Five Things to Know About Tuesday's Council Meeting

At a public meeting Tuesday at the Ocean City Free Public Library, City Council approved a redevelopment plan for a marina/restaurant on the bay at 10th Street and voted to take dune easements by eminent domain. But here are five other things that might be of interest:

• Open Space and Recreation Plan: Environmental Commission Chairman Pete Ault updated City Council on a plan in development to provide guidance for future open space acquisition and usage. Ault said the commission is ready to solicit public input. The public can participate in two ways: 1) By completing a survey to be posted on ocnj.us by this weekend (or by filling out a hard copy available at City Hall, or 2) By attending a public meeting (the public is invited to the next Environmental Commission meeting 6:30 p.m. Nov. 4 at the Bayside Center on the 500 block of Bay Avenue).
• The City's Own Easements: City Council voted to grant easement rights on city-owned beach property. Council passed the first reading of an ordinance to provide the easements necessary for all future Army Corps of Engineers beach and dune projects. Council is seeking (or taking) the same easements from private owners. A second reading of the ordinance is scheduled for Nov. 7.
• Hospitality Zone: City Council approved the first reading of an ordinance (see full text in the Agenda Packet) that encourages development but also permits residential uses that are now nonconforming in the area near the Ocean City Boardwalk between Seventh and 16th streets. The existing zone was created to encourage new hotels and motels, but the new ordinance recognizes that there has been "very little development in that zone in the 25 years it's existed," according to Planner Randy Scheule. Among other things, the ordinance eliminates a "one size fits all" 10,000-square-foot minimum lot size requirement (only 40 existing lots in the entire zone meet that standard). A public hearing and second reading is scheduled for Nov. 21.
• Bulkhead Repairs: City Council voted to approve a $268,000 contract with Walters Marine Construction of Ocean View for the repair of bulkheads on the bay at Seventh Street and at Landing Road. Adjacent pavement and sidewalks will be elevated to 10-year storm elevation.
• Emergency Sand Hauling: City Council voted to approve an as-needed contract with H4 Enterprises of Cape May Court House to haul sand (from the beach on the north end of Ocean City or from off-island) to any Ocean City beach that needs to be bolstered to protect property this winter.