Dear Friends,
City Council last night approved two important resolutions that will benefit Ocean City residents and guests.
Council voted to advertise for contractors to complete the final stage of boardwalk reconstruction from 10th Street to 12th Street. At this time next year, the length of the boardwalk from Fifth Street to 12th Street will be completely rebuilt from top to bottom. Off-season detours will no longer be necessary, and the structure will be sound for decades to come. The final two-block stretch will be closed for demolition and reconstruction starting on Oct. 10. As always, I thank you all for your patience during these necessary capital improvement projects.
Council also approved a professional service contract for Michael Baker International to design the north end pumping station project for the bayside area between First Street and Eighth Street. Based on feedback from neighbors, projected savings to taxpayers and Baker’s track record for success, the new project design will bring long-awaited relief to this flood-prone area. I must caution that a project of this scope includes many factors beyond the city’s control, but Baker anticipates that work can begin by late fall. We will plan a town hall meeting for later this spring to update everybody on Baker’s plans and to seek individual feedback from all property owners affected by the project.
I strongly encourage everybody with an interest in our bayside dredging program to read the
public announcement posted today by the Army Corps of Engineers and to send a public comment in support of our efforts. The Army Corps is reviewing our permit application to allow dredging along the entire backbay waterfront, including the bayfront, lagoons, state channels and private slips. It’s important for the Corps to know how important navigable waters are to our economy, safety, property values and way of life here in Ocean City. Please share the link above, if you know of others who would want to lend their support.
The lights on the Route 52 causeway will be lit pink tonight in tribute to the Toast Pink gala at the Flanders, a fundraiser for a group that helps cancer patients and their families. They’ll be pink again next Friday and Saturday for Girls Weekend in Ocean City, before turning blue on Sunday, April 2 for World Autism Awareness Day.
I hope you all have a great weekend.
Warm regards,
Jay A. Gillian
