Around Ocean Pines
Commentary by Joe Reynolds
10/6/2004
To build or not to build. Let the Great Community Hall Debate of 2004 begin.
Some lot owners will want to do nothing -- a major mistake. On the other hand, property values will not tumble, as has been suggested by others if the board fails to proceed with a new Community Hall -- and more.
Hopefully the OPA Board of Directors will not repeat mistakes of past boards, resulting in total community rejection of construction proposals. The possibility of the board moving forward with an incremental approach to new construction in order to avoid a lot owner referendum would be another major mistake. So too might be a board initiative to hire an outside public relations firm to “sell” the community on what it eventually recommends.
Politics is the art of compromise. However, there are already hints the board will consider a hard-line, take-no-prisoners approach. Some board members see the recent election results as a mandate to move forward with virtually everything in the Comprehensive Plan, including an indoor swimming pool. Such a lack of political savvy is perhaps expected among neophytes entering the world of political machinations, but no board member should correlate election vote counts as a mandate to spend many millions of dollars.
While the board suggests everyone read the Ocean Pines Comprehensive Plan, this document is not the most recent in regard to space requirements. A June 3, 2004 document, titled "Space Requirements Study," prepared by the Comprehensive Plan Committee, represents current committee thinking.
More or less off the community radar, but confusing the debate even more is the Ocean Pines Volunteer Fire Department. The issue is the White Horse Park firehouse. Some options might end up including construction of a new northside fire house.
The confusion arises from a statement on page 10 of the Space Requirements Study: "The Committee has also confirmed, in consultation with the Fire Department, that removal of the Firehouse would in no way diminish the ability of the Fire Department located at the South firehouse to serve all of Ocean Pines."
Since the fire department is not an arm of OPA, rather an independent corporation, why doesn’t it simply tell the board it no longer needs the space currently occupied at
Why would the board even consider building a new northside firehouse when there is no need for it? Why, in the face of meeting space shortfall, didn’t the board long ago take over the unneeded fire department space? If the fire department says it has no need of a northside station, should lot owners not take their word for it?
Studying the various reports does little to clarify what our needs may be. It does say a great deal about the cumulative desires of all the various groups in Ocean Pines.
Does a homeowners association have an obligation to meet the desires of every group for meeting space -- now and into the future? If the answer to that question is "yes" then it is easy to see how someone could see the difference between what we have and what we need as “stunning.” What isn’t easy to understand is the methodology for arriving at our "needs."
It appears the methodology involved asking every group to provide their meeting space requirements and/or desires. The space needs document contains a list of 80 groups. The list is by no means complete; for example, it does not include the Restless Leg Syndrome group. Some of the listed groups don't use OPA facilities for meetings. The largest group is the Friends of the Ocean Pines Library with a listed membership of 1000.
Compounding the search for clarity is space usage by two distinct segments of the Ocean Pines Community -- Recreation and Parks, and the various community groups. The report says Recreation and Parks activities monopolize the community hall, surrounding park, and several swimming pools for 8 to 10 consecutive weeks during the summer.
Ocean Pines needs a new community hall. How the board shapes the coming debate is crucial. A reasonable and supportable board recommendation is the only way to gain lot owner approval. It remains to be seen if this board is up to the challenge.
Joe Reynolds, a 14-year resident of Ocean Pines, is founder of OceanPinesForum.com. Contact Joe at
Uploaded: 10/7/2004
