OC Today WWW.OCEANCITYTODAY.COM
JANUARY 28, 2022
ZONE FIGHT CRITICAL AREA CHANGING? Berlin residents trying to stop reclassification of protected land off Route 611 – Page 14
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Worker housing gets OK Where’s all the chicken? Planning com. clears one project, seeks ways to bring more
By Mallory Panuska Staff Writer (Jan. 28, 2022) From teen raves to jump scares to Insta-worthy backdrops, the building that sits at 14 Worcester St. in downtown Ocean City has provided many types of entertainment for seasonal visitors. And now, after all of the amusements have gone dark, a developer is gearing up to turn the building into a place to house the people who serve and accommodate those summertime visitors. The proposed project, which garnered unanimous
approval on Jan. 19 from members of the city’s planning commission after a long discussion, is a twostory, 19-room dormitorystyle structure with the ability to house about 78 seasonal foreign workers and a house manager. The lack of housing for seasonal employees is one of the resort’s most perplexing problems right now, which is why this project, and an array of others planned for completion for the next two summers, are highly anticipated. Planning commissioners have run into challenges when voting on these types of projects, though, and are looking into a code amendment that would help make the process more seamless.
In the meantime, they are working with the tools they have, which in the case of the Worcester Street property, meant tacking some conditions onto the site plan approval. The conditions included requiring a signed lease with an Ocean City employer to house workers for their business, and obligating the builder to divide the sleeping areas with full walls that run to the ceiling. The wall requirement was a concern for the developers, who originally proposed dividing the space with partitions. The cubicle-style dividers were proposed to See WORKER Page 8
County delays sprinkler vote Commissioners want to hear AG’s opinion on mobile home regs By Jack Chavez Staff Writer (Jan. 28, 2022) Worces- Jim Bunting Chip Bertino ter County is going to wait to see what the Maryland At- vote on Jan. 18. torney General has to say Commissioners Joe before deciding whether to Mitrecic and Jim Bunting enforce a law that requires opposed the measure. manufactured homes built “Currently we are allowafter July 2015 to have fire ing manufactured homes to be installed with sprinklers sprinkler systems. The county commission- as long as the folks who are ers also are awaiting the at- installing them acknowledge torney general’s opinion on that they might be responsiwhether certain exceptions ble for retrofitting them in can be granted under the the future,” County Attorney grandfather rule. The deci- Roscoe Leslie told the comsion to wait came after a 4-2 missioners. “We’ve had
about eight installed since we’ve been allowing it.” Leslie added that he emailed the attorney general the week before but was told that their inquiry had been “queued” and speculated it could be weeks or months before they hear back. And it’s already been months. Last May, the Worcester County Fire Marshal’s Office stated it didn’t think sprinklers were required in manufactured homes, but that there were no changes of actual laws or regulations. In September, the commissioners passed a resolution based on the fire marshal’s position and knew See COUNTY Page 9
Some days it’s in stock, some days it isn’t, but no chicken shortage exists
By Greg Wehner Staff Writer (Jan. 28, 2022) It’s NFL playoff time, and what better way to watch the game than with your favorite beverage and a plate of hot chicken wings. But wait! Many of the local grocery stores, if you have not noticed, have a gap in the meat section between pork and beef, where the poultry products normally chill until the shopper, you, picks up the package of chicken and tosses it into the basket. Before you begin to think there is a chicken shortage, like many others before you, the issue is a little more complicated than that. “We know that customers may be having a little difficulty finding what they want and the quantities they want,” James Fisher, the communications manager for the Delmarva Chicken Association said on Tuesday. “It’s something the chicken industry is working hard to resolve. There’s a lot more to what customers see in stores than just a chicken shortage.” Formerly known as the Delmarva Poultry InSee CHICKEN Page 10
Ocean City man kills roommate in stabbing By Greg Wehner first- and second-deStaff Writer gree murder, first- and (Jan. 28, 2022) An second-degree assault, Ocean City man faces and reckless endangermurder charges after ment. he stabbed his roomRobins is accused of killing Nicholas mate in the neck with a 10-inch steak knife at a Sherronte Robins Pittman, 37, of Ocean motel in West Ocean City, who was found City on Monday. lying in the parking lot of the Sherronte Maurice Robins, Rambler Motel on Elm Street 40, of Ocean City was arrested in West Ocean City just after by State Police at 10:30 p.m. 4:30 p.m. on Monday. on Monday and charged with See ARREST Page 12
