Rehoboth Beach meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

No decisions at Rehoboth Beach meetings; variance hearings and special session on tap

Rehoboth Beach officials made no formal decisions on land-use or spending items in the past week. The Board of Adjustment heard a request for variances for a new two-family dwelling but has not published a vote, and two other meetings were cancelled. Several hearings and a special commissioners session are scheduled in the coming days.

Recent meetings

Board of Adjustment – July 27

The board held a public hearing on a request for variances from four zoning code sections to allow construction of a new two-family dwelling at 37 Virginia Avenue Unit B in the R-2 Residential District. The variances cover floor-area ratio, parking spaces, building setback, and yard projection requirements. The applicant is Waterside Properties, Inc., on behalf of John G. Kaden and Amy A. Kaden, trustees of the John & Amy Kaden Joint Revocable Trust, represented by attorney Mackenzie M. Sindelar of Saul Ewing LLP. Neighboring residents at 34, 36, and 30 Virginia Avenue, 602 Scarborough Avenue, 11 Stockley Street, and 1000 King Charles Avenue submitted letters of support. The board has not yet published a decision; minutes are pending.

Parks and Shade Tree Commission – July 27

The commission cancelled its scheduled 10:00 a.m. meeting because there were no agenda items. No discussion or decisions took place.

Boardwalk Historic Designation Task Force – July 28

The task force met to discuss seeking a blue Delaware Historical Marker and designation on the National Register of Historic Places for the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk. The group heard presentations on historic recognition experiences and assigned research, archiving, and photographing tasks. No decisions were reported.

Upcoming meetings

Mayor & Commissioners – August 10

The regularly scheduled commissioners meeting was cancelled due to a lack of agenda items.

Mayor & Commissioners Special Meeting – August 12

The commissioners will hold a special meeting primarily to enter an Executive Session for an employee disciplinary or dismissal hearing (29 Del.C. §10004(b)(8)) and to discuss personnel matters regarding individual employees (29 Del.C. §10004(b)(9)). The board may consider matters discussed in the closed session and will hold a period for citizen comment.

City Streets & Safety Advisory Committee – August 13

The committee will discuss a request to amend City Code §92-34(17) to delete the overnight parking prohibition on Queen Street from Lake Drive to King Charles. Other items include additional four-way stop signs downtown, particularly at First Street and Rehoboth Avenue; concerns about oversized vehicles and utility trailers parked on public streets; appointing volunteers to inventory loose utility wires on poles; and making bollards at the Bandstand more friendly looking. The committee will also review correspondence on traffic safety, bicycle issues, and pedestrian management, plus updates on bike and pedestrian pathways, traffic calming on State Road and Columbia and Henlopen Avenues, and beach mats.

Board of Adjustment – August 24

Two variance hearings are scheduled for 1:30 p.m. in the Commissioners Room at City Hall.

• **259 Country Club Drive**: Mary E. Good requests a variance from City Code §270-35(D) to allow renovations without providing the two required off-street parking spaces. The property is in the R-1 Residential District (Sussex County Tax Map Parcel No. 334-13.20-232.00).
• **1 Rehoboth Avenue**: Ronald Schafer, on behalf of One Rehoboth Avenue LLC, requests a variance from City Code §270-30(B) to allow a 16-foot-wide circulation and turning aisle in a parking garage instead of the required 24 feet. The property is in the C-1 Central Commercial District (Tax Map Parcel 334-14.18-14.00).

Coming up

• **August 12** – Special commissioners meeting (Executive Session on personnel), time not listed.
• **August 13** – Streets & Safety Advisory Committee, time not listed.
• **August 24** – Board of Adjustment hearings at 1:30 p.m., City Hall Commissioners Room.

All meeting agendas and minutes are available from the city. The recent Board of Adjustment and Task Force minutes have not yet been published.

Rehoboth Beach meetings focus on lake management, zoning variances, and historic boardwalk designation

Rehoboth Beach's advisory boards and commissions held a series of meetings in late July covering lake management, a zoning variance request for a new two-family dwelling, and a push for historic recognition of the Boardwalk. Minutes have not yet been published for any of these sessions, so only agenda items — not outcomes — can be reported.

Board of Adjustment hears variance request for 37 Virginia Avenue Unit B

The Board of Adjustment scheduled a public hearing for July 27 at 1:30 p.m. in the City Hall Commissioners Room to consider four zoning variances for a proposed two-family dwelling at 37 Virginia Avenue Unit B, located in the R-2 General Residence District.

The applicant, Waterside Properties, Inc., is seeking variances on behalf of John G. Kaden and Amy A. Kaden, trustees of the John & Amy Kaden Joint Revocable Trust. The request covers floor area ratio (Code §270-21(B)), minimum parking spaces (Code §270-35(D)), building setback line (Code §270-24), and required yard projection (Code §270-42). The applicants are represented by attorney Mackenzie M. Sindelar of Saul Ewing LLP.

Support letters were submitted by residents at 34, 36, and 30 Virginia Avenue; 602 Scarborough Avenue; 11 Stockley Street; and 1000 King Charles Avenue. The Board was scheduled to vote after the hearing, but the outcome is not yet available.

Environmental Advisory Committee reviews lakes and tree health

On July 20, the Environmental Advisory Committee discussed a presentation on Lakes Management, along with updates on community lighting, the Grove Park Farmers' Market, and tree health data including a Tree Watering Plan. The committee also discussed possible future agenda topics to forward to the Board of Commissioners. No binding votes were scheduled.

Planning Commission takes up Comprehensive Development Plan

The Planning Commission met July 24 to review a presentation by Wallace Montgomery on the five-year update of the city's Comprehensive Development Plan. The commission also continued discussions on potential recommendations for revisions to Chapter 236, which could be forwarded to the Board of Commissioners.

Boardwalk Historic Designation Task Force meets

On July 28, the Boardwalk Historic Designation Task Force met to discuss seeking a blue Delaware Historical Marker and listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The group heard presentations on historic recognition experiences and assigned research, archiving, and photographing tasks to members.

Commissioners' special meeting postponed

Mayor Stan Mills announced that a Board of Commissioners special meeting originally scheduled for July 23 was postponed to July 30 at 11:00 a.m. due to a scheduling conflict. The agenda had called for an executive session on legal advice and litigation strategy, discussion of documents excluded from the public records definition, and a possible waiver of attorney-client privilege for a legal memorandum.

Parks and Shade Tree Commission meeting cancelled

The Parks and Shade Tree Commission cancelled its July 27 meeting at 10:00 a.m. due to a lack of agenda items. No discussions or decisions took place.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings are listed for the next 14 days. Residents should check the city's official meeting calendar for any newly scheduled sessions or rescheduled dates.

Rehoboth Beach roundup: Variance hearing for 16-foot Boardwalk deck, historic designation task force convenes, multiple meetings cancelled

Rehoboth Beach officials had a light schedule over the past two weeks, with two regular meetings cancelled for lack of agenda items. The most substantive business came from the Board of Adjustment, which scheduled a public hearing on a variance request for a deck at 505 South Boardwalk, and a new task force began exploring a National Register of Historic Places designation for the Boardwalk. Minutes for all recent meetings have not yet been published, so outcomes of the hearings and discussions below are not yet confirmed in the official record.

Board of Adjustment: Variance hearing for 505 South Boardwalk

The Board of Adjustment scheduled a public hearing on a variance request to permit a deck or balcony exceeding the town's 14-foot height limit at 505 South Boardwalk (Parcel 334-14.18-130.01). The property owners seek a variance to allow a deck surface at approximately 16 feet. The hearing was set for June 22 in the Commissioners Room at City Hall, 229 Rehoboth Avenue.

A second variance request, for 37 Virginia Avenue Unit B, was postponed to the July 27 meeting due to application discrepancies. The agenda also included approval of minutes and notices of decisions and a citizen comment period.

Because minutes have not yet been published, the outcome of the 505 South Boardwalk variance request is not yet part of the official record.

Boardwalk Historic Designation Task Force

The Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk Historic Designation Task Force met June 23 to begin the process of seeking a spot on the National Register of Historic Places for the Boardwalk. Agenda items included reviewing Delaware Historical and Cultural Affairs (DHCA) nomination requirements, discussing a National Register nomination schematic planning document, and practicing how to build a historic integrity argument for the site. The task force also planned to review DHCA best practices for documenting historic landscapes.

This was an early-stage working session; no designation decisions were on the agenda.

Police Accountability Committee

A joint Police Accountability Committee meeting bringing together Rehoboth Beach, Lewes, and the Delaware River and Bay Authority was scheduled for June 23. The agenda called for a vote on whether to schedule a special session regarding an independent investigation into a May 19, 2026, event described in the agenda as a "takeover" event in Rehoboth Beach. The committee also planned to select a third-quarter meeting date and receive jurisdictional reports from the three police departments.

The outcome of the vote on a special session is not yet confirmed, as minutes have not been published.

Meetings cancelled

Two regular meetings were cancelled for lack of agenda items: the Parks and Shade Tree Commission meeting on June 22 and the Planning Commission meeting on June 26. Both cancellations were procedural, with no business conducted.

Coming up

The Board of Commissioners meeting scheduled for July 6 has been cancelled. Mayor Stan Mills announced the cancellation, citing a lack of agenda items. No other upcoming meetings are listed in the next 14 days. Residents tracking the 37 Virginia Avenue Unit B variance request should watch for the July 27 Board of Adjustment meeting.

Board of Adjustment Hears South Boardwalk Height Variance; Several Summer Meetings Canceled

Rehoboth Beach’s municipal calendar saw a mix of public hearings, early-stage planning discussions, and procedural cancellations over the past two weeks. The most watched session centered on a height variance for a beachfront deck, while the Board of Commissioners announced it will not meet on July 6 due to a lack of business.

Board of Adjustment hears request for 16-foot deck at 505 South Boardwalk

The Board of Adjustment held a public hearing on June 22 to consider a variance request for the property at 505 South Boardwalk. The owners seek permission to construct a deck or balcony with a surface approximately 16 feet above ground, exceeding the city’s 14-foot height limit. The agenda noted the property, Parcel 334-14.18-130.01, and the hearing took place in the Commissioners Room at City Hall. A second variance application, for 37 Virginia Avenue Unit B, was postponed to the board’s July 27 meeting because of discrepancies in the application. Minutes from the June 22 hearing have not yet been published, leaving the status of the 505 South Boardwalk request undecided in the public record.

Three municipal meetings canceled for lack of agenda items

During the same period, three city bodies canceled their regularly scheduled meetings. The Parks and Shade Tree Commission meeting planned for June 22 was called off with no business to conduct. The Planning Commission followed suit, canceling its June 26 regular meeting for the same reason. The Board of Commissioners also announced that its July 6 session has been canceled. Mayor Stan Mills said the agenda lacked items requiring board action.

Task force begins work on historic designation for the Boardwalk

The Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk Historic Designation Task Force met on June 23 to start the process of seeking a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. According to the agenda, members were scheduled to review requirements from Delaware’s Historical and Cultural Affairs division, discuss a nomination schematic planning document, and work through an exercise on building a historic integrity argument for the boardwalk. The panel also planned to examine best practices for documenting historic landscapes.

Police accountability committee weighs takeover event review

The joint Police Accountability Committee involving the Rehoboth Beach and Lewes police departments and the Delaware River and Bay Authority Police Department met on June 23. Agenda materials show the panel was set to vote on whether to schedule a special session dedicated to an independent investigation of a May 19, 2026, “takeover” event in Rehoboth Beach. In addition, members were to select a date for their third-quarter meeting and receive jurisdictional reports from the three participating police agencies. No decision has been made public as of this writing.

Coming up

The Board of Commissioners meeting originally scheduled for July 6 has been canceled. Residents interested in the postponed variance for 37 Virginia Avenue Unit B can follow the Board of Adjustment’s July 27 meeting, when that application is expected to return.