Condos Planned To Replace Old Concrete Plant

OCEAN CITY – At the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting Tuesday night, the site plan for Croppers Landing, to be located between north First and North Division streets, was presented to and approved.

The plan, calling for 94 multi-family residential units, will be located on the bayside between the south side of North 1st Street and the north side of North Division Street, abutting into the Isle of Wight Bay. The area is locally known as 309 1st Street.

The applicant for the site plan approval is Jacqueline C. Insley, personal representative of George B. Cropper.

“It’s a very unique property,” Zoning Administrator Blaine Smith said as he presented the plans to the commission.

Smith explained that the concrete plant the used to reside on the property has relocated to Bishop, Md. The site is now abandoned as an industrial site, which could be developed into residential or a marina.

The plan proposes that there be 54 townhouses on the north portion of the lot. Each townhouse will have a garage plus two parking spaces and will be three stories in overall height. The southern portion of the lot will house a five-story building with 40 multi-family units. The multi-family unit will be essentially buffering the Route 50 Bridge.

Smith explained that the construction of the project would inevitably cause a disturbance to the streets, but that the damage would be repaired at the expense of the developer.

Smith explained that the landscaping is slightly more than the required amount. There will be no pool included with the plans, but there are plans for a stream coupled with landscaping to traverse the center of the property.

A unique selling point of the plans is the proposed bayside boardwalk, which is planned to directly boarder the bay, but Smith explained that under the town’s current legislation, a boardwalk would have to be backed up 10 feet. “We working with the state,” Smith said.

Glenn Irwin, executive director of the Ocean City Development Corporation (OCDC), gave approval to the project along with some recommendations. “Overall we thought it was a nice project,” Irwin said.

Irwin suggested that a 36-inch picket fence bordering the street be added to the plans.

“I think this is an excellent project that fits in perfectly with that downtown area of Ocean City,” said Lauren Taylor, commission member.

The commission voted 6-0 to approve the site plans.