OCEAN CITY — The following are some of the comments, mostly paraphrased, by citizens supporting the Ocean City Council resolution to refer the Wonderland Pier property to the Planning Board at the Aug. 21 meeting:
— Caitlin Quirk, a downtown business owner, said city business groups voted overwhelmingly to support Eustace Mita’s proposed hotel, noting after Wonderland Pier amusement park closed businesses on Sixth Street immediately began to suffer.
She said it’s not just a boardwalk issue, but a citywide issue and it would be a disservice to the community, and to those who stake their livelihoods here, not to hear how the Planning Board would decide.
— Robin Shaffer said this was just the next step in the process for a property that’s clearly in disrepair and meets the criteria for redevelopment. It’s not council’s role to decide — it was up to the Planning Board and it would be a dereliction of their duty not to follow the law and ensure the appropriate body does its job.
“Imagine how much stronger the community would be with that (hotel) on the ocean front,” he said.
— Wes Kaczmark, owner of Surf Mall on the boardwalk and president of the Boardwalk Merchants Association, said merchants there spent months discussing Mita’s hotel project and voted overwhelmingly in favor of it in April.
He said the hotel could be something great for the town and the Icona Resorts brand is well known.
— Liz Nicoletti said it is a shame the proposal is causing division in town and that Ocean City can handle a state-of-the-art resort on the boardwalk, which she called a gift to the city. She said Mita cares what he attaches his name to and the hotel would attract many quality guests.
— Bill Nicoletti said Mita’s hotel would help beautify Ocean City and that his Icona Resorts and Achristavest Fine Home Builders make the best properties. He said the developer is a local man who is sentimental about Ocean City, plans to keep Wonderland’s Ferris wheel and carousel. He said an Icona Resort would bring in upscale families rather than teenagers hiding six-packs in their backpacks.
— Steve Flugaus said Mita is willing to invest as much as $150 million in the resort and the tax revenue from the project alone could help with other projects throughout the city. “He is a local guy with Ocean City at heart” who is willing to make concessions. “I don’t understand why it’s even an issue.” He believes Ocean City would benefit if the hotel were built.
— Pat Croce said he attended the meeting to support Mita’s integrity, that he’s seen his passion work for the community and “seen the holy spirit in his soul.” Mita, he said, cares about people.
— Eustace Mita said he didn’t appreciate some of the anger and deception among his critics and that there was fear-mongering about high-rises when the Port-O-Call and Flanders Hotel are nine stories and the Gardens Plaza is 15 stories, while his proposal is for an eight-story hotel. He also said there was a parking issue with Wonderland Pier drawing crowds even though it didn’t have its own parking and his hotel would add 375 spaces.
(Mita’s comments were interrupted repeatedly by people in the audience, including booing and someone calling him a liar. That prompted City Council President Terry Crowley Jr. and Mayor Jay Gillian to admonish the audience.)
Mita said his only reason for wanting to build the hotel was because of his love for Ocean City, which hasn’t seen a new hotel in about 50 years.
He also said he talked with the owners behind Morey’s Piers amusement park in Wildwood about partnering with him in Ocean City, but they didn’t believe an amusement park was a worthwhile venture there.
He added that he doesn’t build condos, which some critics claim was his real intent. Mita added whatever would be built at the Wonderland site was going to require a redevelopment zone.
— Bill Gleason said he has seen the other Icona Resorts and how well they’re run and this project would benefit the city. “I support it wholeheartedly.”
— Nelson Dice, appearing in an orange prison jumpsuit with a mock ball and chain on his arm, said he didn’t care whether the hotel was built and that he admired Mita’s faith and willingness to “unload a boatload of money in the town.”
— Mike Buchinski said he was in favor of redevelopment and that it would be more likely for someone to win the Powerball lottery than for amusement park rides to return to the property. He said something has to be done with the site and development was the way to go.
— Jody Arena, who called himself an Ocean City kid who worked at various places and spent many an afternoon and evening when younger at Wonderland Pier, said he didn’t like the town being divided over the project. He said his family members couldn’t afford to spend thousands for a week on the island and that a hotel would allow people to enjoy an evening or two there. He said City Council should be forward-thinking and that the city needs to evolve.
— Mimi Kehan, who said she has been in the hospitality industry for 50 years and has known Mita, said his properties are outstanding and renovated on a regular basis.
She said his hotel would provide a great future and that he is honest and has integrity.
“I admire his ability to create wonderful opportunities in family resorts,” she said. “I think this will provide a great future in Ocean City.” She told council she hoped they make the right decision for the future.
— Todd Lukens said America is blessed that people could have a debate about the hotel and council resolution in public. He cited a list of factors why he supported the hotel proposal.
Changing demographics means Ocean City can’t sustain two amusement parks, that a hotel would attract transient tourists, that downtown business vacancies were increasing, the hotel would add parking, that alternative plans proposed for the site lack financial information, that thousands of people actually support the hotel concept and that the alcohol-free policy would remain intact. (Some critics allege a large 252-room hotel would allow Mita to get a liquor license, something he said he would not do.)
— Bernadette Bechda told council that being afraid of change is not a reason for voting no on the resolution. She said she marched in the 1960s and 1970s for civil rights and women’s rights and how important those changes have been for the nation.
“Change is scary, people don’t like change, but there is plenty of room in Ocean City for all kinds of housing.”
She said a luxury hotel would add diversity to the offerings in Ocean City, but without change, the property would become a blighted site.
— Linda Carnuccio, who started Cousin’s Restaurant, said she has numerous grandchildren who all enjoyed Wonderland Pier amusement park.
She said she also believes in change, and if there is going to be a change, it should be a vision like Mita presented. She said it would be wonderful to have a resort like the legendary beach resort in California, Hotel del Coronado.
— Mark Benevento, a boardwalk business owner for decades, said the boardwalk needs something iconic and without an anchor like that anything north of the Music Pier is going to suffer greatly.
Ocean City, he said, is becoming more of a bedroom community and he has seen a decline in business over the years.
“We are America’s Greatest Family Resort,” he said, and he respected the passion on both sides of the issue, but for the “future I truly believe we need this economic hotel along with the rides.”
– STORY and PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
