OCEAN CITY – The Little Salisbury neighborhood could be seeing a new and improved pumping station in the future, after the City Council approved an engineering services proposal for design and bidding of upgrades to the Arctic Avenue pumping station this week.
Renovations to the pumping station, which lies within Little Salisbury at the intersection of Artic Avenue and Chesapeake Drive, will be the second pumping station improvement in a series of improvements identified in the Wastewater Capital Improvement Plan. Completion of the Jamestown Rd. pumping station is slated for late September, with plans to bring a more aesthetically pleasing pumping station to that area.
Public Works Director Hal Adkins explained that, similar to the plans for the Jamestown Rd. pumping station, a more architecturally appealing building is intended to for the upgraded Arctic Avenue pumping station.
Adkins presented the council with conceptual design ideas, which call for the pumping station to resemble a small house or structure more fitting to the neighborhood setting.
Adkins noted that the construction portion of the project is not fully funded. To fund the project, a portion of the funds will come from funding allocated for the renovation of the Old Landing Rd. pumping station. According to Adkins, the Arctic Avenue station takes priority, as the Old Landing Rd. station will likely be replaced, not renovated. Some funding will remain in the Old Landing Rd. account however, to allow for completion of conceptual plans.
Public works will move forward with the Arctic Avenue pumping station in the mean time, said Adkins.
“It is our desire to prepare the documents in the coming weeks and to prepare for a bid opening in November,” he said.
“I’m hoping that people in the neighborhood will see this as an advantage because it looks like a small house or cottage,” said Council member Margaret Pillas of the improvements.