7/26/2005

Some Parke residents protest Community Gardens move
By Bob Lassahn

In June the Ocean Pines Association (OPA) Board of Directors voted unanimously to relocate the community gardens, a series of plots cultivated by Ocean Pines residents, to a site on Manklin Creek Road near the entrance to Manklin Meadows. The board has set aside $25,000 in the current budget to initially fund the move and the gardeners will repay all costs associated with the move over a 20-year period through an annual lease payment on each plot to be determined at a later date.

The OPA board and administration spent nearly a year looking for an alternative site when the present location of the community gardens came under consideration as a dredge spoil storage area. Dredge materials will be stored at the site for drying and later moved for various purposes. In what seemed a fair exchange the site where the community gardens will be located was previously used for dredge spoils.

At the July 20 OPA board meeting General Manager Dave Ferguson provided a summary of cost estimates to prepare the new site for use by the gardeners. The total of approximately $27,500 includes fencing, a water line, electrical work and the necessary soil enhancements. About $3,000 of the amount would be for site delineation and permits if needed.

During public comments three residents of The Parke spoke in protest regarding the new location for the community gardens. Among the concerns they expressed were the close proximity to their homes to the gardens and the fence surrounding it, traffic issues and the potential their property values could be diminished. One resident protested that the matter had not been discussed with the homeowners’ association for The Parke.

When pressed whether the move was already decided, Board President Dan Stachurski acknowledged that it was. He suggested that they meet with the head of the community garden group and OPA General Manager Dave Ferguson to gain understanding of what is being done on the site. On several points there was apparently misunderstanding of exactly what is planned.

Although this issue has been smoldering in Ocean Pines for a considerable time one of the gentlemen commented he had only become aware of the move during the last 48 hours.