By Jack Chavez

(May 13, 2021) The Worcester County Commissioners voted 6-0 last Tuesday to expand the Ocean Pines sanitary service area and provide public water and sewer service for a proposed commercial development that is slated to consist of 45 dwelling units along Route 589 and south of Ocean Pines.

The motion was the result of a petition that met the 67 percent signee threshold and was sponsored on behalf of property owner Margret Bunting and Wave Holdings LLC, the property developer.

A memo from Environmental Programs Director Bob Mitchell said the extension was needed to service the development site. Research collected from the Department of Public Works deemed the project feasible from an engineering standpoint and will not have a detrimental impact on the environment or county.

The connection project will consist of construction of an extension distribution system that will connect the Ocean Pines water distribution system and disconnect the existing community water treatment system.

While the county is responsible for operation, the project will be paid for by the property owners.

The public hearing for the petition, which occurred during the commissioners’ meeting, was brief with no one opposed to the project.

The development still needs to be vetted by the Technical Review Committee and Planning Commission before moving to the design stages.

During a Planning Commission meeting last month, representatives of the property owners and developers explained that the intention for the property is to construct mixed-use commercial and medical buildings on the 11.5-acre property.