November 23, 2004
Mr. Tom Stauss, Editor
The Progress
RE: Opinion, The mid-November Progress

Dear Tom:

With all due respect to you, the board of directors, and Mr. Ferguson, the presentation for the proposed new marina at the Swim and Racquet Club was as "credible and conservative" as Joe Gibbs still planning on the Redskins going to the Super Bowl.

For the record I am opposed to this undertaking, however it is important to disclose that I have no dog in the fight. I do own boats, one of which is currently docked in the Pines Point Marina, and I have leased a marina slip from the Association in the past, both at the Yacht Club and the Swim and Racquet Club. I do not use the community swimming pools. That said, I have major problems with the proposed new slips.

The propaganda handout at the last board of directors meeting "COST RECOVERY OPTIONS" is not founded in facts. The cost to construct Option 3B is at least 25% low even if no additional parking is required. At the same time they use gross rental revenues with no consideration of lost interest on the capital, insurance, water, electric, maintenance, reserves, or management which could be as much as half of the gross revenue. According to the O/P/A budget the existing marina slips lose money. The 7.7 year recovery number is ludicrous. A more realistic number would be 22 years.

Tom, what is the reason behind this bizarre behavior by our board of directors? To my knowledge there have been only two credible demographic studies which addressed amenities in the past fifteen years; one by Gallup and the other by the Ocean Pines Association in conjunction with Salisbury State University.

Both of these comprehensive studies determined, based on the input of the membership, that the number one most important new amenity for Ocean Pines is an indoor swimming pool. Even when SSU cross referenced the boat owners they also preferred an indoor pool over increased boat slips.

In 1998 the board of directors received "The Comprehensive Plan". That document,

Table-6-12 "Level of Community Support for Selected Recreational Program Improvements", mirrored the previous studies and again chose an indoor pool as number one. Increased boat slips did not make the top ten!

The facts are clear. The membership wants an indoor swimming pool, not new boat slips for 56 individuals.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Marty Clarke