OCEAN CITY – Mayor Rick Meehan presented a Key to the City to Thomas Singman on Monday in recognition of his 25 years of service on the Planning and Zoning Commission.
On Feb. 16, 1987, Meehan, then a councilman, nominated and appointed Singman to the commission. It was a time when the number of year-round residents in Ocean City was increasing as visitors were becoming permanent residents and the residential areas of Caine Keys and Caine Woods were being developed.
“I can tell you there were a lot of long meetings on the planning level and on the Mayor and City Council level, and Tom was appointed to that board just as all those conversations were beginning, so he could represent the citizens,” the mayor said.
Singman served on the seven-member commission with 19 different commissioners and a few current members were in attendance that evening in honor of Singman.
“Tom is resigning with a heavy heart,” Mayor Meehan said. “He was a valuable member with his input that I know was the basis and part of all the decisions that have been made over the past 25 years and helped us shape our community.”
The mayor pointed out just a few of Singman’s accomplishments while serving on the commission, such as the 1989, 1997 and 2005 updates made to the Comprehensive Plan, as well as having input on the upper and lower downtown development design standards, special bayside regulations, lighting standards, the design of large-scale projects and many other projects that were brought before the commission for review.
“The 1993 comprehensive update of zoning regulations and zoning maps was probably the biggest zoning effort that has taken place to this date in the Town of Ocean City,” the mayor said.
Zoning Administrator Blaine Smith called the occasion bitter sweet and is thankful for working with Singman.
“Tom was here to protect the single-family residences of this town, as well as the commercial and large scale development, but closest to his heart were the residents of Ocean City in the single-family communities,” Smith said.
Singman was honored with the comments and key to the city.
“I would like to thank the city for allowing me to serve all of these years. We saw a lot of good things come and go, and the Planning Commission is still working hard at it, and they are some of the finest people I have ever worked with,” Singman said.