Wonderland Hotel Plan Moving Forward After Ocean City Vote

OCEAN CITY, NJ — The Wonderland luxury hotel is getting closer to becoming a reality following a four-hour long Ocean City Council meeting Thursday.

City Council voted 4-3 to send the Wonderland property to the Planning Board, asking them to consider declaring the site an area in need of rehabilitation. That wouldn't approve the hotel directly, but it would streamline the process.

After three hours of public comment and one hour discussing themselves, City Council was locked on the vote. Councilmen Jody Levchuk, Pete Madden and Tony Polcini voted "yes," Councilmen Keith Hartzell, Dave Winslow and Sean Barnes were "no."

Council Vice President Terry Crowley Jr. broke the tie with a "yes" vote. He said he was elected to lead, and could not lead without moving forward.

The vote failed in August 6-1, but Council decided to revisit it. Many supporters of Eustace Mita's proposed ICONA in Wonderland luxury hotel are local businessowners, who say that the hotel is needed to draw visitors to that end of the Boardwalk.

Opponents say that the hotel will change Ocean City negatively, inviting alcohol to the dry town and harming the city's family-friendly reputation.

Others wanted to see another amusement park or similar compromise replace Wonderland. However, many supporters of the hotel have said that's unlikely to happen.

Mita said that some rides and the carousel would be preserved at the hotel.

Mita did not appear at the meeting.

If the Planning Board designates the property as an area in need of rehabilitation, it would allow variances that the hotel would need.

Previous Reporting

• Ocean City Businesses Show Support For Wonderland Hotel
• Powerful Norcross Family Bids On Wonderland Site, Reports Say
• 'It's Over': Wonderland Luxury Hotel Fails Critical Ocean City Council Vote
• Proposed Ocean City Luxury Hotel Launches Petition For Support
• More Than Half In Ocean City Oppose Wonderland Luxury Hotel, New Poll Says