OC employee housing code changes OK’d

if at all possible,” said Bill Neville, Ocean City’s director of planning and business development.

By Hunter Hine Staff Writer

(May 19, 2023) The Ocean City Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously endorsed amendments to the employee housing code, adding several new stipulations, at their meeting Tuesday night.

The amended code proposal will be forwarded to City Council for its approval.

“Our end goal is to get this adopted by council,

Since 2022, the commission has planned revisions for the employee housing code to incentivize developers to build more housing and expand the living options for seasonal workers.

Covid exacerbated a seasonal-worker housing shortage as landlords shifted from employee housing to more profitable vacation rentals.

At its last meeting on May 2, the commission held a public hearing for a draft of the code, heard three recommended adjustments handed down from City Council and discussed other potential changes.

Neville took into account the May 2 meeting comments to create a new draft for Tuesday’s meeting. In it, Neville gave a list of options for the commissioners to choose from and add to the employee housing code.

Out of the seven recommended options, the commissioners voted to approve the first five.

Recommendation one confirmed that drafted parking requirements should remain unchanged, which was a focus of debate among commissioners on May 2.

The draft states that employee housing must provide two spaces per three sleeping rooms, or one space per five employee residents, whichever is greater. The Board of Zoning Appeals can make spe-

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Spring Cruisin’ rumbles into town with cars and contests

By Hunter Hine Staff Writer

(May 19, 2023) More than 3,000 customs, classic cars and trucks have motored into town for the 32nd annual Cruisin’ Ocean City car festival that started yesterday and runs until Sunday afternoon at the inlet parking lot and the convention center.

Cruisin’ OC reached its maximum number of pre-registered cars last week, but interested enthusiasts can still stop by the convention center to see if any spots have become available, according to Special Events Productions Inc.

Spectator can tour the event grounds for $15 a day and $10 on Sunday. Event hours run from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. through Saturday, while the show goes from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday.

Sisters Meredith Herbert and Jacklyn Lehr are promoting the event with long-time family friend and local promoter Bob Rothermel. Herbert and Lehr’s father Jack Hennen started Cruisin’ OC with Rothermel but has since retired, putting the sisters in the metaphorical driver’s seat.

“We really enjoy seeing the multigenerational families coming. A lot of our participants either started coming in with their parents or grandparents and now are coming in with kids of their own,” Herbert said.

This year would’ve marked the 33rd annual event, but the car show went virtual in 2020 because of covid and wasn’t counted.

Participants hail from more than 20 states, and with cars also coming from as far as England and Canada to

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