Fenwick Group Talks Landscaping, Parking

FENWICK ISLAND – As a sidewalk project continues in Fenwick Island, officials will begin seeking quotes from a landscape architect.

On Tuesday, members of the Fenwick Island Pedestrian Safety Committee agreed to begin seeking quotes from local landscape architects. Officials say the installation of a landscape buffer will complement a sidewalk construction project currently taking place in town.

“We can simply reach out,” said Councilman Ed Bishop. “I don’t think the project will be more than $10,000 so we don’t need a formal RFP, but we can get a quote.”

A town-led sidewalk construction project began in earnest last year when the Fenwick Island Town Council signed off on a contract with Century Engineering to begin design work for the first phase of construction.

With more than $600,000 in funding set aside, the town is currently installing sidewalks along five bayside blocks, beginning in front of Warren’s Station restaurant at Indian Street and moving south toward Dagsboro Street.

With construction expected to end later this month, committee members this week began turning their attention to a landscaping project along the walkways.

“It doesn’t have to be major, but it would be nice to break the asphalt up,” said committee member Vicki Carmean.

Officials say they have identified two companies – AECOM and Landscape Architectural Services – to complete the work. The committee ultimately agreed to draft letters and seek quotes.

“This is their busy season,” Carmean said. “So this may be something we need to postpone until fall.”

Committee members this week also made a recommendation to eliminate a parking kiosk outside the Fenwick Island Police Department and to modify parking signage along the side streets. Bishop said a recent survey revealed there were more than 400 street signs in town.

“The whole goal here is to declutter our streets …,” he said. “The parking signage is far too redundant. We need to make it as simple as possible to the visitors of Fenwick Island.”

Bishop told committee members this week parking signage needed to be improved to better reflect parking hours, permit requirements, and ParkMobile information. He suggested the town modify the existing signage to incorporate that information onto one sign, instead of the current three.

“Eventually we can get new signs …,” Carmean added. “Maybe next year we can put it in the budget.”

Bishop agreed.

“This is something we need to get moving on,” he told the committee. “There’s only a month left before the season really kicks off.”

About The Author: Bethany Hooper

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Bethany Hooper has been with The Dispatch since 2016. She currently covers various general stories. Hooper graduated from Stephen Decatur High School in 2012 and the University of Maryland in 2016, where she completed double majors in journalism and economics.