Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1938-08-04
OCEAN PARK is
GIVEN IMPETUS
Benjamin Alderman, Delaware
Works Progress Admin
istratOr, Offers Aid
NO COST TO THE STATE

a plan under which the state
lands from Rehoboth Beach to Fen
wick Island may be developed into
q state park will become a show
place Of the East" at no expense
to the state was suggested BY Ben
jamin Ableman, Delaware Works
Progress administrator. Under the
plan, which Mr.. Ableman said lie
will bring to the attention Of state
officials, the land would be leveled
and beautifled as a WPA project.
If the state would set aside one
third Of the land for building lots.
he said, these lots could be sold for
a sum sufficient to represent the
sponsors portion of the funds nee
.essary to obtain the federal appro-
priation. The administrator point
ed out such project would not
only provide the state with a beau
tiful playground for persons Of
moderate means but would greatly
reduce, if not virtually wipe out.
the long lists Of persons now on the
relief rolls who are accredited for
WPA jobs but for whom sufficient
projects do not exist. While all
available labor would have to be
drawn from Sussex County first,
that county would be able to sup
ply only handful of the men need
ed for such project, Mr.. Able
man said. When these were all en-
ployed, the WPA could establish a
camp near the state lands and take /
approximately 500 workers from
Wilmington. The State Highway
Commission at its last meeting en-
ployed a. Kenneth Morgan, con
sulting engineer of the Long Island
Park Commission, to make a sur
vey Of the state lands along the
Atlantic Ocean from Rehoboth
Beach to Fenwick Island at the
Maryland State Line. When his
survey is completed, Mr.. Morgan
$ expected to make recommends
ions to the board AS mapped out
oy Mr.. Ableman the WPA workers
would beautify the area lying be-
Ween the ocean highway and the
ocean, would level the sand dunes,
ay out streets, put in curbs, gut !
ers, and sidewalks in the colonies /,
md in general beautify the inter Z
'ening stretches as the state {
hould see fit The only expense
o the state would be the cost of
he materials involved in the con :
truction of the streets, sidewalks,
md the like, Mr.. Ableman said.
The actual cost of the project and
he actual percentage of the cost
hat the federal government would
tand if the state approved the
would have to be work
d out at conferences with the
state Highway Commission and
Their state officials. The Works
Progress Administration is ready
t any time to consider any project
4 connection with the park, Mr..
Ableman declared. He explained
hat his suggestion that a portion
f the land be sold for building lots
vas purely his own and that,
hould it be rejected by the state
administration, the WPA is still
to help develop the land
the state puts up its share. Con-
truction of the ocean highway
rom Bethany Beach to Fenwick E.
sland or that portion of it that +,
as not already been planned by q
ne State Highway Department n
lso could be made a WPA project, r.
the state so desires, he contin- q
ed. Mr.. Ableman explained that
e is personally very much inter q,
sted in the development of the a
ate park as a citizen of Sussex >,
ounty and that he believed that ~
l persons in Sussex would like to
e the project undertaken.