OCEAN CITY – Satisfied the current plan does not represent a departure for what was originally approved, resort planners last week agreed to extend the site plan for the redevelopment of the former Phillips Seafood House property uptown for an additional 18 months.
In April 2021, the Ocean City Planning Commission approved a presented site plan for the redevelopment of the old Phillips Seafood House property at 141st Street and Coastal Highway for a mixed-use residential and commercial project including 36 multi-family dwelling units along with some retail and food service operations on the first level.
The site plan approval expired last month, but because of some anomalies including at least one meeting when the planning commission did not have a quorum, the applicant requested and received permission to have the commission extend the site plan approval for the project for an additional 18 months.
Despite complicated parking requirement issues, the planning commission approved the original site plan for the proposed redevelopment of the former Phillips Seafood House property at 141st Street in 2021. At that time, there were some issues regarding the ownership of certain adjacent parking lots formerly used by the restaurant and how that applied to the proposed new project for the site.
With those issues resolved, the planning commission approved the proposed site plan for the 36 multi-family dwelling units along with the first-floor commercial uses including some food service elements. Last Wednesday, the planning commission unanimously approved an 18-month extension of the site plan for a variety of reasons.
For decades, the site was home to the Phillips Seafood House, an extension of the iconic Ocean City family’s brand. In the several months since, the original Phillips Crab House at 21st Street has closed and the old Phillips Beach Plaza property along the Boardwalk at 13th Street is slated for redevelopment as the vast Margaritaville project. Last week, Zoning Administrator Kay Gordy explained the original site plan for the 141st Street property had expired, and the applicant was seeking an extension for a variety of reasons.
“This was running out of time,” she said. “It actually expired last month I believe. It’s just that the agenda has been pushed back and pushed back for a variety of reasons. We assured the applicant since he had asked previous to that it shouldn’t be an issue.”
Gordy said the staff was satisfied the parking requirements for the project were being met and recommended an extension of the original site plan approval.
“They’ve already demolished it,” she said. “Parking at 142nd Street has not been added into this. The southerly remote lot is where some of the parking has already been approved. They are not asking to change anything. They are only asking to extend the site plan approval.”
Project architect Keith Iott told the commission the plan as presented met all of the code requirements and represented a good use of the former Phillips Seafood House property. Iott spoke on behalf of project developer Ocean Two LLC and Christos Sarantis.
“It’s the former Phillips site,” he said. “He desired to create a really nice mixed-use development. There are some nice residential properties but also some very nice retail. There will be some food service elements included in the project.”
Attorney Hugh Cropper, representing the developer, said there were a variety of reasons why an extension of the site plan approval was being sought.
“It was well-received and you all approved it unanimously,” he said. “With COVID, as we all know, there have been issues with the economy and supply demands, so we’re just asking for an additional 18 months. Absolutely nothing has changed with the site plan.”
Planning Commission Chair Pam Buckley commiserated with the developers need for an extension of the original site plan approval.
“It has been incredibly difficult for people who have started a project during all of this,” she said. “We certainly understand that part of it.”
