Dear Friends,
City Council last night approved the first reading of an ordinance that would authorize the purchase of the 1.9-acre car dealership lot next to the Community Center. This is a rare opportunity to acquire a multi-use site that could benefit everybody in Ocean City.
The property could be used for open space, parking, recreation or as a home for a new police station. What we don’t want is more housing. Under former zoning laws, the site could have been developed to include 29 coastal cottages, in addition to one larger single-family home. The acquisition would preserve a public-use corridor that stretches from Emil Palmer Park at 15th Street to the Intermediate School fields at 20th Street and protect it from dense residential development.
Pipe and concrete crews continue to make great progress on the north end neighborhood drainage project, and paving crews will begin work on Tuesday. They will start with final paving of West Avenue in front of the Ocean City Primary School and with the West Avenue intersections at Fifth Street and Sixth Street. They will continue with the grading and paving of the bike path behind the school. Residents can follow the project here: www.ocnj.us/NorthEnd.
Installation of the four pumping stations in the Fourth Ward neighborhood drainage project continues, and temporary plugs will be in place this weekend to prevent any tidal flooding.
Shiloh Baptist Church will honor its oldest member, 97-year-old Juanita Moore, at a special brunch tomorrow. Mother Moore has served the congregation and community for 60 years and remains active in the church’s Missionary Society. I hope you’ll all join me in thanking her for her good work.
The weekend forecast looks great. As always, I urge our residents and guests to swim only at guarded beaches, and you can see an updated list at www.ocnj.us/ocbp. With Labor Day approaching, be sure to check out our list of special events at oceancityvacation.com .
Warm regards,
Jay A. Gillian
Mayor
