OCEAN CITY — The public got a first look at the alternatives for the redevelopment of the Baltimore Avenue corridor with an open workshop last Thursday.
In recent years, a major renovation of the streetscape along the Baltimore Avenue corridor from North Division Street to 15th Street including undergrounding the utilities and widening the sidewalks, has been on the town’s radar, but the issue is complicated. During a public workshop last Thursday evening, City Engineer Terry McGean laid out the alternatives, where the city was in the process, what the next steps are and what will happen with an unused portion of the existing right-of-way along the corridor that has steadily been encroached upon over the decades.
McGean’s presentation was brief and there were also renderings of what the two alternatives could look like. After his formal presentation, those in attendance reviewed the renderings and were able to ask questions of McGean, Public Works Director Hal Adkins and the design consultant in an informal setting and not in an open forum.
“I’m going to be the city’s primary contact point during the design phase,” he said. “My goal is to spend very little time up here and as much times as possible out there with you all. My goal is to talk with you and not at you.”
McGean explained the conceptual plan for the redevelopment of the Baltimore Avenue corridor from North Division to 15th Street. He explained the rest of the corridor had been redeveloped in recent years.