OC Today WWW.OCEANCITYTODAY.NET
JULY 15, 2016
SERVING NORTHERN WORCESTER COUNTY
SPORTS
KIDS STARS OF SHOW Ocean City Marlin Club’s 12th annual youth tournament set for this weekend – Page 37
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Council agrees on rezoning for Cropper parcel Move encourages plan to place hotel near foot of bridge
By Katie Tabeling Staff Writer (July 15, 2016) Despite one councilmember’s misgivings about a proposed hotel emerging from the Ocean City’s southern gateway, the City Council agreed to rezone a large plot of land downtown to make way for a new business venture. Weeks before the City Council opened this discussion, both the Ocean City Development Corporation and the Planning and Zoning Commission endorsed rezoning the long-vacant George B. Cropper Concrete Company
plant on St. Louis Avenue from manufacturing (M) to inlet (I-1). Both recommendations were based on a plan for a hotel and Ropewalk restaurant combination that would cap out at eight-andhalf stories tall. Since the property was divided between manufacturing and downtown mixed-used (D-MX) zoning, the applicants only sought to change the manufacturing zoning designation to give the hotel more room. Keeping it at its current designation would allow for a five-story building that would sprawl across the four acres of land, according to Attorney Joe Moore, who represents Ropewalk Bel Air Properties LLC. See HEIGHT Page 6
Airbnb, other outfits could tax OC revenues PHOTO COURTESY KAT KOUTS
RUN FOR COVER Kat Kouts captures ominous storm clouds rolling in over the ocean near 100th Street on July 6.
Drone discussion temporarily grounded
By Katie Tabeling Staff Writer (July 15, 2016) When it comes to where drones can fly in the resort – and who can fly them – it’s a little more complicated than Ocean City law enforcement originally thought it was. During Monday’s Police Commission
meeting, a re-briefing on the Federal Aviation Administration’s drone regulations turned into a discussion on how the new rules would affect the local real estate community and photographers. Starting on Aug. 29, drone fliers who use them for business purposes would have to See NEW Page 3
Online rental services begin to affect resort bookings, licensing
By Greg Ellison Staff Writer (July 15, 2016) Airbnb, and other peer-to-peer online marketplaces for vacation rentals, was the topic of an extensive discussion at Ocean City’s Tourism Commission meeting on Monday. Susan Jones, executive director of the Ocean City Hotel Motel Restaurant Association, presented some
background on Airbnb, which was founded as airbedandbreakfast in 2008, and now connects hosts and travelers in 191 countries. “It’s certainly becoming very popular,” she said. “It’s over a $10 billion dollar company. It’s larger than several hotel companies, so it’s definitely a player.” She went on to explain that Airbnb’s business model charges guests a roughly 10 percent fee, while hosts pony up about a three percent booking fee. “What concerns me is that See HOTEL Page 7