By my measure, this issue of Letters marks the real beginning of my summer season; from this point on we’re back to publishing every two weeks. I also have an art show to finish, a Community Center to build, and a number of events to produce. It’s a busy time, so I apologize right now to anyone who happens upon me in the coming days and walks away from our meeting singing the words to Patsy Clines immortal song, "Crazy," under their breath.

The most exciting news here at CAMP Rehoboth as Steve reported in "The Way I See It", is that the Rehoboth Beach Board of Adjustment in a unanimous vote granted us the parking variance we needed to proceed with the plans for Phase 2 of the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center construction. The variance should allow us to stay on the construction schedule created by our building committee—groundbreaking in August, construction to begin in September with a completion date in late spring of 2008.

The funny thing about the whole process was that it solidified all my thoughts on the subject. Somehow explaining the history and plans to others reminded me of how far we’ve come and what an amazing community this really is—and why we are so passionate about our Community Center in the first place.

I was going to share some of the letter I sent to the Board of Adjustment in this column, but I’ve changed my mind. I’m going to print it all. It’s a good summary of where we are at the moment.

To the members of the Rehoboth Beach Board of Adjustment,

As founder and President of the Board of Directors of CAMP Rehoboth, I’d like to address the reasons why we need a variance on the parking requirements for construction of Phase 2 of the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center building at 37 Baltimore Avenue in Rehoboth Beach.

CAMP Rehoboth is a non-profit, 501(c)(3), community service organization dedicated to "creating a more positive" environment in the Rehoboth Beach area.

I’ll begin with a very brief look at the history of our use of the properties at 39 and 37 Baltimore Avenue. Seventeen years ago (1990), when CAMP Rehoboth was created, and long before we purchased either property, CAMP Rehoboth opened an office at 39 Baltimore Avenue and at the same time assumed responsibility for, and operation of, the exterior courtyard on the property. For our young organization, an outside community space open to the entire community was a vital element in the creation of a community organization—and that remains true today. In 2001 we purchased the property at 39 Baltimore for the construction of the new Community Center. In 2005 those plans changed when we were able to purchase the adjoining property at 37 Baltimore Avenue, which allowed us to expand the public courtyard, and by renovating the existing structure, move our offices and community rooms into Phase 1 of the new CAMP Rehoboth Community Center.

The Center now houses staff offices, two public rooms available for community use, limited exhibition space, and public internet and WiFi connection. Completion of the Phase 2 construction plans will provide the additional public rooms we need, and include: a large multi-purpose room to be used for workshops, conferences, art exhibits, and meetings to name a few; a small conference/work room; a kitchen; and restrooms. The multi-purpose room will contain an 18" high platform/stage area for presentations, readings, and lectures. Phase 2 also includes the renovation of the CAMP Rehoboth courtyard. All of the new construction will be available for community use.

The above history and description of our plans provide the first two in the following list of reasons why the variance is important to us.

The exterior courtyard is a vital element of the Community Center, providing trees, flowers, tables and chairs for anyone wishing to use it. It is a welcoming place for both residents and tourists alike and we feel it would be a great loss to the downtown community if we sacrifice it to parking spaces. Over the years, especially in season, the courtyard has been a lively and active place and we expect its usage to be much the same in the year’s ahead.

The multi-purpose room is an extremely important element of the new construction. Anyone involved in local event planning knows that there is a shortage of downtown spaces available for both public and private events. A reduction in the size of the multi-purpose room, we believe, would not meet our current needs or benefit the community. The room will seat approximately 85-90 people—and I think it worth noting that much of the current backyard space where we are building the addition is now covered by an awning and that over the years, we have had many events there with participation equaling that same number.

When we moved the offices to 37 Baltimore we were excited at the idea that we could preserve one of the old houses that once lined Baltimore Avenue. If we have to add parking spaces, we might have to consider the possibility of tearing down the old house and building from the ground up—an option that none of us like. We are not able to use the adjoining property at 39 Baltimore Avenue for parking because of the need to maintain the rental property, both for income and as a courtyard draw.

One of the issues we seem to be facing when discussing where CAMP Rehoboth falls in the city code is that we are not easily classified. For example, the restaurant that previously occupied our current space (and used the outside for additional dining) drew more people on a regular basis than we ever will, and yet restaurants by code are not required to provide parking. In some ways, the work that we do is similar to the work of a church—without the worship element, of course—in that we provide a wide range of services that serve the community (from HIV testing and counseling, and health days, to raising money and support for the many other non-profit organizations in the state. Plus, like a church, people in the community know they can come to us for assistance in difficult situations. We have offices, but we are not an office building.

On a personal note, I’m a great believer in the importance of maintaining a welcoming and exciting downtown atmosphere. Since I both live and work on Baltimore Avenue, I see everyday the life that bubbles up in the CAMP Rehoboth courtyard and Community Center. Gay, straight, young, old, couples, families, children and pets, all are welcome—and all come. The vision statement of the community center states that that it should be "a home for all" which is why we use a house with a heart in it for our logo. I realize this has nothing to do with codes and the legal matters of the city, but it is why we are here and why we are so passionate about our request for a parking variance that will continue to allow us to meet the needs of our community.

—Murray Archibald, President of the Board of Directors of CAMP Rehoboth