REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. — The Rehoboth Beach Planning Commission approved two hotel projects during its July 24 meeting, moving forward plans for new lodging options on the city’s boardwalk and Baltimore Avenue.
The Belhaven Hotel, a mixed-use development at 2 Rehoboth Ave above where Candy Kitchen currently is, will include 105 hotel rooms and first-floor commercial space. The four-story structure will extend along the boardwalk to Wilmington Avenue and feature an underground parking garage with an entrance on Wilmington Avenue. Property owners John and Alex Papajohn submitted the project.
The Belhaven hotel has been in the works for years, and faced delays and public opposition by the Planning Commission that was later withdrawn.
The commission approved the revised Belhaven site plan with 10 conditions, including requirements related to delivery trucks, valet parking, vehicle entrances, loading areas, refuse storage, and electric and telecommunications regulations. One condition calls for the consolidation of three current parcels into one. The city will hire an independent structural engineer and floodplain expert to ensure compliance with building codes, flood zone rules, and Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.
A second project, the Atlantic Crowne Hotel, also received approval with 10 conditions. The four-story, 55-room hotel, which will include a ground-level restaurant, bar, underground parking, and an outdoor dining patio, will be built on Baltimore Avenue where Jam Bistro used to be, next to the Atlantic Sands Hotel. Lankford Properties II, LLC owns the property. According to the city, conditions address delivery trucks, guest access to the parking garage, stormwater management, and outdoor storage screening.
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