Rehoboth Beach to charge restaurants for barriers in 2021

REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. – It’s no secret that the restaurant industry has been struggling to stay afloat in the pandemic, many getting creative with outdoor dining experiences.

Starting next year, restaurants in Rehoboth Beach will have to fork up some money if they want to continue using city barriers to expand their outdoor dining.

In the past, restaurants used the barriers for free to block off parking spaces for dining use. The city is now considering charging restaurants anywhere between $15 and $20 per barrier. The city says each lost parking space is costing the city around $4,000. They say it’s time to make up for some of those losses.

Rehoboth Beach Mayor Stan Mills said, “The city will absorb the cost of the parking revenue that’s lost, but we again ask the restaurants to pay for the barrier.”

The change won’t go into affect until April of 2021, and officials are still deciding the actual dollar amount per barrier.

They do say the move will only happen if COVID restrictions are still in place at that time.