Proposed cell tower across from Cape May-Lewes Ferry sparks questions among city leaders, residents

What are journalists missing from the state of Delaware? What would you most like WHYY News to cover? Let us know.

The Cape May-Lewes Ferry, a Sussex County summer staple that brings travelers back and forth across the Delaware Bay, could get a new neighbor — a nearly 90-foot cell tower.

AT&T is proposing the tower be built at 43 Cape Henlopen Drive, next to the ferry’s terminal. The property is owned by the city of Lewes, but is leased out to the Delaware River and Bay Authority, which operates the ferry.

Lewes Citizen Action Committee, a local nonprofit focused on preserving the city’s quality of life through policy, has publicly opposed the tower being built. The group is currently sharing a petition on the matter, asking Lewes City Council to deny AT&T’s application.

“This is a big industrial piece that’s going to be sitting as you come into Lewes from the ferry on the waterfront, seen for miles around,” said Kerry Tripp, a member of the Lewes Citizen Action Committee. “It is not a small item that they’re proposing.”

Tripp said the committee has received about 70 signatures on the petition as of Tuesday. The group has also connected with local homeowners associations and residents, many of which Tripp said are opposed to putting the tower near the waterfront.

“I think Lewes residents in the community deserve to get some answers before this happens,” Tripp said.