The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has released a slew of information about planned capital projects at Cape Henlopen State Park, to include a new bathhouse and fishing pier.
The projects range from nearly finished and to conceptual. Where several of the projects fall on that timeline is unknown. Department representatives were unable to answer questions.
What we do know is that the public will likely be much more involved in these projects than in the past, after, in 2022, there was an uproar over the proposal of a restaurant at the park. People were so against it, legislation was written and passed prohibiting a restaurant from ever being built at Cape Henlopen.
The projects outlined at a recent community workshop include:
- A new park entrance layout
- A new park office
- Campground improvements
- A new trail along Post Road
- An addition to Battery 519
- Fishing pier improvements
- A new bathhouse
- A new trail at Wolfe Neck and
- Improvements to the Biden Environmental Center
Here's what we know about each project.
New park entrance layout
On high-volume days like the Fourth of July and Labor Day, the line of cars attempting to enter Cape Henlopen can extend beyond the park boundary onto Cape Henlopen Drive, "impacting nearby residents, businesses and ferry operations," planning documents say.
No evidence of the significance of those impacts was provided, but planning documents also said the entrance layout can be confusing and cause lengthy wait times.
Using data from a 2023 traffic study at the park, an engineering company designed an entrance layout to increase queueing length within the park's boundaries and provide a separate access route for campground users, among other things. However, department representatives declined to say if and when a new entrance layout will be built.
New park office
A new park office will consolidate staff, now spread out among four buildings, to improve communication and customer service, planning documents say. It is planned to include a gift shop, interpretive displays and outdoor spaces for rest and public programming.
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The new office is proposed to be built between Engineer and Dune roads, north of the present office. The location was selected to "minimize impacts to champion trees," planning documents say.
The proposed site plan works with both the existing park entrance and the proposed entrance layout, planning documents note. Construction will begin in fall 2025, according to the 2023-2026 Delaware State Parks Capital Plan.
Campground improvements
At Cape Henlopen campgrounds, the following projects are proposed:
- Evaluation and potential upgrades of water, wastewater and electrical utility networks
- Development of a conceptual redesign plan to create a strategy for the future of the campground
- Design of a campground expansion to include three-point hook ups and pull-through camping spaces
- Design of a full-service cottage area
- Relocation of the youth primitive camping area with the potential inclusion of a bathhouse
- Evaluation of existing structures within the park for adaptive reuse potential
A federal grant will be used to research and design campground improvements within several of Delaware’s state parks, planning documents say, including Cape Henlopen. No other timeline was provided.
Point Trail
A new, over 3,000-foot trail is proposed along Post Road, connecting to the existing bike loop off Post Lane and Queens Road.
Part of the trail would be a raised boardwalk trail to minimize environmental impacts, and once funded, construction would be limited to between Aug. 1 to March 30. Department representatives declined to say if and when the trail will be built.
Battery 519 addition
Located within Cape Henlopen State Park, the Fort Miles Museum and Historical Area features an existing museum including Battery 519, six barracks, a fire control tower, an orientation building and Fort Miles Artillery Park.
A lobby is planned to be built onto Battery 519's existing entrance, with construction beginning next year, according to the Capital Plan. A second phase of the project includes the production and installation of new World War II and Cold War.
New bathhouse
The Senator David B. McBride Beach Bathhouse was built in 1976 and has had no significant upgrades since, planning documents say. Issues include a leaky roof, low water volume and pressure, failure to meet the Americans With Disabilities Act standards, inadequate lifeguard space and inadequate restrooms, according to the department.
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The demolition of the old bathhouse and construction of a new one is proposed, as well as a third dune crossing, planning documents say.
The estimated cost of a new bathhouse is between $8 and $9 million. About $1 million was provided by the 2025 Bond and Capital Improvements Act for "developing construction documents," planning documents say, but department representatives declined to say if and when a new bathhouse will be built.
Fishing pier
The fishing pier at Cape Henlopen was constructed in 1942. Originally, it measured 1,786 feet, but was reduced to 1,250 feet in 2012 and will soon be reduced by another about 25 feet.
In addition to hosting fishermen, the pier has been used by SPI Pharma to pump ocean water via a pipe below deck for magnesium extraction, according to the department.
"The landward section of the fishing pier the has filled with sand over the years as part of the natural sand migration in Breakwater Harbor," planning documents say. "Both the shortening of the pier and the shoaling have had a significant impact on the fishing experienced by anglers using the pier."
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The pier has been repaired numerous times at a total cost of over $2 million, planning documents say. Annual inspections are necessary due to the conditions of the pilings, and closures, weight restrictions and more repairs could all be required as soon as later this year.
About $250,000 was provided by the 2025 Bond and Capital Improvement Act "to look at the feasibility of constructing a new fishing pier," planning document say. That study will begin next year, with a new pier is estimated to cost about $22 million, planning documents say.
Funding has also been requested for the design and permitting of a new pier to replace the existing structure, a process expected to take two years, according to the Capital Plan, but department representatives declined to say if and when a new pier will be built.
Wolfe Neck Trail
The department has been planning a new trail in the Wolfe Neck area of the park since 2019. At a length of about 6 miles, it would include numerous boardwalks and a viewing platform over the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal, planning documents say.
However, there are "significant" Native American and "post-contact" archaeological sites on the property, according to planning documents, and work cannot proceed until a now-underway federal review is complete.
Sussex County leases the land from the state to spray-irrigate treated wastewater. The project "is being undertaken in cooperation with Sussex County as a part of a new wastewater irrigation process that will allow for increased public access and a new bathroom facility in the area," the Capital Plan says.
Biden Env Center
The Biden Center, located on Dune Road within Cape Henlopen, opened in 1962 as a Naval Training Center. It was purchased by the state in 1998 and was converted to become a conference, meeting and events center, but has been closed to the public since 2014 because it was not ADA-compliant.
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Renovation planning began in 2018 and the project is nearly complete, with reservations expected to be available for booking next year, planning documents say.
The Biden Environmental Center, as it is now known, has been updated with state-of-the-art technology and is fully ADA-compliant. It includes four classrooms/meeting spaces and will allow for conferences, retreats and meetings, planning documents say. With 18 bedrooms and three suites, each with their own restrooms, and a "commercial warming kitchen," the center can accommodate up to 42 overnight guests.
Shannon Marvel McNaught reports on southern Delaware and beyond. Reach her at smcnaught@gannett.com or on Twitter @MarvelMcNaught.
