City Council's tie vote leaves Gillian's Pier's future in doubt

☑️ Planning board deadlock leaves Gillian’s Wonderland Pier future uncertain

☑️Proposed 252-room hotel and rezoning hinges on rehabilitation ruling

☑️ City Council retains final authority as board members clash

OCEAN CITY — A tie vote by the Planning Board leaves Gillian’s Wonderland Pier with a still uncertain future.

In December, the City Council authorized the board to determine whether the area around the former amusement park is in need of rehabilitation. Approval of the plan would clear the way for the property to be rezoned and a previously rejected 252-room hotel plan by property owner Eustace Mita to move forward. The plan preserves Wonderland's Ferris wheel and carousel.

According to CBS Philadelphia coverage of the meeting, the board voted 4-4 on the plan. Board members want more information about the condition of the pier after Gillian's closed in 2024.

"I don't think frustrated is the right word. I think disappointed is the right word. Very, very disappointed and honestly surprised," developer Eustace Mita told CBS Philadelphia. "I thought this was a poster child for rehabilitation. So I am shocked."

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Developer calls vote ‘shocking’ as pier condition debated

The property has deteriorated because of its beach location and a lack of maintenance, according to Mita's attorney, Keith Davis. The property has fallen below safety and operational standards for the four businesses remaining.

"This deterioration affects not only the pier structure itself, but also its underlying structural support and the remnants of the former amusement rides," Davis said.

The plan is still alive as Councilman Sean Barnes, who also serves on the Planning Board, said the council has the final say on the declaration. Barnes told Fox Philadelphia he is against the plan as he does not think the property meets the criteria for deterioration.

Mita threatened to sell the property after his plan was initially rejected by the council. The Boardwalk Merchants Association expressed concern about the future of Ocean City as a destination resort if the property is not developed.