7/26/2005

ARC review plows through another section of the guidelines
By Bob Adair

On July 19 the ARC ad hoc committee met for the 13th session.  The group reviewed the entire section dealing with specific design requirements and plan review. In all, the section contains eight pages of very detailed information covering multiple aspects of structure design from floor elevations to lot clearance restrictions.

It is almost impossible to explain what was accomplished in this latest meeting without everyone having a copy of the document.  The whole section was reorganized in an effort to separate those items dealing with building design requirements and those dealing with plan content requirements. Other instructions were found to be obsolete and, therefore, discarded.

The committee again called into question words in the document that are not well understood or even found in the dictionary. One paragraph is titled “Fenestration.”  It is a legitimate word referring to openings such as doors and windows.  It can also refer to surgery.  However, “window design” makes more sense to a layman reading the guidelines.  Another word, “Cementitious,” referring to the coating required for concrete block foundations is not in the dictionary.  It was changed to plain “cement” parging.

Any instructions in the guidelines that state the contractor/homeowner must contact the Worcester County Department of Water and Wastewater was eliminated.  The only person that can apply for a permit with that authority is a registered plumber.

The committee decided to leave the guidelines about exterior lighting as it is currently written.  The intent of the section is to make people aware of how intrusive bright, multiple spotlights can be to others in the neighborhood.  The guidelines will continue to urge residents to use exterior lights to make entryways safe.

In the section dealing with requirements within the 15-foot bulkhead maintenance easement several changes will be required.  Because of the Coastal Bay legislation passed two years ago, the county will not approve any open ground decks within that buffer.  Previously a resident could build such a deck but had to agree to stand the expense of removing it if required to allow bulkhead repair. 

Another part that provided information about moving a pre-existing house to a lot in Ocean Pines was eliminated. Since moving a used house to a lot in Ocean Pines is prohibited and the cost of such an operation it was considered to be obsolete.

About 19 pages remain to be reviewed.  Some are details of interest to an individual physically establishing a building site within the Pines.  Other sections are already drawing significant attention. These sections include signage and trailer parking in Ocean Pines.