OCEAN CITY, Md. - Ocean City officials are now reconsidering a proposed location for a sports complex near Stephen Decatur High School just two weeks after saying the area would be the best fit.
Earlier in February, Ocean City and Berlin officials told WBOC they were eyeing a 100-acre property behind the high school and near Berlin as the likely location for the Ocean City sports complex, a project that has been years in the making.
Following a recent public meeting on the proposal, however, Berlin Mayor Zack Tyndall said the message from neighbors was clear: remove the site from consideration. Berlin leaders then asked Ocean City to do so.
On Thursday, Feb. 19, Ocean City officials confirmed to WBOC they were bringing the search for the future site of the sports complex back to the drawing board.
“The Town remains fully committed to the development of a sports complex,” Ocean City Council President Matt James said. “This has been a long and extensive process. In response to recent community feedback, additional options are being explored at this time; the exhaustive search continues.”
Neighbors who spoke out against the location say the concerns go beyond the size of the project. Some pointed to the nearby historic identity of Briddletown, a long-established African American community in the area, and said the proposed complex would bring major changes to a neighborhood built around family homes.
Gregory Purnell Sr., who said he has lived in the area for decades, told WBOC the community’s history is often misunderstood, including how its name is pronounced.
“It’s Bridd-el Town, not Briddletown,” Purnell said.
Purnell said a sports complex at the Decatur site would create an uptick of large crowds into a small community, raising worries about traffic, lighting, and overall disruption. He said community members could be more open to development that fits the area’s needs, such as housing, rather than a regional sports destination.
