OCEAN CITY — Ocean City Council cleared the way for a new four-story condominium project at the corner of Bay Avenue and 34th Street to replace the closed Seaspray Condominiums.
On second reading Dec. 18, council unanimously approved amending the zoning of the Seaspray parcel, making it a zone unto its own. It separates that parcel from the 34th Street Gateway zone, which focuses on businesses.
In October, council, on recommendation by the Planning Board, declared the parcel “an area in need of rehabilitation,” a move that received general support from council and the public.
The Seaspray has been closed for about two years because of structural problems at the aging building. It has been surrounded by chain-link fencing, making it an eyesore at one of the main entrances to the resort.
What will go in its place is a four-story multi-family residential development with a maximum of 43 units. Vehicle access will be via two driveways on Bay Avenue to the ground level, where parking will be beneath the building. Floors two through four are comprised of two- and three-bedroom residential units and the overall height of the flat roof is 46.5 feet.
According to city planner Randall E. Scheule, in a memorandum supporting the ordinance, prior to the city establishing the Gateway Zone along 34th Street, the lot was zoned Neighborhood Business. He said that zone was meant to accentuate the entry to the resort by “encouraging development that is compatible in terms of use, scale and appearance.”
Principal permitted uses in the zone include retail sales and services, professional office, sidewalk cafes, sports centers, medical and recreational facilities, shopping centers and banks.
Scheule wrote the redevelopment is consistent with the Master Plan by providing residential space, upgrading substandard housing and promoting a desirable visual environment.
The redevelopment plan for the Seaspray area “seeks to alleviate deleterious conditions of the property, and support use of the site to advance public health, safety and welfare,” he wrote.
To that end, the redevelopment eliminates areas that are substandard, dilapidated and vacant, stimulates investment and fosters public-private partnerships to revitalize the area to “best serves the needs of the community, strengthens the economy and attracts residents to the area and contributes to the continuing vitality of the city,” according to Scheule.
City Solicitor Dorothy McCrosson told council by adopting the ordinance, they would be authorizing a change to the zoning map and turning it into its own zone, which has not yet been named.
No one publicly commented on the ordinance.
“I fully support the redevelopment,” said Fourth Ward Councilman Dave Winslow, who represents that area.
“It’s a wonderful plan,” he said, explaining that area is not a good location for storefronts, which populate the rest of that 34th Street area between Bay Avenue all the way to Central Avenue.
The building, he pointed out, “has two neat features,” one being parking entirely beneath the building, alleviating the need for on-street parking. It also has a green roof, which he believes is the first in Ocean City.
“So it will be a wonderful project, especially with the work we’re doing on Roosevelt Boulevard,” Winslow said. “It’s really going to enhance that corner.”
Roosevelt Boulevard
Work began Wednesday night, Dec. 17, on a multi-month project by Cape May County to raise and rebuild Roosevelt Boulevard from the base of the bridge to West Avenue.
City and county officials said construction work will last through the winter and into the spring.
The $5.8 million project will fund resurfacing improvements along Roosevelt Boulevard, one of Ocean City’s most heavily traveled access routes. According to the county, “the work is designed to enhance roadway safety, extend pavement life and support efficient traffic flow for residents and seasonal visitors alike.”
Raising the road also is important for getting on and off the island during flooding events.
– STORY by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
