Ocean City Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting Summary – March 17, 2026
Ocean City Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting Summary – March 17, 2026
The Planning and Zoning Commission of Ocean City, Maryland held its regular meeting on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the City Hall Council Chambers. The commission approved the minutes from March 3, 2026, reviewed two site plan applications, conducted a public hearing for a conditional use for an escape room, and considered the annual planning and development report and zoning district map updates. All votes were unanimous unless otherwise noted.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes of March 3, 2026: Approved unanimously (5-0-2, with two members absent) as presented.
Site Plan Approvals
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Fager's Island Restaurant Deck Enclosure and Parking Dedication (PZ #26-18100003): The commission approved a site plan to permanently enclose an existing 1,276‑square‑foot deck and formalize 13 code‑compliant off‑site parking spaces via a recorded dedication. The restaurant at 201 60th Street, owned by the Trustees of the John W. Fager Intervivos Trust, will use nearby parking on a parcel owned by MJF Ventures, LLC. Staff recommended approval with standard conditions, including a verbal condition added by staff that the off‑site parking be recorded at the county. The motion carried unanimously.
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Old Pro Golf Miniature Golf Course Remodel (PZ #25-18100016): The commission approved a site plan to relocate 11 of 27 golf holes and reconfigure parking at 2801 Philadelphia Avenue. The applicant, Old Pro Golf, Inc., will move the golf course holes to the front of the property along Philadelphia Avenue to increase visibility, remove two curb cuts (improving traffic circulation), and improve stormwater management by increasing pervious surface area. Staff recommended conditions including safety netting, signage, and designation of the adjacent alley as a public alley. The motion carried unanimously.
Public Hearing – Conditional Use for Escape Room
- Maze Game, LLC Escape Room (PZ #26-12100001): The commission held a public hearing on a conditional use request for an interior tenant fit‑out for an amusement “escape room” at 13725 Coastal Highway, Unit 12B, within Bayside Plaza Shopping Center. Because the code does not specifically list escape rooms, the use is considered under Section 110‑514(22), which allows the Mayor and City Council to approve uses in keeping with the LC‑1 district. The applicants, Asiya Abdrakhmanova and Ekaterina Golub, plan two themed rooms (Area 51 and Final Hour). Staff recommended approval with conditions: (1) games appropriate for private family/friend groups, (2) no locking interior doors (per Fire Marshal), (3) required waivers and age stipulations, and (4) constant video monitoring. No public comments were received. The commission voted unanimously to recommend approval to the Mayor and City Council.
Staff Comments & Annual Report
- 2025 Annual Report and Zoning District Map Update: Staff presented the required annual report summarizing site plan approvals, conditional uses, zoning amendments, and Board of Zoning Appeals cases from the previous year. Two zoning map corrections were presented: (1) Phillips Plaza/JAMB, LLC at 2100 Philadelphia Avenue (rezoned from R‑3 to LC‑1, adopted February 2025) and (2) the former Calvin B. Taylor Bank at 9105 Coastal Highway (conditional reversion from LC‑1 to R‑1 after bank use ceased). Staff noted a pending update on page 9 of the report regarding a BZA case currently on appeal to the Maryland Appellate Court. The commission approved the annual report and zoning map revisions unanimously, with staff directed to forward them to the Mayor and City Council.
Key Outcomes
- Approved Minutes of March 3, 2026.
- Approved both site plans (Fager’s Island and Old Pro Golf) with conditions.
- Recommended approval of the escape room conditional use to the Mayor and City Council.
- Approved the 2025 Annual Report and Zoning District Map updates, including technical corrections noted by commissioners.
- Other items: The commission noted that the 2025 Comprehensive Plan was adopted on March 16, 2026 (the previous night) and that LC‑1 setback changes were approved by the council with a 4‑2 vote. The April 7, 2026 meeting was cancelled due to a lack of agenda items.
Note: All votes were unanimous; absent members are indicated in the minutes where applicable.
Meeting Transcript
I'm choosing not to look at it. Tonight's planning and zoning commission meeting to order. The time is 6 o'clock. Today is Tuesday, March 17th, 2026. First item on our agenda is approval of the minutes from our March 3rd meeting. So I have a motion for approval. Janet approved. Janet move to approve. Second. Pam. Any discussion? All those in favor. All right. Motion carries unanimously. Next up, site plan. We've got a site plan review for the permanent enclosure of an existing 1276 square foot deck at Fagers Island restaurant in the formalization of 13 code compliant off-site parking spaces through a recorded parking dedication agreement. The restaurant property is located at 2016th Street, Ocean City, Maryland, identified as tax map 113, parcel 6739, and owned by the trustees of the John W. Fager Interviews Trust. The required parking spaces are proposed to be dedicated on a nearby parcel owned by MJF Ventures LLC identified as tax map 113, parcel 8433, lot 25A, Block 124, Isle of White Land Company Platte. Applicant JSD, the design group for Fagers Island LTD, PZ file number 26-18103. George. Very uh good uh introduction. Thank you. Welcome all tonight. Um in simplest terms, uh this project before you tonight has a deck. It's currently there. The deck is currently there. There's currently a roof over the deck. Um, if we you know in our current um parking code, we do a very nice job of allowing uh restaurants to have their outdoor seating space, not count towards parking. Um the applicant before you tonight decided that they wanted to enclose this area and they had suitable amount of parking on an off-site location that's within 600 feet uh to enclose the area and uh make that a more suitable place for year-round uh enjoyment of their establishments. Um the basic facts are this is in the L C One. Uh the lot area is 56,000 square feet. The area they're enclosing is 1276, um, and then they will dedicate 13 off-site parking spaces. The area in red is the area that is enclosed. Um it's been pre-existing as a deck. Uh there's a uh tree that has been pre-existing on site for many years that's going to be enclosed in that area, but it will be a four-season year-round enclosed area. If anybody is not familiar, this is coastal highway here. 60th Street here. 59th. Yeah. Sorry. You guys can't read upside down. All right. Let's start again. Coastal Highway. 60th Street, 59th Street. Uh Feagers Island has interest in the these sites here, and they are going to dedicate these 13 sites onto this parcel here. Uh we have a draft deed dedication in your packet that has been reviewed by the city solicitor. We have a letter notarized by the applicant stating their intention to record this in the uh at Worcester County Courthouse. These boxes are co-compliant, they're already in place.
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