Fenwick Island Forms Committee To Tackle Parking Issues

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FENWICK ISLAND – Parking concerns have been an ongoing concern for decades in Fenwick, but town officials are hoping to put grievances to rest with the formation of a parking committee.
“The parking we have is what we have, so we are going to try to work this out, not everybody will be happy I am sure, but so that it is workable for the commercial and residential,” Mayor Audrey Serio said during last Friday’s Town Council meeting. “They [Parking Committee] welcome anybody to come and give suggestions, so that we can look into them, look into other towns to see what they have done, to see what has worked and not worked out.”
Councilman Gardner Bunting reported the new committee will be comprised of a mix of town officials, staff and business owners. The committee will first meet on Sept. 18 at 9 a.m. at Town Hall.
“Anybody that cannot be here for the meeting we would certainly accept your suggestions in writing if you would like to submit them. Include contact information and intent of the suggestion,” Bunting said.
Resident Mike Cebrick pointed out differences when it comes to the set speed limit on certain streets and where parking is allowed on one side of a street or both sides.
For example, Bunting Ave., which runs north to south parallel, is a longer, wider street compared to residential streets on the bayside but Bunting Ave. speed limit is set lower at 15 mph while bayside streets are 25 mph. “This is a quality of life request,” Cebrick said.
According to Councilman William Weistling, the speed limit was decreased on Bunting Ave. many years ago when vehicles would take the side street instead of Coastal Hwy to beat traffic caused by traffic lights.
Cebrick also asked the council if parking permits were ever considered to which Serio asked him where residents’ guests would park.
“This conversation needs to come on the Sept. 18,” Serio said. “This is something that we are focusing on in town of solving. We are not just sitting up here talking about it. It has been a problem since I have lived here and that has been over 60 years.”