Hinchman Repeats Criticism of City on Marina Deal

Ocean City resident Michael Hinchman railed again Monday against Ocean City's "indefensible position" on a public-private partnership to improve the public marina on Bay Avenue at Second Street.

He characterized the recently approved agreement as a sweetheart deal in which the private developer suffers none of the risk and gets all of the reward in developing the property.

Hinchman, an unsuccessful candidate for mayor and president of the Fairness in Taxes group in Ocean City, said he was speaking only as a private citizen.

Two reporters attended a press conference he called Monday afternoon at the Harbor House, waterfront condominiums adjacent to the public marina property. Hinchman said he chose that location because the Harbor House recently replaced docks that accommodate 52 boat slips. He said condo owners told him the project — which included ipe hardwood decking and fiberglass-wrapped pilings — cost about $1 million.

Ocean City Marina LLC is supposedly investing $1.5 million in improvements to the public marina next door, which will include two fixed piers with 27 boat slips (each equipped with a mechanical lift) and a floating pier for fishing, launching kayaks and personal watercraft slips. (.)

Hinchman acknowledged that comparing the neighboring projects is not an "apples to apples" comparison, but he said, "It's the kind of diligence that City Council should have done."

Hinchman, who said he supports the concept of investing in the marina, repeated many of the criticisms he made in a letter to the editor titled "." His point of emphasis remains that the includes little detail on the work the private developer is supposed to complete.

"It's impossible to understand how the city can contract a third party without having a dollar amount specified or a detailed breakdown of the improvements," Hinchman said. "This is not a small amount of money. When someone replaces a road for the city, we know what it costs."

"It's just sloppy government," he said.

Responding to a question at a July 12 City Council meeting about the lack of detail on the $1.5 million, City Solicitor Dorothy McCrosson said the agreement does include detail on what amenities the city will get as part of the deal. She said it's inconsequential to the city what costs are borne by the developer.