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11/25/2004 10:43:01 PM
 
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Section 5: OPA Board Subject: Swim/Racquet Marina Msg# 155248
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Marty, thanks for permission to post your letter below: November 23, 2004 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 |
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For reference, the above message is a reply to a message where: General Manager Dave Ferguson presentation on near final plans for the Swim/Racquet Club Marina expansion to accommodate a total of 77 slips. Following Ferguson's presentation the board opened the floor to public comments. Nearly all were negative, with the exception of Bob Abele, Chairman of the Marine Activities Advisory Committee. His committee has suggested the board build the marina. Abele, while voicing support, provided an excellent reason why it should not be built. Given only an additional 57 or so slips, a waiting list of about 100, and 2400 or so people Abele says would want slips, it makes little sense to spend $500,000 to satisfy 57 people with subsidized slips while covering land around the area with a new parking lot and upsetting many who live in the immediate area. By way of background, the board previously authorized the expenditure of $25,000 to have design plans completed and submitted for a permit. However, the board says it has not decided whether to build the marina or not. Many cannot understand this reasoning, akin to cart before the horse. President Dan Stachurski says obtaining a permit must come first so we can know if a marina can be built. The board appears to be of one mind on this. Others suggest the board should have first determined what, if anything, they wanted to build and then proceed with obtaining a permit. If a permit were denied, so be it. If the decision is not to expand the marina, then we would have saved $25,000. Click the thumbnail image or link below to see thios segment of the OPA meeting. Reply to this message if you would like to comment pro or con on the project.
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