Open spaces with green trees, flowers, shrubs, natural shorelines, soil, sand and open skyline are becoming a vanishing commodity in Ocean City Maryland. Increased demand for real estate homes and condos, coupled with investment in and the redevelopment of less developed properties into densely developed properties, pro development zoning codes, etc.. have spurred redevelopment and spawned high-rises and mid-rises significantly in Ocean City MD..
This increased building density correspondingly leaves less open space for the vanishing environmental commodities. Concrete and asphalt parking lots replace previous areas of a porous nature which environmentaly were much preferred. Now, runoff heads for the storm drains and directly in to the bays, increasing the pollutants in our waterways. High-rise and mid-rise buildings block sunlight for their neighbors, and also make it harder for the green vegetation to thrive on the island. Automobile congestion on Coastal Hwy can only worsen during peak vacation periods (especially during non beach days in the summer) and gridlock ensures more often.
The green trees and shrubs have turned into green dollars, which unfortunately doesn’t bring any benefit to our environment and reduces the quality of life for residents and vacationers alike. Real Estate taxes have increased significantly but have not brought any new benefits or services to year round residents who reside and pay taxes in Ocean City MD. Once real estate of a residential nature is overdeveloped with too much density, it’s too late to turn back and the damage is done.
Hopefully the city will realize this before there is virtually little of the green stuff (and i don’t mean the dollar bill) left in Ocean City Maryland.
The more open space we create and environmentally friendly development we mandate, the more likely this Island will continue to be a friendly place to live and visit. Our animal inhabitants and seafood life depend upon a friendly environment to thrive. Without the fish and crabs in the bay and ocean we lose the recreational fishing and crabbing for locals and vacationers. Our natural habitat, including the friendly duck population already has less natural food, the birds have less seed to eat, rabbits are finding it harder to enjoy some healthy greens anywhere, and squirrels are losing habitat for sure. The red fox is on the move looking for new habitat, and the Owls are finding their natural prey scarce and likely to leave for better environments.
Is it too late to temporarily halt development to really assess the negative impact such development has on this Island called Ocean City MD? Is it too late for the City to take some of the WINDFALL of millions in increased real estate taxes and invest in purchasing OPEN SPACE land on the Island to preserve it in a natural state?
Other Coastal Resort Communities face the same critical issue: OVERDEVELOPMENT .. Check out this news article written by the Palm Beach Post (Florida Newspaper) about Delray Beach Florida overdevelopment issues.
A good source of local environmental issues and efforts to conserve our environment is published on line by the Maryland Coastal Bays Program.
The NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) has a web presence with a wealth of great information
Have a comment? Visitors are welcome to register and advance this topic, offer other views, etc.. You MUST FIRST REGISTER, AND A PASSWORD WILL BE EMAILED TO YOU: Simply CLICK HERE to login or CLICK HERE to register.
