By MADDY VITALE
Ocean City offers plenty to do for visitors and residents alike, from the beaches to shopping to the Boardwalk. But there is one gem that isn’t talked about much, yet it offers an ideal spot to watch the sunset, kayak, boat or just take a stroll.
Waterfront Park and Marina is the name of the area that locals call “Second Street Park,” a piece of city-owned land used for green space at Second and Bay Avenue.
First Ward Councilman Terry Crowley Jr. and his family live near the park.
He said that the area is typically buzzing with activity – and the parking is free.
“It is often filled with people visiting the restaurants,” Crowley said in an interview Friday. “There are two docks accessible to the public for sightseeing, fishing and seeing the sunsets. It is probably the best place on the island to see the sunset.”
The park was acquired by the city years ago through a Green Acres grant to preserve it for public use, Crowley noted.
On Friday, Bob Schwartz, of Egg Harbor Township, brought his kayak to the marina to try out the boat ramp for the first time.
New amenities and improvements are planned for the park and marina, Crowley said, adding that Mayor Jay Gillian has been very receptive and supportive of the idea.
There is one bathroom on site, but the mayor has plans to install more to make the area more visitor-friendly, Crowley said.
“I worked with the mayor to identify a need for additional bathrooms and the mayor instructed his team,” he explained. “There will be two to three new bathrooms, based on how the design comes back.”
Crowley added that the two city-owned docks at the park jut out “over 100 feet.” He spoke with Dan Kelchner, director of the city’s Community Services, about the possibility of putting in some boat slips for public use.
“I asked for the number of boat slips people could rent or that could be accessible for boat traffic,” Crowley explained. “We are definitely looking at that for the future. If we ended up with 30 slips, we would be turning people away in the hundreds.”
Additionally, in working with city officials, another ramp was added that goes down to the boat slip, which is accessible to the public, Crowley said.
Adjoining businesses also lend to the park and marina, including the water park, Totally Tubular Aqua Park, owned by TJ Heist.
“I think TJ has done a great job with the water park,” Crowley said. “It is really a homerun for the city. TJ also runs a popular boating program, (Jet Drive Exchange). He added an additional dock on both sides of the park. We are a boating community, so I think it really adds to what we are doing at the park.”
Crowley noted that in the last month or so, the issue of noise and people congregating in the park came up. Some of the neighbors complained at City Council meetings about excessive noise, drinking and profanity that were occurring at the park.
However, Crowley emphasized that the matter was handled.
“The police department has done a great job addressing problems there,” he said. “There were challenges that any beach community encounters. There were people there and music, but the problem is virtually nonexistent at this point.”
