16 - CAPE GAZET]gE, Friday, June 9 - June 15, 1995
Trash collection on Dewey agenda
By Denise M. Marshall
The Dewey Beach Town Commissioners tonight
will toss around a proposed ordinance to implement a
municipal trash collection system for residential
properties in town. The proposed ordinance would
establish fees for trash collection and penalties for vi-
olations.
The proposed ordinance states that the town would
collect an annual trash collection fee from each resi-
dential property owner regardless of whether or not
he or she uses the town collection service. The
amount of the fee would be set by the Town Com-
missioners each year during the budget approval
process.
"The rates will be lower than what the people are
paying now," Dewey Beach Public Works Commis-
sioner William Tansey said.
The measure is aimed at putting a lid on the town's
trash troubles. Commissioner Tansey explained that
some property owners and tenants deposit their trash
in commercial dumpsters or in their neighbor's trash
cans. As a result, others are forced to pick up the tab
for the additional trash collection and disposal fees.
Commissioner Tansey noted that many out-of-
state visitors renting homes in Dewey Beach do not
realize that the town does not have municipal trash
collection. As a result, they put out their trash, but it
is never picked up.
According to Commissioner Tansey, a municipal
trash collection system would insure that trash is col-
lected at each residential property.
Commissioner Tansey said the commissioners
could vote to adopt the trash ordinance as early as
tonight (Friday, June 9). However, there has been
some discussion about allowing property owners to
vote on the proposal during a referendum this fall.
Under the proposal, garbage would be collected
and disposed of by the Town of Dewey Beach or by a
licensed collector under contract with the town.
Property owners would be billed annually for the
trash collection service. The proposal gives the town
manager the authority to "adjust promptly" the
amount of all trash bills due to any increases or de-
creases in fees charged by the Delaware Solid Waste
Authority to dispose of garbage at the authority's
landfills.
The penalty for violating the proposed ordinance
would be a fine of up to $25 per day plus costs.
Currently, there are four different trash collectors
who bring in garbage trucks to collect trash in Dewey
Beach, according to Dewey Beach Town Adminis-
trator William H. Rutherford.
"It's a big burden on our streets," Rutherford said.
By hiring a single contractor to pick up all residential
trash, the town would be eliminating truck traffic in
town, he said.
The proposal would not affect commercial estab-
lishments and condominiums that contract for
Dumpster trash collection. However, restaurants and
eateries which sell take-out food products would be
required to provide at least one trash can at the en-
trance to their businesses during business hours. The
businesses would be required to pay for the trash
cans and the removal of the trash.
Businesses selling take-out food would be required
to empty the trash cans at least once a day or as need-
ed. Any business which does not empty a trash can
that is filled to capacity after 24 hours would be fined
for littering.
The town's public works committee, under the su-
pervision of Commissioner Tansey and the chair-
manship of Robert Duncan, prepared the comprehen-
sive proposal for trash management and collection in
Dewey Beach. The committee drafted the proposed
ordinance, as well as bid specifications for contractor
collection of residential trash and bulk rubbish.
The Town Commissioners will review the pro-
posed trash ordinance at their meeting tonight. The
meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the Life Saving Station,
located at 1 Dagsworthy Street.
Coast Guard
Continued from page 1
days a year coverage. However,
whether or not the Indian River
Inlet station will remain an active
duty station for the Coast Guard is
still under study.
"We could rent a slip and a pri-
vate dock and rent an apartment
nearby. Or, we could keep the in-
let station open," said Capt. R.B.
Hurwitt, Chief of the Search and
Rescue Branch of the Coast Guard
in Norfolk, Va. He said that
maintenance costs for the inlet
station would be prohibitive for a
reduced staff. All of this will be-
come effective Oct, 1 this year if
the budget passes Congress as is.
"My concern is the safety fac-
tor," said state Rep. George
Bunting, noting that the Indian
River Inlet is considered one of
the most dangerous inlets in the
country.
Hurwitt said with the advent of
newer and faster boats and equip-
ment, Hurwitt said, the Coast
Guard stations in close proximity
to each other may not be justitled.
In order to meet the budget re-
straints mandated by Congress,
the Coast Guard developed a sci-
entitle program to analyze each
station. Hurwitt said officials
looked at a number of factors,
such as workload.
"We found some were grossly
over-worked. We found some
that were OK. Some were too big
sevelt Inlet station turned in just
40 boat hours last year. "Statistics
show there's almost no search and
rescue activities [at Roosevelt In-
let] ."
Firemen and marine police ob-
jected to the closing of Roosevelt
Inlet, citing fears of increased re-
sponse time from the Coast Guard
and the fact that some of the Coast
Guard vessels may be too large
for shallow water rescues. They
also felt the Coast Guard was
shifting more of the responsibility
for search and rescue to local au-
thorities.
"With only one boat available,
it's going to be a strain on us,"
said Captain James Passwaters,
who is in charge of marine police
operations in Sussex County.
Bunting, whose district encom-
passes much of the county's In-
land Bays and coastal region, said
the legislature may be forced to
dig deeper for more money to ex-
pand marine police operations be-
cause of the cutbacks.
Lewes Mayor George H.P.
Smith and Lewes Police Chief
Richard Stone also expressed their
concerns and the concerns of
Lewes fire chief Wally Evans.
"The fire company wants Roo-
sever open," said Stone.
Richard Buckaloo, a Delaware
River Pilot and member of the
Delaware River Pilots Associa-
tion, suggested that Coast Guard
personnel be pulled from other
stations to man search and rescue
units, especially at Roosevelt In-
and some were Tery seasonal: let. 'Wee iit least nxl a sUmmer-
said Hurwitt, noting that the Roo- time vessel at Roosevelt," said
Buckaloo. Jerry Blakesly, a char-
ter boat captain and president of
the Delaware Captains Associa-
tion, summed up a lot of people's
feelings when he said: "It's just a
good feeling seeing the Coast
Guard there."
But Hurwitt tried to assure
those in attendance that response
time from Cape May to search and
rescues in Delaware Bay would
not change.
He noted that the Cape May sta-
tion has several larger, faster
boats, as well as smaller boats for
shallow water rescues. On top of
that, the station's helicopter can
respond to an emergency any-
where in Delaware Bay in about
15 minutes.
Major William Wagamon, a
homicide detective with the
Delaware State Police, praised the
cooperation he has received in the
past from Lt. Wayne Stacy, com-
mander of the Indian River Inlet
station.
Stacy has provided boats and
personnel at the request of the
state police for a number of inves-
tigations. He also wondered out
loud about drug traffic going up
Delaware River to Philadelphia
might increase with smaller Coast
Guard presence in the bay.
The bottom line, Hurwitt said,
is that the Coast Guard plans to
evaluate all of its stations every
three years.
"If there is a need to [reopen a
station], then there will be a shift.
If down the road we determine
there's a ndat RoOsevelt Inlet,
that station could be re-manned."
Om'tlu MatshaU photo
Chesapeake Street homeowners William Kloepfer, Jane and
Joe Churchman have organized a petition drive urging the
Dewey Beach Town Commissioners to repeal an ordinance
amendment which allows bed and breakfast inns to operate
as conditional uses in the neighborhood residential district.
Dewey Beach homeowners
petition against B&B inns
By Denise M. Marshall erties in Dewey Beach are rental
A group of Dewey Beach prop- properties.
erty owners have organized a peti- "It's not going to change the
tion drive urging the Town Com- neighborhood," his wife, Vivian
missioners to rescind an ordinance Barry, said.
amendment which allows bed and Calling his bed and breakfast
breakfast inns to operate as condi- inn a "neighbor-friendly opera-
tional uses in the neighborhood tion," Robert Barry maintained
residential (N.R.) district, that bed and breakfast operations
"We think this is totally out of actually increase property values
character," said Dewey Beach res- and enhance the quality of life in
ident Joe Churchman. neighborhoods. According to Vi-
Churchman and his wife Jane vian Barry, some group rental
live year-round in their retirement houses create more noise and dis-
home on the ocean block of Car- ruption that bed and breakfast op-
olina Street. They, along with erations.
neighbor William Kloepfer Jr., Bed and breakfast inns must be
have sent Dewey Beach property owner occupied unless a manager
owners form letters expressing is approved. "How many rental
opposition to bed and breakfast properties have owners on site?"
inns. Robert Barry questioned.
The group has collected more Each bed and breakfast inn is
than 166 signatures from property limited to four guest rooms and
owners in support of its effort to eight guests unless approved by
have the ordinance amendment re- the commissioners. Vivian Barry
scinded. The Chesapeake Street noted that she could have up to 10
homeowners plan to present the tenants in her property at 116
form letters to the Town Commis- Chesapeake Street if she rented it
sioners prior to their meeting out as a group rental home instead
tonight (Friday, June 9). of operating it as a bed and break-
During the meeting, the corn- fast. The Churchmans maintained
missioners will consider placing a that they do not have a problem
moratorium on bed and breakfast with disruptive group rentals in
operations in the N.R. district, the N.R. district. Kloepfer said
Joe Churchman explained that town officials have done a good
he is concerned that the ordinance job enacting legislation designed
amendment, which was adopted in to regulate overcrowding, disor-
March, opens the door for anyone derly houses and noise from group
to operate a bed and breakfast in rentals.
the N.R. district. Two bed and Robert and Vivian Barry noted
breakfast inns have already been that they, nor the owners of the
approved on Chesapeake Street. other bed and breakfast inn on
The Churehmans are particular- Chesapeake Street, received the
ly concerned that a large bed and Churchmans' letter.
breakfast, such as the three-story "The petition thing was one-
structure being constructed at 101 sided," Robert Barry said.
Chesapeake Street, could be built Robert and Vivian Barry ques-
on their street. Such "quasi-com- tioned whether or not the form let-
mercial" establishments would ters the Churehmans received in
adversely impact their neighbor- support of their effort to rescind
hood and the value of homes in the bed and breakfast ordinance
the area, according to the Church- were signed by "legitimate"
roans. Dewey Beach property owners.
Kloepfer said he is concerned "We believe the underlying is-
about "zoning integrity" and file- sue is the alternative lifestyle,"
tion created by mixing residential Robert Barry said. Specifically,
and commercial uses in the N.R. Robert and Vivian Barry surmise
district, that those opposed to bed and
However, Robert Barry of Bar- breakfast operations are afraid
ry's Gull Cottage Bed & Break- that such operations will attract a
fast at 116 Chesapeake Street, ar- gay clientele. "It has never been
gued that group renal homes are i an issue," Jane Chhman court:
also "commercial ventureS:' He tered. "The issue is zohig, and
noted that two-thirds of the prop- our zoning was changed."
