REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - City leaders in Rehoboth Beach may consider changes to their popular Bandstand Summer Concert Series after hearing concerns from local business owners about crowding and parking challenges.
During a Downtown Advisory Task Force meeting held Monday, the Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with the city, invited business owners to share their experiences. The concert series consists of weekly concerts that draw up to 1,500 people on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
A survey conducted by the chamber asked business owners about the frequency of the concerts, their impact and how shops and restaurants are managing the influx of visitors during concert nights.
Some business owners expressed concern over the crowds and parking restrictions detracting from their businesses.
At the end of October, businesses near the bandstand said the installation of bollards would be bad for business and frequent bandstand events have already made business more difficult for restaurants and retailers nearby. Several businesses attested to statements like this by signing a petition that was then sent to the mayor and commissioners.
City Manager Taylour Tedder said the comments shared at the town hall on Monday will be taken into consideration.
"We received so much helpful input this morning," said City Manager Taylour Tedder. "We appreciate the business owners who took the time to attend, answer the survey, and speak up about their concerns. There were a lot of solutions-oriented suggestions presented to us."
City officials said they will take the feedback seriously as they explore adjustments to the logistics. No changes or timeline have been announced yet.