Long-term plan for Boardwalk maintenance

Since 1873, the Boardwalk has been one of the star attractions of Rehoboth Beach. With its mix of shops, eateries, hotels, cottages and ocean view, the Boardwalk, along with Rehoboth Avenue, is what helps make Rehoboth “The Nation’s Summer Capital.”

Maintenance of the Boardwalk is one of the city’s constant problems. Last year, the city replaced two blocks of decking on the north end, from Rehoboth Avenue to Maryland Avenue, as well as the block between New Castle and Stockley streets.

For the 2007-08 fiscal year, the city has budgeted $100,000 for repairs on the Boardwalk. However, the city has not specified which section of the Boardwalk will be repaired first. According to Mayor Sam Cooper, the amount budgeted has been increased from previous years. Cooper said priority likely would be given to areas with heavier traffic.

Cooper acknowledged that the rebuilding process could be expensive. But because the recent beach replenishment project created new dunes that help reduce storm damage, the city can focus its efforts towards repairing both the decking and possibly the substructure.

Currently, the city uses salt-treated yellow pine, a fast-growing, readily available softwood. However, pine quickly deteriorates from weather and overuse.

An alternative to pine is ipé, a durable hardwood that grows in tropical climates such as Brazil, Haiti, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic.

Ipé is currently used in other East Coast beach towns in New Jersey, as well as Coney Island, N.Y. While ipé will last much longer than pine, it is also more expensive.

The city may already be looking to establish a long-term plan for Boardwalk maintenance. Commissioner Patrick Gossett, working with Dave Henderson of the city information technology department, has begun work on a mapping system, using geographic information system technology, to plot the Boardwalk in 100-foot sections. The project uses the same technology used for mapping plots or parcels of land, Gossett said.