Marina expansion issue has advocates and detractors
By Chip Bertino
Balancing the amenity needs of property owners with current available facilities continues to be the focus of conversation and debate between and among Ocean Pines residents and the Ocean Pines Board of Directors.
 
An ongoing issue that is currently being reviewed by the Ocean Pines Association (OPA) is expanding the marina facilities at the Swim and Racquet Club.  A plan has been proposed to enlarge the facility by 56 slips from its current 21 slip configuration for a total of 77 slips. 
 
"The intent of the Board was to find out what could be built there," OPA Board President Dan Stachurski told The Courier recently.  "The only way to negotiate the incredibly tough restrictions for new marina construction is that we needed to apply for actual permits in order to have reliable answers to our 'What's possible?" question.
 
Mr. Stachurski is referring to the current evaluation underway by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE).
 
However, this plan has met with resistance from some residents who do not want the facility touched.
 
In an effort to prevent the Ocean Pines Association (OPA) from enlarging the marina facilities, resident Charles Herpen has formed Ocean Pines Against the Marina Group.  The group is a coalition of Ocean Pines residents from every neighborhood in the community according to Mr. Herpen who lives across the canal on Teal Circle from the proposed expansion site.
 
During a recent interview with The Courier Mr. Herpen discussed why he is opposed to the OPA idea of expanding the number of slips at the facility.
 
His reasons boil down to three concerns: the effect on the neighborhood; the environmental impact on the St. Martins River; and the cost, both the cost of expansion and subsequent subsidizing of the additional slips because they are, according to Mr. Herpen, rented to users at below market value.
 
With regard to the effect on the neighborhood, Mr. Herpen is concerned that the road leading into the facility, Seabreeze Road, is just a two lane road.  Should the facility be expanded Mr. Herpen says there will be additional traffic along the road that could cause problems including congestion.
 
Mr. Stachurski counters that the Swim and Racquet Club is "in desparate need of updating from a landscaping and parking standpoint."  According to Mr. Stachurski the existing marina is over 30 years old and has rotting pilings, rickety piers and a failing ferry dock that was once used by Pines' developer Boise Cascade.  Mr. Stachurski wonders how it could be devastating to the neighborhood to bring this area up to the standards of the Yacht Club in appearance, safety and functionality. 
 
With regard to the environmental impact of the St. Martin River, Mr. Herpen explains that the expansion of the marina as well as the addition of more boats in the area would be counterproductive to the clean-up efforts of the river. 
 
In Mr. Stachurski's estimation the current state of the Swim and Racquet club contributes more detrimental material to the river than an upgraded facility would.  He points to the "Clean Marina" award received by the Ocean Pines Yacht Club, which has fuel services as well as fish cleaning areas in addition to slips, a pump out station, a club house and a store.  
 
"New, clean and built to today's exacting environmental standards is not [a] bad thing to happen to the Swim and Racquet Club facility," says Mr. Stachurski. 
 
Upgrades to the Swim and Racquet Club would include floating docks similar to those at the Yacht Club basin.  However upgrades would not include fuel facilities, waste pump out facilities, fish cleaning areas or a ship's store.
 
When it comes to the economics of expanding the number of slips that is where Mr. Herpen's concern becomes most evident.  It is Mr. Herpen's assertion that the expansion will provide 56 additional slip users a "slip for life" because the slips are rented at below market value.  Additionally, he claims Ocean Pines resident will be paying the cost of subsidizing these slips. 
 
According to Mr. Stachurski there are currently the names of 105 property owners on a waiting list for dock space in Ocean Pines.
 
With regard to setting rates at the new facility Mr. Stachurski explains that the process will be simple. "We would borrow the funds to rehabilitate the area in a loan to extend over twenty or thirty years, then combine the amortized annual cost of that loan with the operating costs involved in running the slips and divide by the number of slips to get to an annual rental rate.  More simply stated:  the slip rental rate for a new facility at the Swim and Racquet Club would be set at a level designed to have the facility be paid for, completely, by those who use it with no impact on any other property owner.  We don't know what that number will be as of today."
 
A check of rental fees at other area marinas found that Ocean City Fishing Center in West Ocean City charges $1,850 per season for a 20 foot boat. Presently they have available slips.  Sunset Marina, also in West Ocean City, offers dry dock availability which is $1,500 per season that includes one in/one out service per day plus full use of marina facilities.
 
Pines Point Marina, located in Ocean Pines (but not affiliated with OPA) charges $2,000 a season for a 24 foot boat. 
 
Mr. Herpen commented that if Ocean Pines charged fair market value for slip rental, there would possibly be no need to expand the marina at the Swim and Racquet club because boaters would be less likely to have an interest in paying more to docking their boat at the facility.
 
"All we know is that there are plenty of property owners who would like to rent a slip and a competitive slip rental is not an objection," said Mr. Stachurski.
 
Mr. Herpen suggests that the money necessary to expand the marina could be better used for other projects being discussed around the community.
 
According to Mr. Stachurski, "What the board is looking for is a facility that is much safer than what we now have there, much cleaner, much more attractive to the eye, done with no derogatory impact to the environment and no major changes to the shape and nature of the existing basin, and accomplished at no cost to property owners of Ocean Pines."
 
Ocean Pines Against the Marina Group intends to bring the matter to referendum so that the community as a whole can determine whether the expansion should be undertaken.  On January 19, Mr. Herpen turned over a petition with 376 signatures opposed to the project.  He said that because some of those who signed were husband and wife couples, there are really only about 200 signatures that qualify. 
 
Ocean Pines bylaws require that for a referendum to be filed with the Secretary of the Association, a petition must be signed by "voting members in good standing representing at least 10 percent of the total voting units."  This requires Mr. Herpen's group to get about 825 signatures on a petition opposing the project.  He is confident this will not be a problem.
 
There has been discussion that the cost of expansion could go as high as $700,000.  According to OPA bylaws, the Board of Directors can undertake projects without going to referendum as long as the cost is 20 percent or less of revenue derived from annual charges. The estimated expansion costs, even if they reached $700,000 would be less than the amount necessary to go to referendum.
 
Ocean Pines Against the Marina Group has retained the services of attorney Steve Smethurst of Salisbury to represent them.  Additionally the group has already begun raising money for its cause. 
 
Board action will be taken on the Swim and Racquet Club project when permits are received which Mr. Stachurski hopes will happen this summer.  He doubts it will happen though before the annual meeting on August 13. 

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