OCEAN CITY – A code amendment regarding off-street parking will go back to the town’s planning and zoning commission for revisions following a council vote last week.
In a work session last week, the Mayor and Council voted 6-0, with Councilman John Gehrig absent, to send the Ocean City Planning and Zoning Commission’s recommended code amendment involving off-street parking back for revisions. Councilman Peter Buas, who made the motion, argued the proposed changes went above and beyond what was instructed of the commission.
“Right now, the recommendation is very different from what the instructions were,” he said.
Last year, the commission presented the Mayor and Council with a code amendment that would have, if passed, required developers to provide enclosed two-vehicle garages for each multi-family housing unit and require property owners to use those garage spaces for their intended purpose. Essentially, the goal of the code amendment was to address the lack of sufficient off-street parking and the proliferation of garage spaces being used as a storage area, necessitating more parking on the town’s public streets.
At that time, however, the council removed the commission’s proposed amendment without discussion, causing a rift between the two bodies. And at a joint session last December, the council ultimately agreed to remand the issue back to staff to explore and make recommendations on garage parking space sizes.
“About a year and a half ago, the ordinance was rejected in its entirety. Then it got brought up again in the joint session …,” Buas said last week. “The consensus that came out, by vote, was that we’ll entertain the code amendment, but very limited to the size of the garages … This code amendment that came back, despite the consensus, goes well beyond that again.”
Last month, the commission agreed to forward a new code amendment on off-street parking to the Mayor and Council with a favorable recommendation. As proposed, the amendment would change the dimensions of enclosed parking spaces on lots greater than 50 feet wide to 10-by-21 feet deep. The amendment would also require a five-foot driveway apron and changes to off-street parking for multifamily dwellings. Two-and-a-half parking spaces would be required for each three-bedroom unit, with a minimum of one space being unenclosed.
During last week’s council meeting, Buas asked if the commission’s recommendation would be brought before the Mayor and Council at an upcoming meeting. He said he wanted the proposed code amendment brought back to the commission.
“I’d like to see it not scheduled for a work session and instead remanded back with an instruction to revise pursuant to the last joint session,” he said.
After further discussion, the council voted 6-0 to remand the proposed ordinance back to the commission.
The council this week also agreed to set the agenda for an upcoming joint meeting with the planning and zoning commission. The two bodies are expected to work through several topics, including non-conforming signage, minimum residential parking requirements and more.
“I wanted to at least open with the idea that this is a good time and a good opportunity for the two groups to meet again, primarily because we are hoping to kick off the update of the comprehensive plan, starting in January,” said Bill Neville, the town’s planning and community development director. “We know that there have been delays in making progress on the code amendments. And I think the reasons behind that are items that will be well discussed between the two groups.”
The council ultimately voted 6-0 to approve the joint session agenda with amendments and to schedule a meeting after the holidays.
“We’ll shoot for some time after New Year’s,” said Council President Matt James.
