Abandoned Getty and BP gas stations greet visitors coming over the Ninth Street Bridge into Ocean City. Across the street is a vacant former Exxon Station.
City Council meets 7 p.m. Thursday (June 25) at City Hall in Ocean City, and here are some agenda items that might be of interest:
Abandoned Properties: City Council will consider the second and potentially final reading of an ordinance that would authorize the city to take control of abandoned properties that become a nuisance to the public. Mayor Jay Gillian cited three long-vacant gas stations at the foot of the Ninth Street Bridge as the first potential targets.
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29th Street Firehouse: Council will vote on a resolution to seek bids on reconstruction of the Ocean City Fire Department station at 29th Street. The building was damaged in Superstorm Sandy in October 2012, and the new facility would include an improved first-floor vehicle bay, a new second-floor living quarters and a public bathroom for the adjacent playground.
Life Saving Station: City Council will vote on awarding a $80,691 contract to architect Michael Calafati to design the final phase in the reconstruction of the historic U.S. Life Saving Station at Fourth Street and Atlantic Avenue. Calafati would complete work by the end of the summer, and construction could be complete by May 2016. A nonprofit group hopes to establish a living museum at the site.
Condemnation Lawyer: City Council will vote to sign a professional services contract with attorney Michael Ash to represent the city in condemnation litigation at $200 per hour. The city took a small number of beach easements by eminent domain to allow the south end replenishment project to proceed. A potential new abandoned properties ordinance also could potentially involve condemnation proceedings.
See detail on all agenda items in the Agenda Packet.
