SNOW HILL – County officials last week reviewed conceptual plans for a new brewery on Route 611.
The Worcester County Technical Review Committee looked at plans for O.C. Beer Works, a brewery proposed for the former Ocean City Service Co. property, at a meeting last Wednesday. While there are still a lot of issues to be worked out, the connections of the brewery said they were eager to make progress with the plans.
“You gave us some ideas for our next step,” Steve Kansak said.
O.C. Beer Works is proposed as a 8,904-square-foot brewery, tasting room and restaurant/entertainment facility with a 75,000-square-foot beer garden at 9724 Stephen Decatur Highway. The brewery, which would be a Class 7 microbrewery, would require a text amendment, according to county staff, as it is intended to include manufacturing for distribution as well as on site consumption.
“The distribution component would require a text amendment, which would need to be reviewed and approved by the planning commission and the county commissioners,” a staff report reads.
The brewery also needs to purchase the necessary sewer capacity and address requirements mandated by the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA). SHA wants entrances to the property adjusted and an acceleration/deceleration lane constructed.
The agency will also require a traffic study for the proposed development to determine how many trips per day it will generate.
The brewery’s connections said they were hoping to establish an operation with a laid back, “beachy” feel that would feature an entertainment pavilion, picnic tables and corn hole.
The technical review committee last Wednesday also reviewed plans for the second phase of the Triple Crown community near Gum Point Road as well as a site plan for a new Diakonia facility on Route 611. Representatives of the nonprofit said the new facility on a four-acre parcel on Route 611 would include multiple buildings that will provide space for retail, office, storage and conference space in addition to 48 one-bedroom housing units.
