New OC Convenience Store Plans OK’d

OCEAN CITY – Coastal Highway at 52nd Street will be getting a major upgrade, as the City Council on Monday granted approval of a new Goose Creek convenience store and Subway restaurant.

This week’s vote comes after a favorable recommendation last month from the Ocean City Planning and Zoning Commission for a major reworking of the site, formerly Anderson Exxon Service Station and Towing.

In March, the Planning and Zoning Commission conducted a public hearing regarding the conditional use for the new convenience store and expansion of existing fuel service.

During the public hearing, residential neighbors expressed concern over additional traffic on 52nd Street. To eliminate those concerns, the future transportation pattern is the existing south entrance onto Coastal Highway will be closed. The vehicular ingress/egress onto 52nd Street is being moved farther west to allow for queuing of vehicles at the 52nd Street signal at Coastal Highway.

Also, bypass lanes will be added at the fueling stations including access from Coastal Highway for truck delivery. Provisions were made for a sidewalk on the north side of 52nd Street for pedestrian movement to and from the beach.

The existing building will be demolished and the new store will be built directly behind it on the back side of the property creating more space for vehicular circulation on the property.