SNOW HILL – Two proposed rezonings will be forwarded on to the Worcester County Commissioners with favorable recommendations.
The Worcester County Planning Commission last week voted 5-0 to support proposed rezonings for a lot on Route 50 in West Ocean City and a parcel in Bishopville. The rezoning on Route 50 would allow for development of an office building on land near Herring Creek.
“Every property on the north side of US Route 50 between Herring Creek and the Sinepuxent Bay is zoned commercial on the frontage except for this property,” attorney Hugh Cropper said.
Cropper approached the commission last Thursday seeking rezoning of 2.25 acres on the north side of Route 50, east of Herring Creek. He said he was asking that the R-2 residential property be rezoned to C-2 general commercial on that basis that a mistake had been made when it was labeled R-2. He noted that nearby properties along Route 50 were commercial and that the county’s land use map showed the property as commercial.
Cropper said he was seeking the rezoning because Blue Water Development wanted to buy the property.
“The Burbages want to build their office there,” he said.
He said that there were buffers that limited building space on the lot whether it was commercial or residential.
“Even if you approve this rezoning, not a whole lot is going to change with respect to the building envelope, whether it’s R-2 or C-2,” he said.
Cropper suggested it was a poor location for housing anyway.
“It’s a terrible place to have R-2 housing,” he said. “I’ve had a dozen clients over 20 years try to put something there along that road and it’s never worked.”
Commission member Ken Church said it wasn’t fair to have one parcel on that side of Route 50 labeled residential when everything else was commercial. The commission voted 5-0 to give the rezoning a favorable recommendation.
The commission on Thursday also provided a favorable recommendation to rezone 8.57 acres on the east side of Daye Girls Road from RP resource protection to E-1 estate district. Both rezoning requests will be forward to the Worcester County Commissioners for consideration.
