On Dec. 4, Ocean City council voted to send the shuttered Wonderland Pier to a planning board study, a move that could open the door to a 252‑room hotel.
Decision Details
The vote by council members in Ocean City on Dec. 4 centered on the site of the shuttered Wonderland Pier Amusement Park, which was a beloved family attraction before it closed last year. The resolution will trigger a formal study by the planning board to determine whether the site should be designated as an area in need of rehabilitation.
Stakeholder Perspectives
The Ocean City Boardwalk Merchants Association president, Wes Kazmarck, said that he saw this as a make‑or‑break decision for the defunct Wonderland Pier that could ultimately have broader impacts on the future of the boardwalk. “There’s a certain urgency right now,” Kazmarck explained. “We need to keep every option on the table.” Many business owners in Ocean City had said that they wanted city council to approve the resolution that now leads to a planning board study.
Zoning Implications
Councilmembers who had told NBC10 that they were planning to vote no on the issue Thursday explained that they want a zoning review of the entire boardwalk by a subcommittee to play out first. A no vote tonight ends the possibility of a hotel being here,” Kazmarck said. The proposal for a large, controversial 252 room hotel on the property could be enabled by a zoning change that follows the study.
Future Outlook
City council is revisiting the issue after initially voting it down in August. “It’s literally zoned one thing: Amusement park, which is never going to happen,” developer, and owner of the site, Eustace Mita said. The outcome of the planning board study will shape whether the site can be repurposed and whether the hotel proposal moves forward.
Key Takeaways
- Ocean City council approved a resolution to study the former Wonderland Pier site.
- The study could lead to zoning changes that allow a 252‑room hotel.
- The decision follows a previous vote that rejected the proposal in August.
The council’s move keeps the possibility of a large hotel alive, while also giving business owners and developers a chance to explore rehabilitation options for the historic Pier site.
