Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting – April 21, 2026
Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting – April 21, 2026
The Ocean City Planning and Zoning Commission met in regular session at 6:00 p.m. on April 21, 2026, in Council Chambers. The meeting addressed approval of prior minutes and findings of fact, a site plan revision for Embers Restaurant, and a public hearing regarding alleged violations of a conditional use approval for Monte Go's Mini Golf. All votes were unanimous except for the mini golf hearing, which passed 5–1.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes (March 17, 2026): Approved unanimously with a motion by Tony Butta and second by Gordon Kretser.
- Approval of Findings of Fact for Maze Game LLC (PZ File #26-12100001): Approved unanimously with a motion by Janet Hough and second by Pam Robertson.
Discussion Items
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Site Plan Revision for Embers Restaurant / 1945 Steak and Seafood (PZ File #26-18100007): The Commission reviewed a proposal to permanently enclose a 1,425‑square‑foot outdoor deck on the third floor of the restaurant at 2305 Philadelphia Avenue. Staff and the applicant (represented by Hugh Cropper and architect Keith Iott) explained that the enclosure would allow year‑round use without adding new seats. The revised parking calculation, based on a shopping‑center criteria, showed that 228 spaces (214 on‑site, 14 off‑site) meet the 218‑space requirement. The applicant agreed to record a deed covenant for the off‑site lot. The Commission unanimously approved the site plan revision with staff conditions, including the deed requirement.
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Public Hearing – Violation of Conditional Use for Monte Go's Mini Golf (PZ File #24-18100004): Staff presented evidence that the mini golf at 12901 Coastal Highway had failed to achieve compliance with its approved site plan by the April 7, 2026 deadline, particularly regarding stormwater management improvements. The applicant’s representative, Cole Taustin, acknowledged the delay and attributed it to contractor issues, frozen ground, and communication breakdowns. Staff also noted noise complaints from residents. Mr. Taustin denied that the noise incidents constituted a violation of the conditional use. The applicant committed to completing the required work within 30 days using a new contractor (Chesapeake Landscaping).
Key Outcomes
- Embers Restaurant Site Plan: Approved unanimously (6–0) with conditions, including a recorded deed dedication for the off-site parking lot at 2405 Baltimore Avenue.
- Monte Go's Mini Golf Conditional Use Violation: The Commission voted 5–1 to grant a 30‑day extension for the applicant to complete all required stormwater and sidewalk improvements. If compliance is not achieved within that period, the matter will return to the Commission for possible reprimand, suspension, or revocation of the conditional use. No separate finding was made on the noise complaints, but the Commission noted them.
- Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at approximately 7:00 p.m.
Meeting Transcript
All right. Good evening, everyone. I'm gonna go ahead and call to order this planning and zoning commission meeting. Uh today is Tuesday, April 21st, 2026. Uh first item on the agenda is approval of our minutes from our March 17th meeting. Undertain a motion for approval. Tony one, Gordon Two. Any discussion? All those in favor? Aye. All right. Motion carries unanimously. Um following that approval of the findings of fact for Mays Game LLC. Uh, what is in our packet? Uh, any questions on the findings of fact? If not, entertain a motion for approval. Janet, motion from Janet, second from Pam. Any discussion on those? All those in favor? Aye. All right, very good. Uh moving on to second section site plan. Um, site plan revision for the permanent enclosure of an existing one thousand four hundred twenty-five square foot outdoor deck at Embers Restaurant, nineteen forty-five steak and seafood, and the revised calculation of required off-street parking spaces based on the current occupancy and exclusion of walk-in food storage areas from Glows Gross Floor Area. The restaurant property is located at twenty-three oh five Philadelphia Avenue, Ocean City, Maryland, identified as tax map zero one one, parcel thirty-two oh four, Embers North Platte, nineteen sixty-eight. It includes a remote parking lot at twenty-four oh five Baltimore Avenue, identified as tax map zero one one, parcel thirty-two hundred lot nine applicant Embers LLC in the care of Cole Talston with IAT Architecture, Keith Iatt, PZ file number twenty-six dash one eighty-one zero zero zero zero seven. Thank you, Chairman Wilson. Very well said. Um we're gonna take you through this uh request. This is uh unique uh request, but it's also similar to other requests we've been hearing recently. Um, as we've heard uh from the Fagers application prior to this. Um we've had restaurants enjoy outdoor dining, but then they've also decided that the outdoor dining was going very well, and they'd like to enclose some of the area and um have it more enclosed for year-round dining purposes to increase their business in the off season. So I'm gonna briefly walk you through exactly what we're talking about because this is a very, as I said, unique uh project, and uh this is Ember's restaurant. Uh the Embers Restaurant is is compromises as a shopping center. Um it has multiple levels. The first floor has uh different um entertainment uh food options on the first floor. There's also a restaurant on the first floor, then it goes up to a second floor with some different activities. Um and then on the third floor is the area in question. And when this was approved, it was approved with a remote lot over here. The two decks on the roof are part of the outdoor calculation for parking, but this is the roof uh deck we're talking about today. And it's not we're not covering this. The existing roof is already over, it's just open, unenclosed right now. And I'll show you more detailed pictures, but I want to just orient you. So this whole parcel here, this golf course here, this parking lot here, this parking lot, and this parking lot is all part of this overall large scale operation that Embers encompasses. It's all part of one whole shopping center district that has multiple functions, multiple uses. People go to the restaurant, then they go play golf, and they go back to uh do axe throwing. So a lot of uses here. So somebody could spend all day here and park their car and uh use the facilities for multiple different things. Um stop me if you have any questions, and I'll go through this very slowly, just explain, but I just want you guys to orient you to understand that this isn't just a single restaurant, this is a giant multi-use complex. Stop me if you have any questions, and I'll go through this very slowly, just explain, but I just want you guys to orient you to understand that this isn't just a single restaurant, this is a giant multi-use complex. So again, they want to close this as a permanent closure.
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