By Donald Wittkowski
The developer of a $2 million office building that critics believe is grossly oversized for its proposed location overlooking the main gateway into town will probably redesign the project to address a series of objections raised by Ocean City planners and the public.
Paul Chiolo, owner of the Keller Williams real estate firm, has been considering his options following the city Planning Board’s 7-2 vote on Jan. 11 to reject the company’s proposed new corporate headquarters at the foot of the Ninth Street corridor.
In an interview Monday, Chiolo reaffirmed his plans to build the project, although he did indicate that it would likely be redesigned to assuage the critics.
“That’s definitely a possibility. That’s what we’re looking at right now,” he said. “It’s really for the architect and engineer to make it conform and take into consideration everyone’s concerns.”
Chiolo noted that he recently obtained the transcript of the two-hour Planning Board hearing on Jan. 11, allowing him to carefully review all of the concerns that were brought up by the board members and local residents.
“Our intention is to do something that really enhances the entrance to the town and welcomes the residents and tourists,” he said.
Planning Board approval was needed for the project’s site plan as well as four zoning variances sought by Keller Williams, primarily for parking accommodations and access to the office complex.
Paul Chiolo, owner of Keller Williams, will consult with his architect and engineer about possible changes to the project.
The board’s rejection has left the project in limbo, at least temporarily. Chiolo declined to comment when asked whether he would consider filing a lawsuit against the city.
Board members who voted against the project expressed skepticism about the parking plans and the proposed traffic flow in and out of the site. They also voiced concerns that vehicular traffic generated by the office could create a danger for pedestrians and bicyclists using the nearby walkway along the Route 52 Causeway bridge, which feeds the Ninth Street artery.
Michael Allegretto, the city’s director of Community Services and Mayor Jay Gillian’s designee on the Planning Board, seemed astonished that Keller Williams did not perform a traffic study, although one was not required for the project’s site plan approval. Allegretto and other board members who opposed the project repeatedly cited their concerns about traffic flow.
In addition, some of the board members doubted whether Keller Williams’ parking plan would be adequate for the office complex.
“I don’t see it functioning,” John Loeper, the board chairman, said while criticizing the parking plan during his no vote.
During the Planning Board hearing, the biggest concern cited by local residents was the building’s proposed size. One resident called it a “monstrosity,” while another said it would overwhelm the site.
Keller Williams unveiled plans for a two-story office containing 6,000 square feet of space and parking underneath. One critic said the building would have been 38 feet high, the height of a three-story structure.
Avery Teitler, Chiolo’s attorney, responded to criticism of the building’s size by noting that Keller Williams had the right under the city’s zoning laws to develop a larger structure. He said the building would be well below the mass density that is allowed.
“It’s not a maxed-out building,” Teitler said. “It’s not a monstrous building for that property.”
Keller Williams has proposed building the office complex on land formerly occupied by an abandoned Exxon gas station that had marred the appearance of the Ninth Street entryway for years. The company bought the site at the corner of Ninth Street and Bay Avenue for $500,000 and demolished the blighted Exxon station to make room for construction.
On Monday, Chiolo reiterated his belief that the office would be an attractive new commercial centerpiece for the Ninth Street corridor. Alluding to the property’s former history as an old Exxon, he also said that a real estate office would generate far less traffic than a 24-hour gas station.
“I think our project is one of the most attractive properties in that corridor,” he said. “I do believe it will be a really attractive, modest and well-built office building.”
Ever since Keller Williams announced its project last year, there has been debate whether an office building would be the best use for the site. Critics of the project said they would prefer to see the property transformed into green space.
