SOUTH BETHANY, Del. - On Wednesday, November 9th, the South Bethany Town Council had their second talk about a possible ordinance to amend the town parking permit system. Originally, homeowners in town were allowed to purchase up to four parking permits for the summer season which allow users to park on the East and West sides of Route 1. A few months ago, the town began the discussion about changing the allowable amount after it was believed people were selling the permits. The town came to the decision to change the amount from four to two, and people have mixed feelings about this.
"The discussion about reducing it back to two is a good idea because we don't have enough beach parking as it is," explained Larry Laura, who lives in South Bethany.
The town says it hopes this change will also help the already limited parking situation in the summer, especially on Ocean Drive.
One person who spoke with CoastTV believes the change is not fair to the people who live in town.
"It's squeezing out the residents in terms of their permits" said Bob O'Neill, who also lives in South Bethany. O'Neill continued, "I don't know what the bottom line is, maybe its a compromise, and then rethink how many days can a non-resident seek a one day permit."
The town says they will be changing the cost of the permits to make up for lost revenue. The town also said if a permit is lost, one replacement can be purchased.