Smoking Banned on Bethany Beach

Officials moved forward with several hot topics of discussion, including VIP parking permits for former Town Council members and a year-round smoking ban on the boardwalk.

At Friday's meeting, the Town Council voted in favor of making an ordinance that would prohibit smoking Beratt on the boardwalk and access ramps to the street and the beach on a year-round basis.

In 2008, officials approved the ordinance, which outlaws smoking on the bandstand, boardwalk, playgrounds and town parks. On the beach, smoking is prohibited except in designated areas from May 15-Sept. 15.

According to Vice Mayor Jack Gordon, since the program is successful, it should be expanded to include the boardwalk year-round as well.

"We have found that the area has grown; people are using the boardwalk more and more," he said. "Therefore, I think its incongruous for the bandstand of the boardwalk to be nonsmoking wherein the area right next to it is a smoking area."

Councilman Joseph Healy didn't think the ban was necessary because not as many people are on the boardwalk during the wintertime.

I (think) this gets to be an overkill," he said. "I feel the ban we have presently is satisfactory."

Councilman Lew Killmer agreed.

"I think with the concentration on people in the wintertime, the density in the town, on the boardwalk, I don't think there is any true personal health hazard," he said.

Councilwoman Carol Olmstead said she believes being able to smoke on the boardwalk but not the bandstand is confusing.

"You can't smoke on the concrete on the bandstand, but you can smoke 2 feet away on the boardwalk," she said. "That just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me."

In the end, the council voted 5-2 in favor of creating an ordinance prohibiting smoking year-round.

"I (believe) this is a logical extension of what we are trying to accomplish and doing in town," Mayor Tony McClenny said.