Vol. 8, No. 6
SEPTEMBER 2012
410-641-6029
www.oceanpinesprogress.com
Casino wastewater connection will impact Pines road Construction of a force main to link the Ocean Pines water and wastewater service area to the newly created Ocean Downs service area will require extensive trenching down the middle of King Richard Road, temporarily inconveniencing residents of the area. When the work, which is to be paid for entirely by Ocean Downs owner William Rickman, is done, the damaged length of the road will be completely repaved from edge to edge, again on Rickman’s dime. The Worcester County Commissioners on Sept. 4 approved an amendment to the county’s master water and sewerage plan to create a new Ocean Downs sanitary service area./Page 26
THE OCEAN PINES JOURNAL OF NEWS & COMMENTARY
YACHT CLUB SHOCKER
Yacht Club days of operation are cut back Ocean Pines Association General Manager Bob Thompson and Yacht Club Food and Beverage Manager Dave McLaughlin have taken steps to bring the OPA’s primary dining amenity back closer to budget. The move represents a modification of Thompson’s ‘Open for Business’ philosophy which, when first implemented over a year ago, had the Yacht Club open for business seven days a week, with the newly established Java Bay Coffeehouse on the amenity’s first floor accepting customers at 6 a.m./Page 5
Clarke spars with Thompson on OPA documents It didn’t take long after he was elected to the Ocean Pines Association board of directors in August before newly minted director Marty Clarke began sparring with General Manager Bob Thompson over access to OPA documents that, as a mere member of the Ocean Pines Association, Clarke was not entitled to inspect. One of his first requests as a director was to review minutes of past board meetings, a request that initially was resisted by OPA General Manager Bob Thompson. Clarke immediately involved returning OPA President Tom Terry in the matter, who in turn consulted OPA attorney Joe Moore./ Page 3
COVER STORY
Two thirds of voters approve of new $4.3 million Yacht Club Successful referendum means OPA can finalize contract with Harkins Construction in hopes of beginning construction before the end of the year. Permitting issues remain, including the OPA’s pending request for a 20 percent parking variance By TOM STAUSS Publisher
O
cean Pines property owners overwhelmingly approved a $4.3 million reconstruction of the Ocean Pines Yacht Club in a referendum that concluded Sept. 7. The approval means that a majority of those voting endorse the former board of directors’ recommendation for a new two-story, 20,000 square foot facility, sized to accommodate conventional dining and a banquet/special event business on the second floor. Results of the month-long referendum were announced in a special meeting of the board of directors Sept. 7 by Elections Committee chair Judy Butler. While some in Ocean Pines were guardedly optimistic about the referendum’s chances, others were skeptical of a positive outcome in a challenging economy and the project’s cost. Hardly anyone expected the blow-out win that was recorded. Of the 7,698 ballots sent out, 5073 ballots were returned by the Sept. 6 deadline. Of those, 3,432 were cast in favor of authorizing the board to spend $4.3 million for a new Yacht Club, while 1,641 were opposed. More than two thirds of those voting, 67.65 percent, favored the new building.
About 66 percent of property owners participated in the balloting, which Butler said is the most who have voted in an Ocean Pines Association election in some time, perhaps ever. Roughly 34 percent of property owners did not participate in the mail-in referendum, meaning that less than half, 44.58 percent, are fully supportive of the $4.3 million expenditure. Even so, under OPA referendum rules, only those who cast ballots have a voice in deciding a community issue of this magnitude. In remarks leading up to Butler’s announcement, OPA President Tom Terry thanked the prior board for its unanimous support for a new building and others in the community who, in numerous town meetings, offered suggestions that he said improved the proposed new Yacht Club. The first floor dining area will be enclosed, keeping out flies and other flying insects, Terry said, and an area will be set aside as an employee break room. Pavers in lieu of sand will be used in the footprint of the existing building, he said. The decisive victory is a major win for OPA General Manager Bob Thompson, who pressed an aggressive timetable of bringing the project to a referendum vote. He previously said that he intends to keep the existing To Page 16