He wanted definite bathroom completion date, update on parking garage
OCEAN CITY – Third Ward Councilman Jody Levchuk pushed city administrators Thursday evening, saying he wasn’t getting timely information on progress of the new bathrooms on the boardwalk or an update on a potential parking garage in the city.
Levchuk’s comments came after city Business Administrator George Savastano and Chief Financial Officer Frank Donato gave updates on both projects.
Although Savastano finally said the bathroom facilities at the street ends at 10th and 11th and the boardwalk would be finished by Memorial Day weekend, which is the city’s official kickoff to summer, that came only after Levchuk pressed him for a specific time frame.
Earlier, Savastano said the bathrooms had been delayed twice since being proposed. The first time was because the bids for constructing them all came in too high and had to be rebid. The second was because the city’s plan to construct the facilities off site and then move them into place had to be called off because of new state requirements.
Originally, he said, the city hoped to have the bathrooms ready by April 15.
“It’s going to be a good project and it’s going to be done before the summer season,” Savastano said.
Donato said after a parking committee was formed on council with Levchuk, Tomaso Rotondi and Bobby Barr, the administration reached out to firms to do a feasibility study and took a look back at various studies when the idea for a parking garage had been proposed before.
Donato said there would be a “soup-to-nuts overview of everything it would take to build a parking garage in town,” including such things as construction costs, potential revenue and whether there needed to be a change in parking fees in the resort.
They are considering feasibility studies for the larger parking areas in town, including the one behind City Hall, the lots at Moorlyn Terrace, on Eighth and Ninth streets and between Fifth and Sixth streets at the boardwalk.
Donato said he was happy to report he had two proposals in hand, one that he got a month ago and another he received about a week before. Both are from nationally recognized engineering and design firms, he said, noting that he expected it to cost up to $25,000 for a study. He said he planned to sit down with the parking committee members.
“You both stated you had certain information for quite a while now. I’m curious why can’t you just forward that when I asked for that a week ago?” Levchuk said, adding he was just getting the update before the meeting because he asked for it. He said he wanted the reports earlier so the committee could do its own investigation and continue their conversations with the public. He said the same thing about getting specific dates for construction of the bathroom facilities because there are some 25 businesses that will be affected.
“I wish my request would be followed up. I’m glad you told me they exist,” he said when learning there were parking feasibility proposals in hand a month ago and that they were getting past studies out. “I wish we could have had deeper conversations by now. I don’t know what the holdup is and it’s the same question with the bathroom facilities.
“I understand what has happened over time, but what we still don’t have is when will work begin on site …. because there are at least 25 businesses nearby. There is a concern there. Will work begin April 1 or June 1?” Levchuk added the reason they wanted work done by April 15 is because the city begins having Easter events on the boardwalk “and it makes sense to have those facilities prepared.”
“I’m sure you know what you’re doing. … I’m just hoping we’re on target properly. Can you enlighten us? Saying ‘by summer’ doesn’t fill it for me. It’s not a good answer.”
Levchuk said he asked if it would go before the Planning Board so the public could comment on it.
City Solicitor Dorothy McCrosson said they were able to get it on the agenda for this week, but that it isn’t a required review so going before the Planning Board won’t slow the project down.
“It won’t delay construction,” McCrosson said.
Savastano said they didn’t send the proposals to the parking committee because it wasn’t appropriate until they did their due diligence on them and because they’re still soliciting proposals for parking garage studies.
Levchuk said he wanted the information on former parking proposals. Savastano said he would get that to him.
“We’re not trying to withhold information from anybody, but to send it out in piecemeal fashion doesn’t make sense,” Savastano said. “I get where you’re coming from.”
As for the restrooms, he said construction will begin Monday, March 7.
“I think we would all agree the unofficial start of summer season is Memorial Day. Both (bathrooms) will be operational at both street ends before Memorial Day,” Savastano said.
By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff