others aren't so convinced."
Scott Carey who once owned a restaurant just outside the Fenwick Island town limits said, "I think anything that makes it harder for businesses to operate in the town of Fenwick. Whether it's parking or any kind of regulation that goes against small business in a town that depends on small businesses is not a good idea."
But Mayor Magdeburger is hopeful for a compromise,"We can solve this we truly can solve this, but it's gonna take the business community helping the business community."
The town was set to discuss the proposal on Friday but technical difficulties delayed the meeting until Monday.