Some Rehoboth Beach business owners say they feel left out of the city’s decision to install new bollards behind the bandstand and in front of the bathrooms along Rehoboth Avenue.

A petition signed by 16 businesses claims the city never consulted them before moving forward with the project, which officials say aims to improve public safety near the busy boardwalk area.

"If you’re going to do something that’s going to affect the businesses, you should," said Jeff Houseman, co-owner of EC Shades, who has operated on Rehoboth Avenue since the early 1990s. "I mean, you probably made your decision. But you need to talk to people and find out what the businesses think."

Allison Blyth, owner of Go Fish restaurant, said the bollards and frequent bandstand events have already made business more

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