Debate Results In Jeeps Favored For Future Boardwalk Tram Replacements

Debate Results In Jeeps Favored For Future Boardwalk Tram Replacements
The future look of the Boardwalk trams will change and return to a Jeep pulling the passenger cars. File Photo

OCEAN CITY — One day after a motion to delay the plans for the new downtown public works complex at 2nd Street failed, resort officials came up with a possible alternative solution for the Boardwalk tram operation it will eventually house.

At the close of Tuesday’s Mayor and Council work session, Councilman Wayne Hartman broached the subject of the design of the new public works complex at 2nd Street and St. Louis Avenue that will eventually house the Boardwalk tram operation. The plan is to close the town’s existing public works facility known as Whiteside, which currently hosts, among other things, the Boardwalk tram staging and maintenance areas.

The new facility is moving forward at an accelerated pace with the design about 80-90 percent complete. However, with the final decision on the Boardwalk tram still pending, Hartman expressed a desire to put the brakes on the project. By way of background, resort officials for the last several months have been working on a replacement plan for the Boardwalk trams, which are nearing the end of the useful life.

Two options are on the table, including gas-powered towing units and electric towing units for the passenger cars, each with differing price tags. For example, the electric option would cost an estimated $4 million while the gas version would cost an estimated $2 million. Despite the wide gap in estimated costs, each version comes with its share of up and downs in terms of long-term maintenance and fuel expenses.

Earlier this year, the council opted to put both options out to bid and to then evaluate them. However, the preliminary bids did not meet resort officials’ expectations and a decision was made to further explore the options and put the project out to bid again at a later date.

With the final selection of the Boardwalk tram type still in question, Hartman on Tuesday made a motion to hold up the design of the public works facility at 2nd Street until the configuration of the trams was decided. His reasoning was in order to maximize the capacity of the trams, a decision might be made to attach three passenger cars to the towing unit, which could ultimately alter the design of the tram storage facility at 2nd Street. However, Public Works Director Hal Adkins told the council the design of the 2nd Street facility was roughly 80-90 percent completed, and changing directions at this point would essentially mean going back to the drawing board.

“The design is about 80 to 90 percent done,” he said. “It’s been designed around two trailing units and if you go to a third trailing unit, it might be a major change to the design of the building. It might not even fit on the site.”

Adkins said whatever option was ultimately chosen, the seating capacity would be maximized.

“Right now, we’re looking at alternatives,” he said. “We’re looking at changing from bucket-style seating to bench seating, which will increase the capacity.”

Nonetheless, Hartman moved forward with the motion to delay the design of the building, a motion seconded by Councilman Dennis Dare. The motion touched off a side discussion about council policies and practices. Assistant City Solicitor Heather Stansbury recommended the motion be tabled until Monday’s regular work session because it wasn’t a scheduled agenda item on Tuesday.

Lately, it has not been unusual for impromptu motions to be made on items not included on the agenda and that is at the discretion of the Mayor and Council. However, Council Secretary Mary Knight pointed out it is a departure from the widely accepted Robert’s Rules for conducting public meetings.

“I’ve been one that has been very upset that we do not follow Robert’s Rules,” she said. “I would be more than willing to have this discussion, but I would like to have it at another meeting with some more information. I think you might have legitimate concerns, but we just need more information. If we change it now, how much cost to do we have in the design. Would it still fit on that piece of property? I can’t make that decision today.”

However, Hartman countered moving forward with the design when a final decision has not been made on the trams was not a direction he would like to take.

“If we keep moving forward and then there has to be a change, we will end up spending more money,” he said. “This is a situation where taxpayer money is being spent. To delay the design of this building by two weeks is not going to end the world. If we design the building and build the building and then it doesn’t fit, that doesn’t make any sense.”

Hartman further countered with what he perceives as a flaw in the council’s sub-committee system, a flaw he has broached before. His point was in this case, the potential tram replacement was debated at the transportation committee level and the full council was not privy to those discussions.

“That’s another problem with the system we have with things being in committee,” he said. “It seems things aren’t well-vetted anymore. We see this at almost every meeting now. We move forward with things, but we don’t have all of the options and we don’t have all of the dialogue.”

Adkins reiterated if he had a little more time to make some measurements and look at the various specifications for the tram options, he would be able to give an informed opinion to the Mayor and Council.

“I would prefer you give me 24 hours for gosh sakes to look at the dimensions of the jeeps, for example, and the floor plan of the building to see what I have to work with,” he said. “I’d rather not send a shock wave to the architect without at least looking at it for 24 hours.”

With that said, a vote on Hartman’s motion failed on a 4-2 vote with Hartman and Dare in favor. With that action dispensed with, the council directed Adkins to take 24 hours to review the options and make some measurements and report back to them with some options.

Less than 24 hours later, Adkins made a presentation with some options at a strategic planning work session at Eagle’s Landing on Wednesday after reviewing the information and crunching some numbers on Tuesday night. He told the elected officials and others in attendance on Wednesday, stopping the project at that point would essentially mean starting over and presented an option that could ease everyone’s concerns.

Adkins said he explored the option of having jeeps pull the tram passenger cars, which has been done in the past. He said a jeep pulling three passenger cars would be over 90 feet long, which he did not recommend on the Boardwalk. Instead, he said jeeps pulling two passenger cars would meet the city’s capacity expectations without creating major changes in the design of the 2nd Street complex.

In addition, each jeep could be purchased for around $50,000, while the custom-built towing vehicles also under consideration would cost $150,000 each. He said the current capacity of each tram is around 76 passengers, while his proposal to pull two passenger vehicles with jeeps would increase that number to 85 when beach seating is used as opposed to bucket-style seating.

“I can offset and increase the ridership availability and make it fit in the building as designed,” he said. “We can increase capacity, lower the upfront cost and fit it all into the building as designed. What are the negatives? None.”

The elected officials during Wednesday’s work session directed Adkins and his staff to pursue the purchase of jeeps to pull the Boardwalk tram passenger cars and prepare a request for proposal for the bidding process. There is already $200,000 in the current budget for tram replacement.

About The Author: Shawn Soper

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Shawn Soper has been with The Dispatch since 2000. He began as a staff writer covering various local government beats and general stories. His current positions include managing editor and sports editor. Growing up in Baltimore before moving to Ocean City full time three decades ago, Soper graduated from Loch Raven High School in 1981 and from Towson University in 1985 with degrees in mass communications with a journalism concentration and history.