The issue of traffic created by the new Delmarva Health Pavilion in Ocean Pines has been simmering since the facility opened last October.
That simmer came to a boil Friday morning, as developer Palmer Gillis and officials with the Maryland State Highway Administration met with the public to talk about potential solutions.
After circulating a blueprint showing a new road connecting the pavilion to Ocean Parkway, Gillis told the audience in the Assateague Room in the Ocean Pines Community Center that he was looking for suggestions.
Currently, traffic can make right turns only in and out of the center, meaning illegal U-turns and other potentially problematic traffic occurrences are becoming prevalent. The situation is expected to get worse, as Gillis intends to build four additional medical buildings in the complex, giving it an eventual 90,000 square feet of office space.
Director Dave Stevens said the problem dates back at least six years, when development of the property was first discussed, and that giving access to Ocean Parkway was not a reasonable solution.
The other members of the board uniformly agreed.
“I find it really curious that you would have purchased this property, knowing what you were going to put there, without having dealt with this issue right up front,” Board Vice President Cheryl Jacobs said. “The fact that you went forward, knowing that the board six years ago said no – I find that remarkable.”
Jacobs also chastised Gillis for cutting down dozens of trees on the property, essentially eliminating a natural noise and light burrier that protected nearby residents.
Gillis said he could show evidence that the right in, right out model would support the full build of the facility, and that the alternate plan was an attempt to “be responsive to … residents.”
“I’m going to take wild guess here and say there isn’t one person in this audience here who represents these people that you say want a different access, but, rather, these are all people who say, ‘don’t take my land to put this road in,’” Jacobs said, drawing her second applause line of the meeting.
Gillis said other developers had eyed the property for years and wanted to build everything from apartment complexes to supermarkets in the space, all of which would have been much less desirable than medical offices for nearby residents
SHA District Engineer Donnie Drewer confirmed that “oodles” of other people had looked at the property, and said state highway was required by law to give Gillis access, because the area connected to a state road.
He added that Gillis could put up a second building on the complex before he was required to conduct another traffic study.
“If he puts in five buildings and all the traffic that’s going out that one entrance causes that intersection to fail completely, then we can’t give him permission unless he mitigates that,” Drewer said, adding that he did not know what that mitigation might be.
“Whatever it is, he has to do at his expense – not at state highway expense,” he said.
Drewer said allowing left turns into or out of the property was “pushing the problem down the street,” because Route 589 will eventually be dualized – although he could not say when that might happen.
“The priority list for Worcester County for the last 10 years at least has been finish U.S. Route 113. And I’m proud to say that we have finally funded the last phase of 113 just this past year,” he said. “The next step is for the elected officials to decide what’s next on the list.”
In Worcester County, that list could include dualizing Route 90, building a new bridge on Route 50 going into Ocean City, or expanding Route 589 to a dual highway.
“If you just take those three projects and add the total cost together … you might even say [it would cost] a billion dollars,” Drewer said.
Peninsula Regional Medical Center is the tenant of the $6 million, 20,000-square-foot first building in the medical complex, which consolidated family practices in Berlin and Ocean Pines. The building also includes a pharmacy and cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation facility.
PRMC Vice President Steven Leonard called the addition a “wonderful success,” but admitted he had heard concerns about traffic.
“We’ve told Mr. Gillis pretty clearly that before we continue to invest … it really is important for us to figure out some sort of solution. Otherwise we’re in somewhat of an awkward position,” he said.
Leonard said there would be a pause in PRMC involvement until the problem is addressed.
“It’s sad. We don’t want that, but at the same time I think that serves everyone probably better than trying to cram stuff in there without a solution,” he said.
“Just because PRMC is taking a pause, doesn’t mean that I’m taking a pause,” Gillis said. “There are other users that could go on that property.”
Comments from the public, which lasted nearly two hours, often became heated.
Mike Sparks, who lives directly behind the property, said the proposed access to Ocean Parkway had nothing to do with Ocean Pines residents.
“This has to do with giving traffic patterns for people that are outside the community,” he said, adding that the development hurt the overall feel of the community.
Tom List said the road would create a traffic nightmare for residents. Deena Lewis said the noise increased dramatically after the buffer of trees came down, and that the alteration was both a privacy and a security issue.
Robert Stewart said Gillis was guilty of having “a lack of transparency,” while another resident went as far as labeling Gillis as a bully.
Debbie List said she doubted Gillis’ sincerity.
“I’m pretty good at reading body language after 30 years [as an] elementary school teacher she said. “I can see through your smiles, I can see through your posturing.”
Gillis said he took that statement personally, but acknowledged that he was in business to make a profit.
“I am a builder,” he said. “I’m not going to sit with real estate holding it when I can’t use it. This is not a threat – I’m just reporting the information. If I can’t build what I do – medical offices – then I will ask somebody to look at another use.
“As far as transparency, I’m absolutely transparent and honest. I build and develop medical offices. Period,” Gillis continued. “As far as taking my sincerity to the table today, I can sit here and say I am in this to make a profit.
“I believe I have a great plan for this piece of property that will be an amenity to this community – and you’ll use it. What I’m here to explore today, with all sincerity, is options and ideas, which include a traffic light for this property, a south-bound left-hand turn lane into this property, widening the bridge to this property, widening the road at Ocean Parkway for this property [and] annexation for this property.
“The only way I know to solve problems is to put the issues on the table – those are the issues that I can come up with. And I’m asking this community, without being insulted, to help me with that solution. And I would appreciate that you respect of my sincerity, because I will tell you right now that if I can’t develop medical offices I will sell it to someone else. That’s plain and simple.”
Jacobs intervened, suggesting a traffic light in front of the facility, onto Route 589, or a left-hand turn lane was likely the “simplest solution to the whole problem.”
SHA Assistant District Engineer Dallas Baker said that would require a traffic study – but that neither option was off the table.
At the end of the three-hour meeting, Director Tom Terry asked that the board form a committee to discuss the issue.
“I think there are solutions here that are very simple,” he said. “I think we need to come together with a solution that’s much less dramatic than trying to build a road, and I think those answers are there.”
OPA President Pat Renaud said the board would appoint a citizen task force and asked anyone interested to send an email to either him, or General Manager Bob Thompson.
“We want this problem to be solved – obviously,” he said. “We don’t want to let [the discussion] go and let it drift for another six years.
“I think, for now, we’ve had a good vetting of people. Some people were emotional, and some people were very logical in their thought process, which was good. And I think we can come up with a solution that will satisfy all of us – or most of us, anyway.”
That simmer came to a boil Friday morning, as developer Palmer Gillis and officials with the Maryland State Highway Administration met with the public to talk about potential solutions.
After circulating a blueprint showing a new road connecting the pavilion to Ocean Parkway, Gillis told the audience in the Assateague Room in the Ocean Pines Community Center that he was looking for suggestions.
Currently, traffic can make right turns only in and out of the center, meaning illegal U-turns and other potentially problematic traffic occurrences are becoming prevalent. The situation is expected to get worse, as Gillis intends to build four additional medical buildings in the complex, giving it an eventual 90,000 square feet of office space.
Director Dave Stevens said the problem dates back at least six years, when development of the property was first discussed, and that giving access to Ocean Parkway was not a reasonable solution.
The other members of the board uniformly agreed.
“I find it really curious that you would have purchased this property, knowing what you were going to put there, without having dealt with this issue right up front,” Board Vice President Cheryl Jacobs said. “The fact that you went forward, knowing that the board six years ago said no – I find that remarkable.”
Jacobs also chastised Gillis for cutting down dozens of trees on the property, essentially eliminating a natural noise and light burrier that protected nearby residents.
Gillis said he could show evidence that the right in, right out model would support the full build of the facility, and that the alternate plan was an attempt to “be responsive to … residents.”
“I’m going to take wild guess here and say there isn’t one person in this audience here who represents these people that you say want a different access, but, rather, these are all people who say, ‘don’t take my land to put this road in,’” Jacobs said, drawing her second applause line of the meeting.
Gillis said other developers had eyed the property for years and wanted to build everything from apartment complexes to supermarkets in the space, all of which would have been much less desirable than medical offices for nearby residents
SHA District Engineer Donnie Drewer confirmed that “oodles” of other people had looked at the property, and said state highway was required by law to give Gillis access, because the area connected to a state road.
He added that Gillis could put up a second building on the complex before he was required to conduct another traffic study.
“If he puts in five buildings and all the traffic that’s going out that one entrance causes that intersection to fail completely, then we can’t give him permission unless he mitigates that,” Drewer said, adding that he did not know what that mitigation might be.
“Whatever it is, he has to do at his expense – not at state highway expense,” he said.
Drewer said allowing left turns into or out of the property was “pushing the problem down the street,” because Route 589 will eventually be dualized – although he could not say when that might happen.
“The priority list for Worcester County for the last 10 years at least has been finish U.S. Route 113. And I’m proud to say that we have finally funded the last phase of 113 just this past year,” he said. “The next step is for the elected officials to decide what’s next on the list.”
In Worcester County, that list could include dualizing Route 90, building a new bridge on Route 50 going into Ocean City, or expanding Route 589 to a dual highway.
“If you just take those three projects and add the total cost together … you might even say [it would cost] a billion dollars,” Drewer said.
Peninsula Regional Medical Center is the tenant of the $6 million, 20,000-square-foot first building in the medical complex, which consolidated family practices in Berlin and Ocean Pines. The building also includes a pharmacy and cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation facility.
PRMC Vice President Steven Leonard called the addition a “wonderful success,” but admitted he had heard concerns about traffic.
“We’ve told Mr. Gillis pretty clearly that before we continue to invest … it really is important for us to figure out some sort of solution. Otherwise we’re in somewhat of an awkward position,” he said.
Leonard said there would be a pause in PRMC involvement until the problem is addressed.
“It’s sad. We don’t want that, but at the same time I think that serves everyone probably better than trying to cram stuff in there without a solution,” he said.
“Just because PRMC is taking a pause, doesn’t mean that I’m taking a pause,” Gillis said. “There are other users that could go on that property.”
Comments from the public, which lasted nearly two hours, often became heated.
Mike Sparks, who lives directly behind the property, said the proposed access to Ocean Parkway had nothing to do with Ocean Pines residents.
“This has to do with giving traffic patterns for people that are outside the community,” he said, adding that the development hurt the overall feel of the community.
Tom List said the road would create a traffic nightmare for residents. Deena Lewis said the noise increased dramatically after the buffer of trees came down, and that the alteration was both a privacy and a security issue.
Robert Stewart said Gillis was guilty of having “a lack of transparency,” while another resident went as far as labeling Gillis as a bully.
Debbie List said she doubted Gillis’ sincerity.
“I’m pretty good at reading body language after 30 years [as an] elementary school teacher she said. “I can see through your smiles, I can see through your posturing.”
Gillis said he took that statement personally, but acknowledged that he was in business to make a profit.
“I am a builder,” he said. “I’m not going to sit with real estate holding it when I can’t use it. This is not a threat – I’m just reporting the information. If I can’t build what I do – medical offices – then I will ask somebody to look at another use.
“As far as transparency, I’m absolutely transparent and honest. I build and develop medical offices. Period,” Gillis continued. “As far as taking my sincerity to the table today, I can sit here and say I am in this to make a profit.
“I believe I have a great plan for this piece of property that will be an amenity to this community – and you’ll use it. What I’m here to explore today, with all sincerity, is options and ideas, which include a traffic light for this property, a south-bound left-hand turn lane into this property, widening the bridge to this property, widening the road at Ocean Parkway for this property [and] annexation for this property.
“The only way I know to solve problems is to put the issues on the table – those are the issues that I can come up with. And I’m asking this community, without being insulted, to help me with that solution. And I would appreciate that you respect of my sincerity, because I will tell you right now that if I can’t develop medical offices I will sell it to someone else. That’s plain and simple.”
Jacobs intervened, suggesting a traffic light in front of the facility, onto Route 589, or a left-hand turn lane was likely the “simplest solution to the whole problem.”
SHA Assistant District Engineer Dallas Baker said that would require a traffic study – but that neither option was off the table.
At the end of the three-hour meeting, Director Tom Terry asked that the board form a committee to discuss the issue.
“I think there are solutions here that are very simple,” he said. “I think we need to come together with a solution that’s much less dramatic than trying to build a road, and I think those answers are there.”
OPA President Pat Renaud said the board would appoint a citizen task force and asked anyone interested to send an email to either him, or General Manager Bob Thompson.
“We want this problem to be solved – obviously,” he said. “We don’t want to let [the discussion] go and let it drift for another six years.
“I think, for now, we’ve had a good vetting of people. Some people were emotional, and some people were very logical in their thought process, which was good. And I think we can come up with a solution that will satisfy all of us – or most of us, anyway.”