Extension Granted for Maryland Boardwalk Glass Elevator

In May 2021, the owner of the 4th Street Taphouse Bar & Grille on the Ocean City Boardwalk in Maryland received permission — amidst opposition — from the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) to encroach 8 ft onto the Boardwalk to build a glass elevator as part of a renovation, OC Today reports. Before making it to the planning level for site approval, though, developers ran into some snags and have since asked for a two-year extension, which was recently approved in a 5-0 vote. Plans for the glass structure said that the elevator is needed for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) access to the new rooftop addition to the restaurant, and that building it into the existing structure would be financially and spatially unfeasible. Certain conditions were requested by city staff, and as a result, the original motion said the owner can only use the elevator for ADA compliance, an existing pylon sign must be removed, and no outdoor lighting or noise-making devices can be placed on the outside of it. The approval for the encroachment was needed because the city’s code requires structures on the Boardwalk to maintain 20-ft front setbacks. The elevator is set to take away 8 ft of that space, reducing the total setback to 12 ft. The plans are set to move to the Planning Commission for further approval.