OC Today WWW.OCEANCITYTODAY.COM
DECEMBER 21, 2018
SERVING NORTHERN WORCESTER COUNTY
HOLIDAY
MERRY CHRISTMAS OC Today and Bayside Gazette will be closed Dec. 24-25. The office will reopen Wednesday, Dec. 26
FREE
Gym property purchase goes to final stage Council OKs $1.2 million for parcel on 67th Street
JOSH DAVIS/OCEAN CITY TODAY
COVER GIRLS Grinning mermaid dolls inside World of Toys in downtown Berlin keep shoppers’ spirits warm even on cold December days. The sprawling, 4,800square-foot shop features several rows of colorful dolls and stuffed animals, not to mention plenty of unique toys, games, puzzles and books.
Storm drain work digs up problems Cleaning effort unearths age-related damage in half-century-old section
By Greg Ellison Staff Writer (Dec. 21, 2018) Although work to clean decades worth of dirt and debris clogging Coastal Highway storm drains is scarcely underway, state highway crews have already unearthed a section of compromised pipe that requires replacement. Charlie Gischlar, state highway media relations manager, said the discovery came about during recent routine road maintenance to remove
leaves and debris. “With all the rain we’ve had this year, we had to continually maintain and clean out those drainage inlets,” he said. With the drainage system not getting much attention over the last three decades, City Council in October allocated $100,000 from the Maryland Stormwater and Critical Area Mitigation fund to finance a comprehensive storm drain-cleaning program in conjunction with the State Highway Administration. The city has approximately 47 miles of storm drains with more than 2,700 catch basins/junction boxes and 335-outfall locations. The SHA
owns and maintains Coastal Highway, Philadelphia Avenue and Baltimore Avenue, plus the associated storm drain systems. The project is intended to remove sediment buildup inside drainage pipes and catch basin drop bottoms, which are meant to provide space below outlet pipes to trap debris, along with numerous outfall pipes that appear, at least partially, blocked. Gischlar said the damaged pipe came to light after crews noticed a storm drain catch basin entirely filled with sediment on southbound Coastal Highway near 99th Street. See CREWS Page 6
By Greg Ellison Staff Writer (Dec. 21, 2018) The pieces continue to lock in place for a proposed mid-town water treatment plant after the Ocean City Council on Monday authorized spending more than $1.2 million to buy the former World Gym property on 67th Street, although immediate post-acquisition plans rem a i n unknown. The council approved on second reading an ‘I don’t support one ordinance to piece of this, which purchase the is a contractual property, provision that which contains two- requires a business freestanding be closed’ buildings Councilman with associJohn Gehrig ated parking totaling more than 12,000 square feet. Reviving talking points from the ordinance’s first reading on Dec. 3, Councilman John Gehrig again asked about the fate of the current business operator and existing structures. “So, with the contract, we’re going to evict the tenant and demo the building?” he asked. City Solicitor Guy Ayres said the decision at hand would only satisfy the resort’s contractual obligations, with the seller responsible for any eviction proceedings. “We can’t ratify it for the seller,” he said. “They’ll do that when they sign.” In September, council voted unanimously in closed session to proceed See RESORT Page 10