Council Suggests Changes To Station Design Renderings

OCEAN CITY - The City Council unanimously approved the conceptual renderings of the Jamestown Rd. wastewater pumping station improvements at Tuesday's work session after contributing further ideas and opinions on what the final product should be.

Public Works Director Hal Adkins came before the Mayor and Council on Tuesday to present them with the conceptual renderings of the improvements that will be made on the pumping station located on the corner of Jamestown Rd. and Coastal Highway.

On July 7, Adkins received approval on an Engineering Services Contract for the design of upgrades to the Jamestown Road Pumping Station. At that time, the council, specifically Councilman Jim Hall, requested that Adkins bring the council an architectural rendering of the plans.

The pumping station was built between 1969 and 1970 and consists of a white brick façade that has faded and weathered over the years. It currently stands with a flat roof.

Adkins explained that the intention is to slightly add on to the building and to bring the flat roof to a peaked roof. He added the plan is to mirror the color and materials from the 14^th Street Water Treatment Plant.

After looking at the renderings, Councilman Jim Hall noted that it did not look anything like the 14^th Street plant. Adkins explained that the renderings had only reached the 65 percent design stage. He felt that the rest of the designs were best not completed until the opinions of the council had been heard. This would help in avoiding major redesign issues at a later date.

'I didn't want to come back with another square building, that's not that direction we want to go,' Adkins said.

The building will remain in the same location with an addition, which will house the generator, to be added to the south side of the building. Councilwoman Margaret Pillas questioned whether the building could be pushed back.

'It's going to be awkward to see this little pitched roof house sitting there,' she said.

Adkins explained the original building could not be torn down without costing a lot of money and time.

'I'd like to make this a lower building rather than a taller building,' said Mayor Rick Meehan, noting that he would prefer for the building to be as unobtrusive as possible.

'To me this looks like a house without a community,' Pillas added.

Adkins took in all of the opinions of the council and hopes to have the project ready for bid next month.