Costeria Cottages features 18 homes between 12th-13th & Haven Avenue
By Donald Wittkowski
City Council will consider two measures to remove a glaring eyesore from the main entryway into town and slow down the development of new "coastal cottages" that have generated complaints from surrounding neighborhoods.
One ordinance up for final approval at Council's meeting 7 p.m. Thursday would allow the city to buy an abandoned former BP gas station whose hulking presence creates a poor impression on visitors arriving via the Ninth Street corridor.
Councilwoman Karen Bergman, fresh off her re-election win Tuesday, said demolition of the BP station remains a top priority as the city undertakes a facelift of the area at the foot of the Ninth Street causeway bridge.
"I think it's important for residents and tourists who come over that bridge that it looks good and is a pleasant experience," she said.
Council is expected to approve a $475,000 bond ordinance to buy the BP site and turn it into green space and a parking area once it is cleaned up by the current owner, SAE New Jersey Realty Co. LLC of Pennsauken.
The former BP Gas Station site on 9th Street.
Bergman noted that the project would not only remove blight, but will also create more open space, something that local residents have asked the city to do.
The BP site is one of three defunct and ghostly gas stations marring the appearance of the Ninth Street gateway, the main artery in and out of town. Bergman said it is crucial for the city’s tourism industry to get rid of all three eyesores.
"Their first impression of the city is over that bridge," Bergman said of the tourists.
Separately, plans are unfolding for two abandoned former Exxon and Getty stations that also line the Ninth Street entryway.
The Exxon site is expected to be demolished and redeveloped into a new multimillion-dollar office for the Ocean City real estate firm Keller Williams.
This week, demolition crews razed the Exxon station's deteriorated canopy that covered the gas pumps and also took down an old sign overlooking Ninth Street. City officials had ordered the property owner, 903 Bay Ave. Ocean City LLC of Allentown, Pa., to remove the canopy and sign for fear they might collapse.
Before Keller Williams completes the purchase and takes control of the property, the owner must dig up old underground storage tanks that held the Exxon station's fuel. Eric Booth, a sales agent for Keller Williams, estimated the company will start construction on the new office in September, once it secures the building permits and other regulatory approvals.
Meanwhile, the city is in talks to acquire the old Getty station next to the BP site. The Getty property would also be demolished and transformed into green space to help spruce up the Ninth Street corridor.
Also at its meeting Thursday, Council is scheduled to vote on an ordinance that would pause construction on a new generation of housing called "coastal cottages."
The coastal cottages concept was originally approved by Council in 2013 as a way to draw more year-round families to town. The cottages were supposed to offer affordable prices that would be attractive to younger families.
However, Council and Mayor Jay Gillian believe the cottages should be studied following questions about their sales price, larger than expected size and potential impacts on the surrounding neighborhoods.
Previously approved cottage projects would be grandfathered in under the ordinance. No new projects would be allowed in a redevelopment area, called the Drive-in Business Zone, concentrated along Haven Avenue in the center of town.
The only coastal cottage project currently under construction is rising along Haven Avenue between 12th and 13th streets. Known as Costeria Cottages, it features 18 homes.
Bergman said neighbors have complained to her about the large size and density of the Costeria homes.
Another example of single family Costeria Cottage home on Haven Avenue.
"All I know is, there is a strong, strong voice against them," she said. "People were telling me they didn’t like the way they looked and thought they were overdeveloped."
Bergman also questioned whether the cottages truly represent an affordable alternative for young families looking to buy year-round homes. When the Costeria Cottages first went on the market in late 2014, the sales prices ranged from $499,900 to $649,900. Ocean City's average home is assessed at around $500,000.
Bergman said it appears Gillian's administration has "listened to the voice of the people" by slowing down the construction of coastal cottages. She believes the administration wants to "tweak" the construction standards before allowing any more of them to be built.
Previously, Doug Bergen, a spokesman for the mayor, said the city may consider finding new locations that would be more appropriate for the cottages.
Coastal cottages once were considered the centerpiece of efforts to revitalize the Drive-in Business Zone along Haven Avenue. However, the ordinance scheduled for Council's vote Thursday would eliminate the cottages from the redevelopment zone.
Among the concerns are whether the cottages should be built at lower heights to have them blend in better with the surrounding neighborhoods. Sales prices, lot sizes and whether the cottages should have decks are other key issues.
