The original impetus for a Boardwalk Sample Project was the ineptitude of Ocean City’s previous administration. The need to address the Boardwalk’s substructure was obvious and yet the Perillo administration wasted four years denying the problem. Local engineering firms hired by the city were no better, seeming all too willing to charge taxpayers exorbitant fees for being part of the problem instead of part of the solution. It quickly became clear that if the Boardwalk was going to be preserved, the citizens of Ocean City were going to have to do it themselves.

To that end, it was suggested that we consider constructing a complete, stand-alone section of Boardwalk that could be used – not only by the Ocean City community, but by shore towns up and down the East Coast - to sample substructure, decking, lighting, railing, and other design options. As a location for this regional Boardwalk Sample Area a site just West of the existing Boardwalk at 5th street was proposed. This lot has sat empty and unused by the city for the 126 years since the City incorporated in 1884. A module there could not possibly interfere with any current city functions and yet would be close enough to the existing Boardwalk to be incorporated into it usefully after it was constructed.

But as design and construction experts provided their input to the project, and a new administration took office, it became apparent that the scope of the conceptual plans should be expanded to coordinate with any future plans for the entire 5th to 6th Street block. For example, when they first inspected the block visiting engineers from the HC Bridge Company & Harbor Technologies questioned why the Boardwalk changed direction at 5th Street . Resulting conversations regarding the history of the North end of the Boardwalk, past storm damage and erosion, and current beach filling projects ultimately led to their suggesting that the Boardwalk between 5th to 6th Streets could be realigned inland for protection which would simultaneously increase the size of the beach along the block to the East.

Of course more beach would be welcomed by just about everyone, but these and similar long-range decisions should be decided by the Boardwalk Community as a whole, and not by any one person or group. The purpose of this page is to provide a public venue where the best and brightest long term ideas for the 5th to 6th Street block can be gathered, discussed and condensed into an open and public Boardwalk Vision.

To the right is a preliminary Boardwalk Vision with an annotated legend below it. Click to enlarge it, and then add your great ideas with the Suggestion Box below it. As this community input is received and organized, both will be updated to reflect the consensus Boardwalk Vision for the 5th to 6th Street Boardwalk block.