Developer pitches ‘Hidden Harbor’ marina, motor-condo complex for Johnsburg; commission delays decision for additional MCDOT, Army Corps reviews

Hidden Harbor LLC presented a detailed plan on March 26 to redevelop a roughly 16.5-acre riverfront parcel at 3309 Chapel Hill Road in Johnsburg into a mixed-use destination including a protected harbor, marina with roughly 62 slips (including 12 multi-use piers), drive-up boat storage branded as "Dubs," 28 motor-condo units ("motorcaves"), retail (ice cream shop, nautical supply), a vehicle showroom, hotel and a public riverwalk.

Developer Mike Oliver, who said he lives nearby and will run the operation, told the Special Zoning Commission he has spent two-and-a-half years on the concept and presented phasing that makes the storage facility and harbor (phase 1) the early income source to stabilize financing for later retail and vertical construction (phase 2). "We are the local guys. I will quit my job and run Hidden Harbor," Oliver said, describing the project as a way to convert an "eyesore" into a public riverfront amenity and a regional draw.

Oliver said specialized marine contractors will perform dredging and harbor expansion under Army Corps and EPA oversight, that Hay Associates delineated on-site wetlands and that a jurisdictional determination and letters related to pier rights have been received. He reported multiple submittals to MCDOT and said traffic and right-of-way work — including the potential realignment of Salem Avenue and a revised Chapel Hill Road access — remain under county review.

The petitioner described the Dubs facility as a 120,000-square-foot, climate-controlled class A drive-up boat/vehicle storage facility rented monthly; the motor-condos would be sold individually and marketed to collectors and boaters. He said some piers would be assigned to motor-condo owners while most slips would be transient or public; valet in/out launch service was proposed for Dubs customers.

Commissioners and residents pressed the petitioner on feasibility and public impacts. Resident Laura King, who lives across the street from the site, urged the commission to delay rezoning until studies (market feasibility, MCDOT traffic, Army Corps permitting, and environmental reviews) are complete. Other speakers supported redevelopment for jobs and riverfront activation but asked for clarity on hours, staging, noise mitigation, construction access for neighbors, and whether boat ramp access would be public or limited to facility customers.

The commission determined several outstanding technical items — MCDOT traffic comments, Army Corps permit details/easements, and clearer operating hours/noise mitigation plans — require more information. A motion to table the petition to May 14 passed so staff and the petitioner can supply requested documents and revisions.

Next steps: the commission directed staff to collect MCDOT and Army Corps correspondence, provide engineering clarifications (setbacks, potential Salem Avenue alignment), refine non-residential enforcement language for motor-condos (to prevent overnight habitation), and present a consolidated packet to the commission ahead of the May 14 meeting.