FENWICK ISLAND – A contribution from the Town of Fenwick Island will allow the state’s coastal communities to renew an economic impact study.
The Fenwick Island Town Council voted last month to contribute $3,000 toward a study on the economic impact of Delaware’s coastal communities. Mayor Natalie Magdeburger said the idea was brought up by Bethany Beach Mayor Rosemary Hardiman at the most recent meeting of the Association of Coastal Towns (ACT).
“Mayor Hardiman brought to ACT last month that she wants to renew the economic impact study of the coastal communities,” she explained. “It was done several years ago, and it basically looked at how much money the coastal community puts into the till. Lots of money comes from our coastal economy through tourism, etcetera. She would like each of the towns to participate.”
Currently, the Town of Bethany Beach is spearheading an update of the 2012 study, “The Contribution of the Coastal Economy to the State of Delaware.” Officials say the town has initiated the study and that most ACT towns would likely contribute.
In last week’s council meeting, Magdeburger said she wanted Fenwick to participate. She added the study could support the town as it seeks funding for future resiliency projects.
“I think we should help pay for it …,” she said. “How much value we add to economic impact will play a big role in how much interest we will get in terms of supporting us as we go through our resiliency challenges.”
The council ultimately voted to contribute $3,000 toward the $20,000 study.
Magdeburger also presented the council last week with an update on a beach replenishment project along Delaware’s coast. While work was initially expected to start last fall, she said the timeline for starting beach replenishment has moved to the spring months.
“That was supposed to start in Rehoboth the first week of April,” she said last week. “We’ve already received word that they are delayed because they are trying to get the equipment out of New Jersey, where I guess they were working.”
Magdeburger said delays in the project would likely impact Fenwick’s summer season. She noted crews will begin in Rehoboth Beach and work south toward Fenwick, where they will shut down several beach ends.
“When they were supposed to start the beginning of April, they thought we would be getting ours sometime in the month of July,” she said. “So if the delays continue, we might actually – knock on wood – luck out and maybe it will push it all the way to after Labor Day. As we get word for when that’s going to occur, we’ll let everyone know and post it on Facebook and on the website.”
