FENWICK ISLAND – Community members came out in droves this week to learn more about proposed improvements at Fenwick Island State Park.
On Wednesday, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) Division of Parks and Recreation held an open house at Fenwick Island Town Hall to share and review proposed improvements to Fenwick Island State Park as part of a partnership with Orsted, one of the two companies holding permits for offshore wind energy farms off the coast.
Delaware State Parks Director Ray Bivens said the partnership would provide up to $18 million in improvements, all paid for by Orsted. In exchange, the offshore wind energy developer would also construct a two-story, one-acre interconnection facility on the bayside of Fenwick Island State Park.
“They had this innovative idea to plug into the grid right at the park,” he said. “We told them the only way we would consider that is if there was no loss of recreational use.”
Earlier this summer, DNREC signed a memorandum of understanding with Orsted to have a detailed discussion on a potential public-private partnership. Bivens said since that time, the company has hired an architecture firm to develop a park plan that considers safety, neighboring views and environmental concerns.
The proposed improvements presented to the public on Wednesday include new bathroom facilities, lifeguard housing, pavilions and a visitor center that would house the Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce, a nature center and additional programming space. The current chamber building would be relocated to Holts Landing State Park.
And while the inside of the interconnection facility would be used to house equipment, the roof of the building would feature lifted park space with pickleball courts.
“My favorite thing is this becomes a four-season park,” Bivens said.
Bivens added the improvements would also address capacity and accessibility issues at Fenwick Island State Park. The proposed plan also includes a two-story parking garage and a pedestrian overpass that connects the oceanside and bayside.
Overall, the project would increase the percentage of developed land at the park from 2.4% to 2.6% and create between 30% and 40% more parking, which is expected to reduce backups entering the park from Route 1.
If approved, officials said Fenwick Island State Park would be the first offshore wind-powered state park in the country. But Bivens noted the project is dependent upon necessary county, state and federal permits.
“If the wind farm never happens, this capital project doesn’t happen,” he said.
Joy Weber, development manager for Orsted U.S. Offshore Wind, agreed.
“These are all preliminary ideas,” she said. “We still have an extensive permitting process before we can put some metal in the ground.”
Weber said the company plans to run a single cable from the Skipjack wind farm project to the power lines through the process of horizontal directional drilling.
“The electric line that runs up and down the road right now is what we’ll be connecting into,” she said. “That allows us to bring the power from the wind farm into the grid.”
If all required permits are received, the park improvement project could begin as early as 2021 and will be completed concurrently when the wind farm comes online by 2022. The park will not be closed for construction during peak seasons.
Jeffrey Mumford, owner of Warren’s Station restaurant in Fenwick, said he had mixed feelings about the proposed improvements.
“We are a quiet town,” he said. “We like the quietness, and we like to keep it that way. But as far as my business is concerned, I feel it could potentially bring more people to the area.”
Doris Ann Pierce said she lives on Route 54 and frequents the state park in the summer months. She said she was eager to see how the potential improvements addressed accessibility into the park.
“I wanted to be in the know as to what changes we might anticipate …,” she said. “If you are there at 9 o’clock you can barely get off the road to get into the park.”
Resident Karen Milan said she was concerned about the traffic new amenities would generate.
“It’s all very nice, but you are just attracting more people …,” she said. “I understand it’s a resort area, but it is our home.”
For more information on Fenwick Island State Park’s proposed improvement plan, or to take an online survey, visit destateparks.com/FenwickImprovements.
“I understand this is a new industry and that there will be a lot of questions,” Weber said. “So I really encourage folks to reach out to us. We are very excited about this project.”
