February 4, 2022
INSIDE: Del. Wayne Hartman and Sen. Mary Beth Carozza discuss the status of the Ocean City room tax, ghost guns, district maps and more — Page 11
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State Highway Administration, Ocean City crews and private contractors used dump trucks, plows and a snowblower, above, to deposit mountains of snow in the inlet lot after Saturday’s storm.
Coastal cleanup builds mountains Crews hit streets Saturday to help clear foot of snow dropped on Ocean City By Greg Wehner Staff Writer (Feb. 4, 2022) Crews pounced into action on Saturday to clean the foot of snow that fell on Ocean City and its surrounding areas during the weekend’s blizzard. Although costly with a budget of $2.5 million for the region and $71
million for the state, local and state crews were able to get the bulk of the roads cleared by Sunday night, transporting powdery snow and slush to the inlet parking lot and creating two massive mounds. “Snow removal operations during this past weekend’s winter event on the lower Eastern Shore went very well considering the unusually large accumulations and high winds,” Sherry Christian, a spokesperson for the State Highway Administration – or SHA – said on Tuesday. “Mainte-
nance crews working around the clock were able to keep travel lanes passable throughout the event; and began the process of removing and hauling snow from shoulder to shoulder immediately following the event.” Christian broke down the operation, saying crews began work before the storm began by treating roads and bridges with salt brine – a mixture of 23.3 percent salt and 76.7 percent water that has a freezing point of -6 degrees Fahrenheit – while staSee POST-STORM Page 8
Battery site will store electricity for local use later By Mallory Panuska Staff Writer (Feb. 4, 2022) Going with the lesser of two evils, members of the Ocean City Planning Commission gave their blessing this week for Delmarva Power to construct a renewable energy system on a 100th Street lot. See BATTERY Page 7
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Ocean City Today
FEBRUARY 4, 2022
FEBRUARY 4, 2022
Montego Bay resident group rejects towers on properties By Mallory Panuska Staff Writer (Feb. 4, 2022) The fight against invasive cell towers in certain local districts is still far from over, but a group of residents in one of the affected neighborhoods have stepped up to the fight. On Monday, members of the Ocean City council will vote on new utility and installation agreements and ordinances that pose strict regulations on all towers put up in city rights of way, easements or properties. The vote comes on the heels of tower construction company Crown Castle attempting to erect roughly 30foot 5G towers in places where the aesthetics of the neighborhoods do not support them — like Montego Bay on 130th Street. Piggybacking on that, members of the Montego Bay Civic Association board of directors voted recently to rally behind a large cross-section of their members and amend the neighborhood’s declaration of restrictions to prohibit carriers from putting up the towers on any association-owned properties. Holly Donovan, who has lived in Montego Bay since 1971, said the vote was a big win for residents like her who have been fighting against construction of the towers in the neighborhood since 2018. Currently, all of the utilities in the neighborhood are underground, with structures no higher than a few feet. And while company officials say the towers are needed to fix service issues in certain parts of the neighborhood, Donovan claims those issues do not exist. With the company’s recent attempt
to construct three towers in the neighborhood, Donovan joined roughly 1,300 of Montego Bay’s about 1,500 residents in signing a petition to try and stop the application. She and several neighbors also attended meetings at City Hall trying to convince council members that the towers are not only highly invasive, but are not needed. And while the leaders of the 13member civic association were not on board at first, they approved the amendment to the restrictions in an 8-0 majority on Jan. 24, for which many of the neighbors were thankful. “Living in a tight-knit community like Montego Bay and having an HOA Board that listens to the needs and wants of the membership are just two of many things that make Ocean City the best place to live,” residents David and Karen Sollod said in a recent letter. But even with the board’s vote, and the pending approvals from City Council members, the fate of the towers still lies within the court system. Crown Castle filed federal lawsuits in response to City Council members denying the company’s recent applications to erect three towers in Montego Bay, and another three on Marlin Drive, and Old Landing and Bering roads. City legal officials tried to get the court to dismiss the cases to no avail, and now await the decisions. City Manager Terry McGean said that the court ruling will ultimately determine if and where the towers can be built. “If the court case says that the city has to allow them in the right of way, then that’s what has to happen,” he said. See CITY COUNCIL Page 4
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Ocean City Today
FEBRUARY 4, 2022
National cellular companies to shut down 3G networks
PHOTO COURTESY ROBIN HARRISON
SAYING GOODBYE
Crews took down the iconic Phillips sign last week, signaling the end of a 65-year-run. The crab house was a destination to many, and prior to its residency, was known as the Windsor Castle.
By Greg Wehner Staff Writer (Feb. 4, 2022) Over the next few months, major cellular phone service providers will be cutting off older networks to pave the way for what they says are faster and more reliable networks. But as these networks get shut down, the ability of individuals to call 911 using a phone tied to them also goes away. The Maryland 9-1-1 Board is warning consumers that the older phones that rely on 3G technology – some medical alert devices, home security systems, tablets, smart watches, and phones – may cease to operate in 2022 as the networks are shut down. “In 2022, AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile will discontinue using the 3G net-
work service,” Ocean City Police Department Deputy of Communications Ashley Miller said. Her concern is that countless 3G dependent phones have gone to vulnerable adults, domestic violence victims and others so they can call 911 if they have an emergency. According to AT&T’s website, the 3G network the company provides is expected to be shut down on Feb. 22. “We’re phasing out our 3G network in February 2022 to make room for an even better one that will improve your experience,” AT&T said. T-Mobile, which now owns Sprint, plans to start phasing out Sprint’s 3G network by March 31, the Sprint LTE network by June 30, and its own 3G network on July 1. The company also has a 2G network that it plans to shut down, but no date has been set for its expiration to date. “Moving customers who are on old networks onto modern, advanced highspeed networks means they will need to have phones and devices that can tap into the latest technologies and don’t rely on older ones,” T-Mobile said on its website. “We’ll ensure that we support our customers and partners through the transition. We began sending notifications late last year, and everyone who needs to act will be given advanced notice and hear directly from T-Mobile.” Verizon first announced it would shut down 3G in 2019, but that was extended to the end of 2020 before being extended even longer to the end of 2022. The mobile carrier is now planning to close its 3G network on Dec. 31. The company’s website states that less than 1 percent of its customers are See TECHNOLOGY Page 5
City Council will vote on new cell tower regulations Continued from Page 3 The changes that council members will vote on at their regular meeting Monday were first proposed during a work session in December. At another work session last month, the elected officials approved the first readings. They include adding definitions, clarifying who can install what in the rights of way, and clarifying when a utility installation agreement is not necessary. Language was also added to clarify the requirement for companies to comply with city codes, among other details. McGean has said the changes proposed will “enhance” the regulatory process if towers are ultimately allowed in the neighborhoods where city officials are trying to block them.
FEBRUARY 4, 2022
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Ocean City Today
Technology goes dark by Dec. 2022 Continued from Page 4 still using the 3G network. “We’ve already communicated to customers that we are no longer allowing devices that are not 4G LTE capable to be activated on our network, so the focus now is the smooth migration of the remaining 3G devices in the market onto 4G LTE or 5G capable products and services.” Verizon said on its website. “Customers who still have a 3G device will continue to be strongly encouraged to make a change now. As we move closer to the shut-off date, customers still accessing the 3G network
may experience a degradation or complete loss of service, and our service centers will only be able to offer extremely limited troubleshooting help on these older devices.” Miller said even though efforts are underway to replace or upgrade the 3G phones that are only used for dialing 911, the Maryland 9-1-1 Board is concerned many people may be unaware that they may lose their service. “Most users of these services will be notified directly by the carriers if this discontinuation affects them,” the board said in a press release. “However,
users of older phones used for 911 only purposes may not be notified if they do not have active service with the provider. It has long been the practice of some organizations for the homeless or domestic violence shelters to provide clients with older phones with no service, since those phones could still be used to call 911 in an emergency.” The board encouraged low-income individuals who are concerned their 911-only phones may longer be supported, to apply for service through the federal Lifeline Program by visiting www.lifelinesupport.org.
PHOTO COURTESY METRO CREATIVE GRAPHICS
Top mobile carriers like AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile plan to shut off their 3G networks in 2022 to make way for what they call better and more reliable service. As a result, individuals who have phones on the 3G networks will not be able to make calls, including victims of domestic assault who may rely on free phones only for calling 911.
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Ocean City Today
FEBRUARY 4, 2022
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Ocean City Today
Battery site to sub for substation Continued from Page 1 At a lengthy hearing this week, a parade of utility professionals touted the benefits of the proposed battery energy storage system, or BESS, on one of two properties behind the Worcester County Library, while leery neighbors voiced concerns about aesthetics, environmental issues, noise and safety. In the end, planning commissioners grudgingly agreed to give a favorable recommendation for City Council members to approve a conditional use application to construct the unit – but only if it eliminates the possibility of a full-on substation coming to either of the lots. “I can’t even fathom there being a substation on the lot that they own right now. That would be horrific,” Commission Chairwoman Pam Buckley said during the meeting. “We have to provide electric to the Town of Ocean City. Delmarva has been a very good partner with many things over the years. This is actually a small footprint from what a power station could be.” In 1990, Delmarva Power obtained a conditional use permit to build an electrical substation with principal transmission lines on one of the lots. The plans never came to fruition, but the company kept the lot and uses it today for vehicle storage. The other lot to the south is city-owned and used for parking. During two hearings on Tuesday, Delmarva Power officials presented plans to construct a BESS unit on one of the two properties through approval of a conditional use application. Members of the City Council have the final word on the application, but planning commissioners got first crack at it to give their recommendation. The BESS plans are part of a state pilot program established in 2019
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Delmarva Power officials are looking to construct a battery energy storage system, or BESS, behind some type of fencing on one of two open lots on 100th Street behind the Worcester County Public Library.
that aims to “explore the efficacy of deploying utility-scale energy storage throughout the state.” In layman’s terms, the facility will collect energy from an electric grid or renewable power source and hold it using battery storage technology. Company officials said it’s a less invasive way to power the surrounding properties than a substation, like those at 35th, 69th and 138th streets, and provides a more sustainable energy source for the future. Delmarva Power officials said Tuesday that they chose this area in Ocean City and another site in Cecil County to install units as part of the state program. Initially, the facility was supposed to be built by the end of this month, but officials asked for an extension to December 2023. Plans show that the facility will consist of the BESS unit, which will house lithium-ion battery racks and related components, an HVAC and a
fire control system, a backup generator, and electric pedestals. It is unknown right now which lot the unit will be built on if it comes to fruition, but either way it needs a conditional use permit. Approval of the permit will be up to City Council members. If they vote for it, Delmarva Power officials will go back to the planning commission for final approval of a site plan.
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