NOVEMBER 21, 2024
BERLIN • NORTH WORCESTER COUNTY• OCEAN PINES
FREE
Microtel wins support vital to continuing Project’s revised concept earns commission backing
SUBMITTED PHOTO/BAYSIDE GAZETTE
Members of the Ocean Pines Garden Club are pictured creating a pollinator garden beds in the median along Ocean Gateway.
OPA issues invite to pollinators OPA, Garden Club project aims to attract beneficial insects to new plant beds By Tara Fischer Staff Writer (Nov. 21, 2024) The Ocean Pines Association continues to prioritize its environmental impact and beautification efforts by installing pollinator garden beds on Ocean Parkway medians. Pollinator gardens are essential to the health of the ecosystem. They aid the survival of pollinating insects, like bees, through attraction by planting flora that produces pollen and nectar. “Of the 1,400 crop plants grown around the world, i.e., those that produce all of our food and plant-based industrial products, almost 80% require pollination by animals,” the United States Forest Service says.
OPA is collaborating with the Ocean Pines Garden Club on the initiative. According to a press release issued by Josh Davis, the community’s director of public relations and marketing, the project took shape in the summer of 2024 with partnerships between the Ocean Pines Public Works Department, University of Maryland Extension, Assateague Coastal Bays, Lower Shore Land Trust, and Bluebird Farms. University of Maryland Extension Agent Ginny Rosencranz recommended planting “plugs,” or young plants, this fall for “better establishment and growth,” the press release reads. The garden sites, which include inside the North Gate entrance, in front of the Pintail Park parking
lot, and inside the South Gate entrance, were cleared and prepared by the OPA Public Works team, and planting plans were developed by gardener Sandy Gaffigan and Nancie Corbett of Bluebird Farms. The pollinator gardens will include an “edging of grape hyacinths for a striking spring border, surrounded by groupings of switchgrass and little bluestem grass at the center,” the release said. In addition, native perennials like beardtongue, blue false indigo, and Bradbury Bee Balm will be featured in the spring, butterfly weed, black-eyed Susan, purple coneflower, See GARDEN Page 8
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By Tara Fischer Staff Writer (Nov. 21, 2024) Developers for the proposed Microtel Inn and Suites by Wyndham received the approval they needed last week to continue moving forward. In what was at least the fourth appearance before the body in the last year, the Microtel representatives presented a revised concept plan to the Berlin Planning Commission once again, incorporating building enhancement suggestions made by the town’s advisory group at last month’s project meeting. The updated elevations were approved, with a few modifications. Microtel team members met with the Berlin Planning Commission on Wednesday, Nov. 13, when they presented new elements added to the hotel’s exterior, including an awning above the first-floor windows on the building’s brick portion, a canopy that comes out of the stair exit over to the pool entry, and a small awning over the rear lobby door. The revised elements consist of planters between windows, brick on the porte-cochère’s support columns that extend to the top, ornate cornices on the porte-cochère matching those on the property’s brick area, and a modified porte-cochère connector that resembles the less ornate cornice at the top of the structure. The design was updated with a darkened, brownish Hardie lap siding rather than the yellowish color in the previous plan. Brick was also added underneath the glass storefront to wrap around the entire window line. The planning commission approved the modified design unanimously, with a few tweaks. Rather than incorporating brick underneath the window line, the group suggested that the developers switch the proSee CONCEPT Page 8
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