OCEAN CITY – The Town of Ocean City has earned a place on the State of Maryland’s list of Sustainable Communities
In total, 17 Maryland communities were recognized for their efforts to join the statewide initiative to strengthen reinvestment and revitalizing in Maryland’s older neighborhoods.
“Sustainable Communities seek to conserve resources, provide green spaces and parks for recreation and agriculture and conserve historical and cultural resources,” Ocean City Planning and Community Development Director Matt Margotta said. “Being added to the state’s list of Sustainable Communities is a huge accomplishment for the Town of Ocean City. It is a positive reflection of our commitment to the town’s past, present and future.”
Currently, Gov. Martin O’Malley’s Smart Growth subcabinet has approved 55 Sustainable Communities under Maryland’s Sustainable Communities Act. Along with Ocean City, newly added communities included Towson, Taneytown, Annapolis, Cambridge, Thurmont and Chestertown.
“Ocean City’s Sustainable Community Action Plan focuses on efforts to increase workforce housing, modernize existing structures to code, plan for vulnerable sea-level rise areas, promote small business development, and improve the Town’s walkability,” said Margotta. “We have worked closely with the Ocean City Development Corporation to develop a plan that would preserve the history of Ocean City while also preparing for future growth. We believe Ocean City’s Sustainable Community Action Plan will expand our tourism industry, while maintaining the historic and nostalgic beach community that our residents and visitors have grown to love.”
In 2010, O’Malley signed into law Smart, Green & Growing legislation passed by the Maryland General Assembly to enhance the future of growth, development and sustainability in Maryland. This law established the Sustainable Communities.
The Sustainable Communities law enhanced an existing rehabilitation tax credit into the Sustainable Communities Tax Credit Program. It also simplified the framework for designated revitalization target areas in the Community Legacy and Neighborhood Business Works programs, establishing a new transportation focus on older communities and enhancing the role of the Smart Growth Subcabinet in the revitalization of communities.
In May, Margotta presented the Mayor and Council with a draft of Ocean City’s Sustainable Community Application and Plan to be adopted by resolution.
At that time, Margotta explained the Sustainable Community Plan is an update to the existing Community Legacy Plan and Main Street Program that designates the Ocean City Development Corporation (OCDC) area of downtown Ocean City from 15th Street to the Inlet for certain policies, programs, projects and other initiatives and as a Priority Funding Area under Maryland codes.
The draft and application process behind Ocean City’s Sustainable Community Plan is collaboration between OCDC and city staff with OCDC in the position to implement the plan.
The draft was presented in a public meeting on April 24 and on May 7 to the Planning and Zoning Commission, which passed a favorable recommendation to the council to approve.
When the plan returned to the Mayor and Council in form of a resolution to designate the OCDC boundaries and former Community Legacy District as a Sustainable Community, Councilman Dennis Dare felt the subject of a tax differential should be more prominent in the 59-page draft of the plan and asked for the draft to be amended to reflect such. It was then approved after some tweaks.