Bethany Beach closed through Memorial Day, all special events canceled until July 15: Town Council
Bethany Beach, Delaware (Photo by Judy G. Rolfe)
BETHANY BEACH, Del. (FOX 5 DC) - The coastal town of Bethany Beach and its boardwalk will be closed to the public through May 31 amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Town Council announced Thursday. All special events, including Memorial Day celebrations and the Fourth of July parade along with fireworks, will be canceled until July 15. This was first reported by Coastal Point.
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Pay-to-park requirements and parking enforcement will be suspended until the beach and boardwalk are reopened. Parking will be restricted to residents only outside the downtown business area and a resident parking tag will be required once things open back up, according to the council.
Coastal Point also reports a large number of free 15-minute parking spaces will be established in the downtown commercial area in an effort to facilitate restaurant carry-out service. Each space will be marked as such and see strict enforcement. Parking in that area will otherwise be limited to 90 or 120 minutes, maximum.
Short term rentals are still on hold and social distancing is still in effect, according to town officials.
The town trolley will not run until Maryland lifts its social distancing requirement and the council says it will not permit any communities outside of Bethany Beach to use commercial vans to enter the town and discharge passengers during this time.
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Nearby Ocean City in Maryland announced earlier this week that their beach and boardwalk will be closed until May 15.
Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan amended two orders on Monday to mirror the state's recovery plan.
The first order keeps beaches, the Boardwalk and the Inlet parking lot closed until May 15. The second extends restrictions on short term rentals through May 22.