Save Our Nation’s Summer Capital, Inc., is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving Rehoboth Beach, Delaware as a unique resort destination and community with thriving businesses, residences and rental properties all living in harmony.

We are committed to transparency in our local government and informing, engaging and empowering all citizens of Rehoboth Beach.

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

New Zoning Changes Are Coming; Kiss Your Property Rights Goodbye & Watch Your Property Values Plummet.

On Monday, July 6, at 9 am the Mayor & Commissioners of Rehoboth Beach will be meeting to continue the discussion on Zoning and Pools. This includes reduction of home size to 2500 sf if you want a pool due to increased green space and decreased FAR. This also includes increased parking for any home with more than 3 toilets (this includes powder rooms). That means:

1) Two parking spaces required for 3 toilets (including 2.5 baths);
2) Three parking spaces required for 4 toilets (including for a 3.5 bath house); and
3) Four parking spaces for 5 toilets, etc.

With this proposed ordinance, it will be impossible to build the same 5 bedroom, 5 bath house in the City of Rehoboth Beach on a standard 50x100 lot that you could build today. If you want a hot tub, you will have to decrease your house size by 500 sf.

They are increasing rear yard setbacks to 15 feet. You will be able to renovate up to 75% of your existing property, including adding multiple baths without adding parking, if you do not change the footprint. However, as we understand it, you will require permitting for anything done inside and a variance for anything done outside.

This proposal will render nearly every property in the City of Rehoboth non-conforming from inception. This means:

1) Your existing home may not be enlarged; especially if your home was built with old 6' setbacks;
2) Future renovations and additions to your existing home will be affected or impossible;
3) You will likely exceed FAR, green space and lot coverage making adding a pool or hot tub impossible to an existing home; and
4) In the event of a casualty, you may be unable to rebuild your current home.

This will all have a drastic effect on property values making it difficult to refinance your home or get a home equity loan.

We also hear that they are going to REINTRODUCE THE POOL AMENDMENT that they just unanimously voted down. They will merely grandfather in existing pools and will still require all future pools to be locked down during rental.

Please plan to attend the meeting at 9 am on July 6 at City Hall and pencil in the public hearing for these changes: July 17 @ 7 pm.

And please write to the Mayor and Commissioners by Friday and tell them to stop this madness!!

Mayor Sam Cooper: SCooper@CityofRehoboth.com
Commissioners:
Bill Sargent: BSargent@CityofRehoboth.com
Patrick Gossett: PGossett@CityofRehoboth.com
Stan Mills: SMills@CityofRehoboth.com
Lorraine Zellers: LZellers@CityofRehoboth.com
Kathy McGuiness: KMcGuiness@CityofRehoboth.com
Toni Sharp: TSharp@CityofRehoboth.com

Or call City Hall: 302-227-6181 and speak to them.



Sunday, June 28, 2015

Both Referenda Pass.

Looks like we will be building a new City Hall beginning in Fall and will move forward to obtain permitting for the Ocean Outfall project.

If you have your City property in an LLC and received two votes, please contact us at SaveRehoboth@gmail.com. Likewise, if you were told you couldn't vote, had any difficulty voting or had an extraordinarily long wait time, please let us know.


Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Proxy Voting for Saturday.

If you are not aware, the City of Rehoboth Beach is voting on the Ocean Outfall project and the new City Hall on Saturday. If you need a proxy form, it is at the bottom of the following link:

http://www.cityofrehoboth.com/sites/default/files/CoRB-Property_Owners_Special_Election_packet.pdf

For some reason, we cannot post the link so you can just cut and paste. And having attended many of these meetings, Kyle admitted they are using a 2009 number per residence for the bill of $700 and change which he said in today's dollars would be more like $1200+ so consider that in your decision. Save Our Nation's Summer Capital is not making a recommendation one way or the other. We are merely providing balanced information in making your decision to spend approximately $75MM. And we wanted to provide your proxy data to send in.

Amendment Failed; Pool Ordinance Passed.

I'm sure you've seen all the news by now that the Pool Amendment failed but the Pool Ordinance passed. This still allows rental licenses to be revoked for a single noise violation at the discretion of the City Manager. Hopefully, we can come to a compromise on this issue as well. At any rate, we were so happy to see all of those red shirts in the audience. Thank you for your support.


Monday, June 15, 2015

"Save Our Pools” Rally on Friday, June 19: 4 pm -7 pm



FRIDAY, JUNE 19TH 4PM TO 7PM
SAVE OUR POOLS
Rehoboth Beach, DE. A FUN RESORT TOWN!

The Mayor & City Commissioners are voting at 7:00 pm Friday, June 19th. They are trying to take away the rights of property owners. The city wants to close all pools & hot tubs at rental properties. Instead of dealing with noise issues both related to pools and unrelated to pools, the town’s elected officials want to punish everyone with a pool that has a rental license.

If this ordinance goes through, what is next? Could non-rental property owners be asked to close their pools, too? Could porches be the next thing required to be locked from renters? The long-term ramifications of our town’s actions are endless with potential to turn away tourism which would be detrimental to our city’s economy.

Regulate unreasonable noise issues Not pools! 

Dont take away property ownersrights.

Please show your support. Bring a sign showing support to save our pools. Meet at the Parking lot of our Convention Center & City Hall at 4 P.M.

WEAR A RED SHIRT !!!!! 

Pools, Tourists & Residents CAN co-exist
Property Owners Protect your rights
Board of Commissioners Vote NO on Pool Ordinance & Amendment
Pools Today??? What is next, Front porches?
Don’t give a reason to turn away tourists from our resort!!! 
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KEEP REHOBOTH A FUN RESORT TOWN SAVE OUR POOLS
Call the Mayor Tell him to vote NO (302) 227-6181
Friday, June 19th 4PM to 7PM
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Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Is Patrick Gossett Serious?

He has been talking in recent meetings about the Vacation Rental Ordinance he has been working on which will potentially divide neighborhoods in the City of Rehoboth into those that could offer rentals and those that can't. He is also talking about eliminating rentals entirely or holding a lottery for 100 rentals per season (there are currently 3,300). Toni Sharp seems to be in on this as well so you may want to call her at 302-227-6181 and have a chat.

This is after Patrick Gossett's co-sponsorship with Sam Cooper of the Ordinance that will PROHIBIT RENTERS FROM USING SWIMMING POOLS AND HOT TUBS AT RENTAL HOUSES. This applies to children and adults alike. The vote on that Ordinance will occur at City Hall on June 19 at 7 pm. Please attend and wear a red shirt if you oppose this idea.

He and Bill Sargent who is FOR THE ORDINANCE TO ELIMINATE POOL USAGE BY RENTERS are UP FOR REELECTION ON AUGUST 8, 2015. Please REGISTER TO VOTE at City Hall in person by Friday, June 12. You must own property in the City of Rehoboth Beach personally or in a ltd. partnership or trust or llc. However, if you own in an llc and rent it, you must reside in the property in the 6 months prior to the election. 

Going forward, if that is the case, in order to vote, you may lease the property from the llc to the owner via a 10-or-more-year lease so you may have a single vote in municipal elections and run for office.




Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Banning Residential Swimming Pools in the City of Rehoboth

As you know by now, there has been an ordinance introduced by the Mayor and Commissioners of the City of Rehoboth Beach to heavily regulate and eliminate pool usage entirely by tenants of a residential rental home - this includes hot tubs. This is their response to noise complaints in the summer of 2014 primarily from owner-occupied homes with or without pools, according to the Chief of Police, Keith Banks.

The Mayor introduced an Amendment to that Ordinance to Amend Chapter 206 of the Municipal Code which states in Article III, Subsection 206-16 that ..."no unenclosed pool shall be used at any time in conjunction with a vacation rental after January 1, 2018. Thereafter the pool shall at all times the property is used for a vacation rental be covered by a locked cover."

This was discussed at a well-attended Workshop meeting of the Mayor and Commissioners on Friday, May 29, 2015. Most in the audience were against the proposals but the Mayor was unmoved despite Commissioners Kathy McGuiness and Stan Mills urging him to wait until August to see if the new Noise Ordinance with its "plainly audible" standard has the effect they believe it will.

Additionally, there has been an idea proposed at recent meetings BANNING RESIDENTIAL RENTALS altogether. Another proposal is changing the zoning to only allow rentals in certain neighborhoods or having a lottery with only a limited number of rental licenses available per season. There was discussion of having so many rules such as they do in Palm Springs that it would be almost impossible to jump through all the hoops, thereby discouraging people from renting at all.

Please contact the Mayor and Commissioners and remind them that Rehoboth Beach is a resort town whose businesses rely on visitors and tenants to survive; the town has a rental history almost as long as its existence; and that "normal" summer noise is the sound of our town thriving. They may all be reached by calling City Hall at 302-227-6181.

Mayor Sam Cooper: scooper@cityofrehoboth.com

Commissioners:

Stan Mills - smills@cityofrehoboth.com
Kathy McGuiness - kmcguiness@cityofrehoboth.com
Patrick Gossett - pgossett@cityofrehoboth.com
Lorraine Zellers - lzellers@cityofrehoboth.com
Toni Sharp - tsharp@cityofrehoboth.com
Bill Sargent - bsargent@cityofrehoboth.com

Please also make an effort to attend the June 8 Mayor's Workshop on the pool issue at City Hall in the Commissioners' Room at 9 am and the Mayor's and Commissioners' Regular Meeting on June 19 at 7 pm where the Mayor plans to ask for a vote on this issue.