DEWEY BEACH, DE — A new $10 fee for renting beach wheelchairs could soon be introduced in Dewey Beach, amid increased demand and maintenance costs for the equipment.
The ordinance, which will be discussed during a Town Commissioners meeting on Friday, seeks to offset the expenses associated with maintaining the chairs.
Beach wheelchairs are specially designed with large tires to help individuals with disabilities navigate the sand, as traditional wheelchairs are not suitable for such terrain.
“Currently, the town of Dewey Beach has seven wheelchairs that help folks get on and off the beach,” said Dewey Beach Town Manager Bill Zolper. “Every year, we have to do maintenance on those seven wheelchairs, costs about $500 a year to do the maintenance on the wheelchairs. Each one of the wheelchairs costs about $1,400.”
This year alone, Zolper noted, the town received about 140 requests for the chairs.
Zolper emphasized that the fee would directly fund maintenance, staffing needs, and replacement of the chairs, ensuring the program can continue.
“That $10 is gonna go to maintain the wheelchairs and buy new wheelchairs,” he explained. “If we don’t have the money to buy the wheelchairs and maintain them, then the wheelchair program is gonna go away. And as you know, Dewey doesn’t have a property tax.”
While Zolper says that the fee would ensure the program’s sustainability, not everyone agrees with charging for the chairs,
“I think it’s unfair. You should not have to pay,” said Suzanne Evans who lives in Dewey Beach. “For those that are physically challenged and don’t have the ability to walk across that sand to get to the water, it should remain free.”
Currently, beach wheelchairs are provided free of charge in neighboring towns such as Ocean City, Rehoboth Beach, and Bethany Beach. However, Zolper pointed out that Dewey Beach offers free parking for vehicles with handicapped tags, a benefit not universally provided by nearby towns.
“There’s not another town that I’m aware of between Fenwick and Lewes that allows that,” Zolper added. “So that’s a big plus for our folks that are handicapped.”
