WMDT 47 News - Delmarva's ChoiceControversy In Rehoboth Beach Over Changing Facilities

REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - A local ordinance in Rehoboth beach has tourists and local businesses fired up. It's all over where you change your clothes after a day at the beach.

Rehoboth Business Owner, Julie Bowden says, "I think that's absolutely ridiculous to say and terrible." "I think that's B.S." states Maimah Pana, a beach visitor from Smyrna, DE. These women are fired up over a statement made by City Manager Greg Ferrese. When we asked him why there are no changing facilities for beach goers in Rehoboth, he told WMDT, "The day-tripper does not come in and spend the kind of money renters do. Just ask the businesses."

So we did. And Borden says she's appalled, "We have a ton of things that this city offers. But if we're telling them that they have to leave and then come back and most businesses don't allow people with wet bathing suits to go to dinner - you're not allowed to go shopping dripping wet - it just doesn't work."

The 3 bathroom facilities on the boardwalk have signs which state you can't change clothes in the stalls. And an attendant is often there to enforce it.

Both Ferrese and Rehoboth Mayor Sam Cooper declined on camera interviews. But the city manager did say people changing clothes monopolize stalls. And Ferrese says it would be too expensive to build a new facility or update current ones "It's just not right," laments Borden, "it should be that we are the most helpful at taking care of our tourists and actually making their trips here the most enjoyable, easiest that we can."

"We gotta spend money to park and everything," says Pana. "We come here. We come all the way from Smyrna, Felton, Harrington...People come from out of state just to come to the beach and chill. So I think we should have a changing spot."

Cape Henlopen State Park, just a couple miles away in Lewes, DE, has public changing facilities. But you have to pay to park. And a note to those daring enough to change outdoors or in your car, be aware you could be slapped with a charge of "public lewdness" if you're caught exposing yourself.