Credit to: Coastal Point

The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) announced this week that Bayard Road will be closed between Zion Church Road (Route 20) and Old Mill Bridge Road starting on Monday, Oct. 20. The closure will remain in place until Thursday, Nov. 20, weather permitting, for the installation of sewer and water mains, curb work and full boxout of the roadway.

For the closure detour, motorists traveling north on Johnson Road will turn left onto Zion Church Road, turn right onto Wilgus Cemetery Road and arrive at Bayard Road. Motorists traveling south on Bayard Road will turn right onto Wilgus Cemetery Road, turn left onto Zion Church Road and arrive at Bayard Road. Motorists should use caution and expect minor delays in the

Last month, we reported that the Bear Trap real estate market was firm with 4 sales in August. We are pleased to share that buyer activity picked up nicely in September! During the month, 5 properties sold in your community, this compares to 4 sales in September of last year.  

As the chart illustrates, through the first 3 quarters of the year, the market has remained firm in Bear Trap. While it is taking just a few days longer for properties to sell, the median sale price has risen for all property types. If you are exploring your options as a buyer or seller, we always welcome a conversation.

Please call our Bear Trap Expert: Gail Phelan (302) 233-4909

Credit to: Coastal Point

Gov. Matt Meyer this week signed several bipartisan reforms designed to provide immediate relief to Delaware homeowners facing sharp property tax increases and to ensure fairness following the statewide property reassessment.

The bills were passed in a special legislative session called after the June 30 closing of the state’s 2025 legislative session.

Officials said they “create fairer tax rates that ease the burden on homeowners, provide flexible payment plan options, and issues refunds to property owners who overpaid, all while maintaining resources for school districts.” Passed legislation also calls for a review of the assessment process and development of improvement recommendations for future reassessments.

Credit to: Delaware Public Media, Joe Irizarry

Work begins soon to replace the Fenwick Island Bridge.  The nearly 70-year-old bridge is the fifth most deficient bridge in the state according to DelDOT.  The main issue is the bridge pylons - which are in the water - eroding over time.

It’s a multi-phase project building half of the new bridge to shift traffic to that while tearing down the old half and replacing that.  The bridge will always be open with some single-lane closures possible at night or overnight.

"It's going to be a lengthy project because of the way that we're doing, it's really a try and minimize traffic impacts as much as possible. And, ultimately what we're going to end up with is just a modern and wider bridge,

The Station, Fenwick Island

Not only does September bring our favorite time of year to live at the beach, but also our favorite time of year to dine at local eateries.  Countless restaurants in and around Bethany Beach offer a wide variety of specials for those that call this beautiful place home year-round.  Check out our compiled list of off-season specials below, and we will continue to update as new specials are rolled out!

SODEL Concepts:

The Station in Fenwick Island, DE:

DiFebo's Restaurant Bethany Beach & Rehoboth:

DiFebo's Market Bethany Beach:

Common Ground Hospitality Restaurant Group:

Hooked & Off the Hook
Daily Happy Hour from 3-6PM

Tailchasers Restaurant & Dock Bar
Football All Day Sunday

September is our favorite time of the year to live at the beach. We hope you have a chance to be here to enjoy the cooler temperatures, light traffic, and warm ocean breezes! This is also a special month for me personally, as it marks 36 years since starting a career in real estate at the beach. I am extremely grateful to have earned the trust of so many of you over the years and together with Christi Arndt, Gail Phelan, Chris Housman, and the group, we will continue to offer the highest level of guidance and expertise in real estate well into the future!

After a slower July, the beach real estate market experienced a nice rise in August when compared to the last year. During the month, 9 properties went under contract in Sea Colony. This compares

Credit to: Cape Gazette, Kevin T. Conlon

A proposed 695,000-square-foot retail center on Route 24 near Rehoboth Beach includes Costco, Target and Whole Foods Market, according to project documents.

Sketches provided to Sussex County Planning & Zoning Department show those stores are among the 23 proposed structures. The applicant is Mulberry Knoll Associates, which is owned by Southside Investment Partners.

Ben Hoskins, president of applicant Southside Investment Partners, which is based in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C., area, declined Sept. 2 to confirm commitments by specific retailers before a public hearing of the Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission at 3 p.m., Sept. 17 in Georgetown.

Costco would occupy a 175,000-square-foot

Credit to: Coastal Point, Kerin Magill

Since 2013, for more than 200 wounded veterans and their families, the week after Labor Day has meant a kind of new beginning, rather than an ending.

Since that year, Bethany Beach and surrounding communities have welcomed post-9/11 veterans for a week of rest and relaxation, as well as a chance to bond with other families with similar challenges to those they face when returning from combat with injuries.

This year, Warrior Beach Week kicks off on Tuesday, Sept. 2, with a welcome luncheon at the Mason Dixon VFW Post 7234 near Ocean View.

“We are ready to go,” said Colleen Kellner, an Operations SEAs the Day board of directors member who handles all programs for the week. “We are full-steam-ahead for

Credit to: Coastal Point | Kerin Magill

Photo courtesy of: Lighthousefriends.com

A gathering to honor a family long associated with the Fenwick Island Lighthouse last week turned into a celebration of a major announcement: that the original keeper’s house, long privately owned, has been purchased by the state of Delaware.

The sale was announced Friday, Aug. 1, during the dedication of a plaque in the second keeper’s house associated with the historic lighthouse to its former caretakers, Oliver and Rachel Cropper.

Suzanne Savery, director of the state’s Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, said the house, built in 1868, as well as some surrounding property, was sold to the state for $3.9 million. The house has long been owned by members

Credit to: SussexCounty.Gov

Sussex County is showing the math when it comes to the calculation of tax bills arriving soon following the recent property reassessment.  As County tax bills for the 2026 fiscal year begin making their way to property owners in the coming days, County officials recently provided an update on the yearslong property reassessment project.

To assist the public, the County has designed a new tax calculator – building off an earlier iteration that worked on estimates only – that is parcel-specific and is powered with real numbers, including each property’s actual assessed value and various property tax rates since set by the County and the local, independent school districts.  

County Finance Director Gina A. Jennings