Ocean City Historic Commission to Hear Proposed Condo Project

By MADDY VITALE The Ocean City Historic Preservation Commission will hear plans for an upscale condominium development project proposed in a key section of the Historic District. The existing building at 801 Wesley Ave. is in the city’s Central Business Zone. It was most recently Still Waters Stress Center. For decades, beginning in the 1960s, it was Knight’s Pharmacy, owned and operated by the late Mayor Henry “Bud” Knight. Prior to that, it was the site of a hotel. The Historic Preservation Commission will hear plans for demolition of the former pharmacy building to construct luxury condos. The commission's meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. at City Hall Council Chambers, on Tuesday, May 3. The matter was rescheduled from Tuesday, April 5. The proposal must be heard by the commission because it is within the Historic District. While not speaking specifically about the proposal, since it has yet to come before the Historic Commission, Ken Cooper, vice chairman of the commission, described the area. “It is in a key section of the Historic District. It is what was called Doctor’s Row," Cooper said. “There were doctors who lived on the block, and that’s what it has always been known as.” He noted that there are well-kept historic homes in that area. The Historic District stretches between Third and Eighth streets and Central and Ocean avenues. Homes from the late 19th and early 20th centuries line the streets. The district is governed by ordinances designed to preserve the character of the neighborhoods near the Ocean City Tabernacle, where Ocean City was founded and first settled. The current building at 801 Wesley Ave. (Photo courtesy of longandfoster.com) What is proposed at 801 Wesley Ave. is a three-story, mixed-use/multi-family building. According to a description on Zillow.com, it would consist of two to three commercial condos and five luxury residential units with private outdoor decks and elevators to each unit, among other amenities, including a rooftop swimming pool. The residential units would consist of four high-end luxury units ranging between 3,000 to 4,000 square feet each, upon approval by the commission. There would also be a smaller two-bedroom, two-bath unit that would be approximately 1,100 square feet, according to the Zillow.com description. Cooper explained why the building that sits there now does not classify as a historic building, despite it being over 50 years old. “There is nothing wrong with the building. We don’t like teardowns, but that is not a contributing structure,” he pointed out of the brick building that is currently at 801 Wesley Ave. “We look at anything from 1879 to the 1920s. That is the period that we cover.” The Ocean City Historic District is also listed as a state and national historic district. Cooper also said that within the area of the proposed multi-use building, there are businesses mixed in with residential homes. “You have to look across the street at the Varsity Inn, which was a Victorian structure, that has been renovated,” Cooper said of the restaurant within the Historic District. “I know there are some anomalies in that area.” An aerial view of 801 Wesley Ave., which is outlined in red. (Courtesy of Zillow.com)