11/10/17 Ocean City Today

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OC Today WWW.OCEANCITYTODAY.NET

NOVEMBER 10, 2017

SERVING NORTHERN WORCESTER COUNTY

VETERANS DAY EVENTS Several ceremonies are planned to honor U.S. military members this Saturday – Page 43

FREE

Car show plans met with jeers

R-1A DISTRICT

Planning com. kills reference in draft plan

Angry crowd objects, council steps back

Neville: strengthen existing zoning code

By Katie Tabeling Staff Writer (Nov. 10, 2017) All mention of the R-1A zoning district was scrubbed from the draft language of the comprehensive plan, but the Planning and Zoning Commission pledged to add more enforcement tools to keep shortterm rentals under control in single-family neighborhoods. Those tools would include definitions of short-term rentals, transitional houses and dormitories at a later date. During a well-attended meeting Tuesday night, Planning Director Bill Neville pointed out that officials could take several approaches, including strengthening the existing code. “The issue today is that the housing rentals are administered under the business code. Right off the bat, we require properties to be licensed if they’re rented at any length of time,” he said. “Business use is not permitted in R-1 [districts], so that’s something we could straighten out and make work for everyone.” The R-1A district was proposed in 2015, when Mallard Island residents petitioned for the classification to stop weekly vacation rentals from operating in their neighborhood. Instead, the council decided to tighten existing restrictions on R-1 singlefamily home, like implementing a new licensing procedure and conducting an annual informational meeting for seasonal landlords. See PLANNING Page 6

LIFESTYLE

BRIAN GILLILAND/OCEAN CITY TODAY

SAND WORK

Heavy equipment is staged at the 82nd Street beach for beach replenishment operations, which are already underway, though the dredge supplying the material to reinforce the shoreline is working to the north, near the Delaware border. The state, county and resort entered into a 50-year contract to occasionally perform beach replenishment in 1994.

Dune joyride goes 20 blocks Federalsburg driver says he can’t recall getting behind wheel

By Brian Gilliland Associate Editor (Nov. 10, 2017) Daniel Silvers, 47, of Federalsburg, Maryland, told police he blames a mixture of prescription medication and alcoholic beverages consumed Saturday evening for a nearly 20-block joyride along the dunes between 118th Street and 99th Street when he was discovered early Sunday morning. Police answered a report of a vehicle on the beach at almost 6 a.m. Sunday, where Pfc. Adam Lapinski discovered Silvers apparently asleep behind the wheel of the still-running Ford Explorer that was stuck in reverse. Lapinski saw the front bumper was missing and the front fender was damaged

on the passenger’s side. Lapinski also reported he could smell alcohol as soon as he approached the vehicle, which only got worse as he woke Silvers and began speaking with him. Accord-

ing to the statement of probable cause, Lapinski escorted Silvers to a nearby parking lot to conduct field sobriety tests. Silvers reportedly told See FEDERALSBURG Page 3

Daniel Silver’s Ford Explorer was found still running and in reverse on the dune where police believe his 20-block joyride along the dune line ended.

By Katie Tabeling Staff Writer (Nov. 10, 2017) Although Ocean City officials committed to holding spring and fall car cruises next year, it’s still unknown whether they have a long-term place in the resort following a City Council meeting marked by catcalls ‘…we all have and jeers on M o n d a y to be realistic and approach night. M e m - these changes bers of the with an open Police Commission told mind — and I mean the irate crowd that everyone.’ packed the Mayor Rick council Meehan chambers that their recommendations, which included eliminating both events at the inlet and the convention center, were for the public good. “The town has grown up and changed, and we have to [these events] adapt to that change if they’re going to stay. It’s going to be difficult,” Mayor Rick Meehan said. “But we all have to be realistic and approach these changes with an open mind — and I mean everyone.” The commission also ranked motor vehicle events on factors like non-event attendee behavior, roadside crowds, level of law enforcement required and pedestrian endangerment. Cruisin’ Ocean City, Endless Summer Cruisin’ and unsanctioned car show H2O International were determined to be the events with See COUNCIL Page 22


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