JULY 13, 2023
BERLIN • NORTH WORCESTER COUNTY• OCEAN PINES
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Heron Park plans subject to questions Council wonders if concept might draw from downtown
REMY ANDERSON/OCEAN CITY TODAY
PADDLE OUT FOR GAVIN
More than 100 people participated in a memorial paddle out on Tuesday to mark one year since the hit-and-run death of Ocean Pines resident Gavin Knupp. Family and friends gathered on the 36th Street beach and swam out to sea on their longboards with flowers in hand.
Ballots go out in OP election Voters have four candidates to choose from to fill three board of directors openings By Cindy Hoffman Staff Writer (July 13, 2023) The ballots for the Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors elections have been mailed out this week, giving property owners the opportunity to elect three new members to the association’s governing authority. On the ballot are John Latham, Jerry Murphy, Elaine Brady and Jeff Heavner. The top two vote-getters will take the seats vacated by Colette Horn and Doug Parks, both of whom cannot seek reelection because of term limit provisions. The third votegetter will serve the remainder of
Frank Daly’s term, who resigned to move to Florida. Elaine Brady was the first candidate to throw her hat in the ring. She has lived in Ocean Pines since John Latham 2002. Brady has a multi-generational perspective on the community, as her grandson was raised in Ocean Pines and just graduated from Stephen Decatur High School this year. Jerry Murphy Her father, Dick Brady, served six years on the board of directors. Brady is the former publisher of the Bayside Gazette and spent her ca-
reer working for community newspapers. “I found it is such a terrific way for myself and others to connect to the communities in which we live and to know what’s going on Elaine Brady because the decisions that are made at this level affect our everyday lives,” Brady said. “I want to continue to connect with the community now that I am retired. I’ve been following the issues Jeff Heavner for a long time.” John Latham, who has been an Ocean Pines homeowner since 2013, was the second candidate to file. See BALLOTS Page 6
By Cindy Hoffman Staff Writer (June 13, 2023) When Mayor Zach Tyndall and the Berlin Town Council hosted a work session on Monday to discuss plans for Heron Park and to hear residents’ opinions on the project, they asked as many questions as they answered. The land that became Heron Park was originally the site of a Tyson’s Chicken processing plant, which closed in 2003. The town bought the 60-plus acre property in 2016 for $2.5 million, still owes $2.3 million on it and had Zach Tyndall hoped to get out from under some of that debt by allowing a portion of the tract to be developed. To effect that process, the town called for proposals in 2022 and received two bids: one for a housing development, which was rejected, and the other from Coastal Ventures, headed by local builder and developer Palmer Gillis. The Gillis plan seemed to pass muster with the council for a time, at least according to the specifications the town had listed. The Coastal Ventures visualized “a vibrant and lively multi-use commercial building(s) providing a home for a plethora of businesses, events, and community to exist here. Not only do we want the community to continue the use of the park and lagoons, we want to help foster this use and provide greater amenities for the public.” Coastal Ventures has offered $1.7 million for 17 acres of the property, leaving 44 acres untouched. The plan from Gillis proposes to demolish parts of the chicken plant buildings left standing and repurpose others. The town has received a See COUNCIL Page 6
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