OCEAN CITY, Md. -- Ocean City's commercial harbor may be on the brink of a significant transformation as offshore wind company U.S. Wind sets its sights on establishing a presence in the resort town. The Federal Government has been informed of U.S. Wind's intentions to construct a new pier in the West Ocean City Harbor, stirring both anticipation and concerns among locals.
The proposed project includes the development of a new pier, forming part of an operations and maintenance facility. The envisioned pier would extend the current pier to 625 feet and feature a concrete deck, jib crane, and a wave-screen. While some commercial fishermen express worries about the potential impact on their industry, others acknowledge the need for attention to the aging pier.
Commercial fisherman Sonny Gwin emphasizes the importance of the pier to the fishing industry.
"We're already down to basically one fish dock, it's two but there's only one that's really buying fish," said Gwin.
Southern Connection currently serves as the primary fish dock in the area.
U.S. Wind's Director of Marine Affairs Ben Cooper provided a statement:
"US Wind is advancing permits for various aspects of the project, consistent with what has been included in our Construction and Operations Plan and the Draft Environmental Impact Statement issued by BOEM last October. This permit hearing concerns the pier and bulkhead of a planned operations and maintenance facility required by the state to be located in the Ocean City region. The pier, as many locals know, was built 45 years ago and is in desperate need of improvement. This permit seeks to make those improvements. US Wind has been engaging with the state and local fishermen on our project plans and will continue to do so throughout the process."
In addition to the new pier, U.S. Wind plans to establish a brick-and-mortar facility on the Ocean City waterfront, potentially within the West Ocean City Harbor.
Local resident Jack Leister, who lives near the pier, remains undecided.
"It depends on the proposal, what they're going to do, how they're going to do it," said Liester.
Merrill Campbell, the manager of Southern Connection in Ocean City, told us there is a possibility of U.S. Wind acquiring their location next to the pier. Campbell expresses a desire to continue operations in the area. Meanwhile, Martin's Fish Company, another location listed in U.S. Wind's application, has confirmed no plans to sell, according to owner Sam Martin.
The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) indicates that the project is still in the application process, with a public hearing scheduled for March 25th. That hearing will be hosted at Wor-Wic Community College and will run from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. Interested parties have until April 9th to submit written comments regarding the proposed development.
