REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - Big changes could be coming to the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk, as plans for the Belhaven Hotel move to a public hearing.
The proposed project includes a four-story hotel with 105 rooms, plus 78 underground garage parking spaces and 29 surface lot spaces, according to amended site plans.Â
Rehoboth local Shari Davis is all in on the Belhaven.
"I think that’s really awesome," Davis said. "Because we need more hotels on the boardwalk."
Renderings show the underground garage tucked beneath the hotel, making use of limited downtown space. But not everyone is convinced it’ll be enough to handle the traffic.
Renderings show underground garage plans for the Belhaven Hotel. (City of Rehoboth Beach)
"I mean, the traffic is picking up now and the walking situation is very bad," said Timothy McLaughlin, who’s concerned about how the added cars and foot traffic could impact the area. "I just don’t think it would be okay."
Still, the planning commission voted 5–3 to move the project forward, setting a public hearing for June 26 where the community will get another chance to weigh in.
So while opinions differ, the Belhaven Hotel project could reshape a busy part of the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk.
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