Planning and Zoning Commission Regular Session - September 3, 2025
Planning and Zoning Commission Regular Session - September 3, 2025
The Ocean City Planning and Zoning Commission held its regular session on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers of City Hall. The meeting covered the approval of minutes, a site plan review for the Irene Condominium pool deck addition, introduction of a code amendment to garage apron standards, and a presentation on the Maryland 60-day review of the draft Comprehensive Plan. Commissioners advanced the code amendment to a public hearing and set a public hearing date for the Comprehensive Plan. All votes were unanimous unless noted otherwise.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the minutes of the August 19, 2025 regular session (motion by Jan Jones, second by Palmer Gillis; unanimous).
- Approved the closed session minutes of August 19, 2025 (motion by Palmer Gillis, second by Janet Hough; unanimous).
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public offered comments.
Discussion Items
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Site Plan Review – Irene Condominium Pool Deck Addition (PZ #25-18100008): Staff presented a proposal to construct a new outdoor pool deck and pool area at 11100 Coastal Highway, a 140-unit, 21-story residential condominium approved in 1971. The project includes a 75-foot by 35-foot concrete pool deck, retaining wall replacement, grading, drainage, utilities, and landscaping. It lies partially within the secondary dune area but east of the Building Restriction Line; staff confirmed no encroachment on the primary dune. No additional parking is required as the pool is an accessory use. An applicant representative noted 55 piles (wood and concrete) would be used, and construction staging would occur at the neighboring Capri parking lot. Commissioners discussed vegetation for dune stabilization and a suggestion to use filter logs instead of silt fence on pavement (not made a condition). The commission approved the site plan with staff conditions (motion by Pam Robertson, second by Palmer Gillis; unanimous).
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Introduction of Code Amendment – Off-Street Parking Design Standards (Sec. 110-935): Staff introduced a proposed amendment to require a minimum five-foot-wide driveway apron between garage doors and interior drive aisles. Commissioner Kevin Rohe, a proponent, argued the change would improve vehicle turning radius, allow loading/unloading without blocking the drive aisle, and address issues seen in recent north-end townhouse projects where vehicles overhang into the aisle. Commissioners debated whether to exempt small lots and noted the five-foot width could be adjusted at public hearing. The commission voted to forward the proposal to a public hearing (motion by Palmer Gillis, second by Kevin Rohe; unanimous).
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Comprehensive Plan – Maryland 60-Day Review & Public Hearing Date: Bill Neville, City Planner, presented the state’s review comments on the draft 2025 Comprehensive Plan, which included 30 recommendations. He highlighted four items: a fair housing assessment, elaboration on objections to offshore wind energy, clarifying the relationship between parking goals and alternative transportation, and responding to criticisms about water resource statements. The commission discussed responses and decided to hold a public hearing on October 21, 2025, to receive public input. A work session to refine implementation strategies will follow the hearing (motion to set date by consensus).
Key Outcomes
- Approved the Irene Condominium pool deck site plan with all staff conditions.
- Approved the minutes of August 19, 2025 (regular and closed session).
- Advanced the garage apron code amendment to a public hearing scheduled for October 21, 2025.
- Scheduled a public hearing for the draft Comprehensive Plan on October 21, 2025, with a follow-up work session.
- Cancelled the September 16, 2025 regular meeting; status of the October 7 meeting to be determined based on commissioner availability.
- Staff directed to consult with the City Solicitor on fair housing compliance before the public hearing.
Meeting Transcript
Tonight's planning and zoning commission meeting. Uh the date is Wednesday, September third, twenty twenty-five. First item on our agenda is approval of the minutes of the August 19th, 2025 meeting. Uh can I have a motion to approve the minutes? Uh Janet one. Do I have a second? All second. Second Palmer. Any discussion? All those in favor? All right. Motion carries unanimously. Uh two, site plan. Uh site plan review for the Irene condominium pool deck edition is a proposed improvement project involving construction of a new outdoor pool deck and pool area with an existing residential condominium. Property located at one one one zero zero coastal highway in the town of Ocean City, Maryland. Applicant is Beck and Becker Morgan Group. Uh PZ file number twenty-five dash one eighty-one zero zero zero zero eight. All right, good evening, commissioners. Thank you for joining us today. We as always we appreciate your time and your volunteerism here at the town of Ocean City. We have in front of you tonight a proposal for the Irene Condominium. Um this is the current location of the Irene condominium. This is located at one eleven um coastal highway. The Irene condominium was approved back in 1970. It is a hundred nineteen seventy-one. It was a hundred and forty unit, twenty-one stored residential uh condo unit. As you can see from the aerial above the uh deck is here. There is no pool out here. They're proposing to add a new pool. They have an indoor pool on site, but this uh outdoor deck has aged significantly over the years since 1971, so it's time to rebuild out there. This is a uh located in the general residential R3. The lot area is two point seven six acres. Um the project consists of construction of a new pool and certain deck area, site grading and drainage improvements, installation of all plumbing, mechanical and electrical, integration of accessibility features, incomplice with ADA Maryland Accessibility Code, a res erosion and sediment control measures during construction and landscaping and site enhancements. The current uh parking is on site, it will not be reduced. Uh it was approved based on the 1971 code, so that's existing parking. There are no special exceptions. There are no variances for this project. Um as always, these are the uh the procedures for your um how you approve this site. It's found in the code under site plan rule one ten one eighty four, and those are conditions you can place on this requirements appropriate for improving this. This meets all setbacks in this district. Uh this is an approved use in this district based on our pyramidal zoning scheme. Um parking for this is um not required as this is accessory use. Uh the pool is considered accessories that is attached to the principal structure, therefore it does not generate separate parking requirements. So there's no need for additional parking for this. Um very specific things we want to go over, and I'll go over the site with you of what they're proposing. If you look at this aerial in front of you, there is something called the building restriction line. This is um something you typically do not see in our reviews unless it's a condo building on the right on the uh water. Uh you cannot go past this building restriction line. That's the building restriction line. This pool will not move past that building restriction line.
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