Donald Wittkowski

A proposed luxury condo-hotel that has languished on the drawing board for more than 15 years has received final approval from the Ocean City Planning Board at the same time the property is listed for sale. Dubbed Soleil Resort, the project would include 111 condo units in a six-story building overlooking the Boardwalk at 11th Street and Ocean Avenue next to the historic Flanders Hotel.

Ocean City’s public housing agency formally granted a 30-day extension for its construction contractor to complete a nearly $7 million affordable housing project for senior citizens. Previously, the 32-unit Speitel Commons complex was supposed to be completed by May 30, but the Ocean City Housing Authority voted at its board meeting Tuesday to push back the date to June 30.

A movie star will be taking up residence in Ocean City this summer. But with piercing orange eyes, a sharp, curved beak and fierce talons, Eli is not your typical celebrity. The intimidating female Eurasian eagle-owl is part of a group of raptors that will patrol the skies over Ocean City to prevent the pesky, squawking seagulls from harassing humans for their food. Eli, pronounced “ELL-ee,” started working in Ocean City after being filmed in a dream sequence in director Martin Scorsese’s new movie “Killers of the Flower Moon” starring Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Ocean City already prohibits cigarette and cigar smoking on the Boardwalk, beaches, at city parks, playgrounds, athletic fields and other public places. Now, another type of smoking will be banned in the same areas: Smoking or vaping marijuana or hashish will not be allowed in public under a proposed new law. Voting 7-0, City Council introduced an ordinance Thursday night that will effectively make all public places in the resort town a no-smoking zone for marijuana, including the Boardwalk, beaches, playgrounds and other popular areas.

Ocean City’s police department will increase patrols throughout town, particularly along the Boardwalk and in the downtown business district, to crack down on groups of unruly teenage bikers that seem to have become more brazen in recent weeks. Speaking during a City Council meeting Thursday night, Police Chief Jay Prettyman outlined his department’s strategy for dealing with a problem that includes bikers hurling insults or profanity at motorists and banging their hands on cars while riding down the streets. Prettyman, though, emphasized that the bikers are not part of organized gangs that are deliberately menacing the city.

Ocean City’s public housing agency has pushed back the completion date of its nearly $7 million housing project for senior citizens by a month or two because of a delay in getting the elevators installed. The Ocean City Housing Authority originally had been targeting May 1 as the completion date, but now expects the 32-unit complex to be finished by late June or early July, the agency said at its monthly board meeting Tuesday. Residents will occupy the three-story building in July.

There were plenty of times during low tide when members of the Ocean City Fishing Club would look down toward the ocean and see only shallow water underneath their massive pier – or, even worse, nothing but beach sand. But now, the club has rejuvenated the pier by extending it an additional 113 feet to bring it far out over the ocean, even at low tide.

The Ocean City Comic Book and Memorabilia Show is an eclectic mix of comic books, trading cards, movie posters, action figures, toys, jewelry, artwork and other collectibles sold by vendors. The show Saturday represented one of the first family-friendly events Ocean City was able to hold inside for the public this spring amid the pandemic. Attendees had their temperature taken as they entered the Music Pier and were required to wear protective masks as part of the socially distanced show.

Ocean City is taking an eco-friendly approach for the landscaping of parks, recreation sites, gardens and other plots of public land scattered across town. Under a new $192,480 landscaping contract awarded by City Council on Thursday night to A. Guzzo Landscaping LLC of Turnersville, N.J., the city is switching to organic landscaping methods in place of chemical pesticides. In all, the pesticide-free landscaping program will cover 61 public sites, including popular areas such as the grounds at City Hall, the dog park on 45th Street, the wildlife sanctuary on 25th Street and the Bayside Center on Fifth Street.

Ocean City’s governing body gave final approval Thursday night to an ordinance that prohibits businesses that cultivate, manufacture, test or sell marijuana. Looking to preserve its family-friendly image, the city will ban the sale of marijuana in the aftermath of New Jersey’s legalization of cannabis in February. Approved by City Council by a 6-0 vote, the ordinance bans marijuana facilities within one-quarter mile of a school, church, recreational or sports facility, the Boardwalk and any residential area. It would effectively outlaw businesses from selling marijuana, hashish or pot paraphernalia in all parts of town.