By Donald Wittkowski
There are ripped-up streets, rows of orange traffic cones, stacks of metal pipes and seemingly enough bulldozers, backhoes and other pieces of construction equipment to outfit an invading army.
But after months and months of construction, the end is finally in sight for a $6.5 million project that will bring relief to residents of a flood-prone section of Ocean City between 28th and 34th streets, Mayor Jay Gillian and other city officials said Saturday.
“It’s been a rough year. We’re nearing the finish line,” Vince Bekier, aide to the mayor, assured about 60 residents who packed a meeting room at the Ocean City Free Public Library for an update on the project.
The project’s boundaries are roughly 28th to 34th streets from West Avenue to Bay Avenue in the city’s Fourth Ward. Simpson and Haven avenues serve as the spines of the project.
Construction consists of three major parts, including repaving the streets, installing new pipes to replace some that are 40 to 60 years old and building three pumping stations to flush floodwater out of the neighborhoods and into the bay.
Bekier said the roadwork on Simpson and Haven avenues is scheduled to wrap up by April. Construction on the numbered streets and alleys sprinkled throughout the neighborhoods should be done by Memorial Day weekend. In a final touch, the pumping stations are expected to be ready by summer, Bekier said.
The project, combined with other drainage upgrades in town, will allow the city to continue the process of overhauling its aging and deteriorated infrastructure in the never-ending fight against flooding, Gillian explained.
He pointed to a 2014 drainage project in the city’s Merion Park neighborhood as proof that roadway improvements and new pumping stations can reduce flooding.
“That’s what we’re doing across Ocean City,” Gillian said. “It’s just repairing what is deteriorating.”
He added, “We’re trying to catch up. We’re getting there.”
The mayor and other city officials who attended the meeting, which was organized by Fourth Ward Councilman Bob Barr, assured the audience that public feedback on the construction project between 28th and 34th streets is part of the give-and-take between the local government and residents.
“I’m not worried about complaints or someone yelling at me,” Gillian said. “If you don’t like something, tell me.”
Gillian noted that the construction project is an example of how city officials are strengthening their relationship with residents of the Fourth Ward, which he said was previously known as the “forgotten ward.”
“I can tell you, no one can say that anymore,” Gillian said.
Barr, who praised Gillian for collaborating with him on the drainage project, said the work simply would not have gotten done without the support of the mayor and his administration.
“He has been a tremendous partner,” Barr said of Gillian. “He cares tremendously.”
Councilman Keith Hartzell, who recognized Barr for organizing the meeting, encouraged the residents to shoot video of the construction project or provide other feedback to help city officials stay on top of the work.
“That’s all of our jobs, folks. Don’t be afraid to talk to us,” Hartzell told them.
There was no yelling Saturday, but residents who packed the meeting room did fire away with questions about the road and drainage improvements between 28th and 34th streets, as well as other construction projects proposed or underway in the Fourth Ward. At the end of the meeting, they applauded the city officials.
Gillian promised there are more improvement projects to come in the Fourth Ward, including $7.5 million in additional construction work proposed in the city’s five-year capital plan.
Walter Rockey, who lives at 58th Street and West Avenue, praised the city officials, particularly Barr, for listening to the residents’ concerns and suggestions.
“We walked away with a good vibe,” Rockey said after the meeting. “Look at the attendance today. It was a good interaction.”
Carolyn Logan, a resident of Bark Drive, expressed her appreciation to Gillian for the project, but added that all of the construction detours have made it a challenge to navigate through the Fourth Ward.
“At times, it feels like the 2-year-old in the house has pulled all the toys down. It’s a mess,” Logan said.
Responding to Logan, Gillian told her that she was right, that it does seem like “toys are all over the place.”
Gillian, though, assured Logan and the other residents that the city is doing everything possible to finish the project as quickly as it can while also trying to minimize disruptions during construction.
As the project enters its final stages, Gillian stressed that the goal is to dramatically reduce the amount of flooding that plagues the surrounding neighborhoods.
“My bar is high. I don’t want any more flooding,” he said.
