Updating playground equipment at Bainbridge Park to make the park ADA compliant is one of the suggestions by the Rec and Park Advisory Committee. 

By Cindy Hoffman, Staff Writer

(July 6, 2023) The Recreation and Parks Advisory Committee provided a report to the Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors on the conditions of the community’s parks. The report contained a substantial list of recommendations.

Based on a survey of residents conducted in the fall of 2022, the committee reviewed the physical and material condition of the recreation and parks areas.

The report covers each of the 14 park and recreation areas, providing specific recommendations for each.

Some of the bigger projects were at Bainbridge Park, Manklin Meadows Park, Pintail Park, Whitehorse Park and the Southgate Pond walking trail.

At Bainbridge Park, where the frisbee golf course is located, the committee found the course to be insufficiently marked. It recommended new signs and markings for holes and suggested that Bryant Dean from Eastbound Disc Golf provide an improved course map and develop better hole signs. The committee suggested that OPA should invest surplus funds into this work.

The committee also recommended that the Bainbridge playground be replaced. It suggested making the playground ADA compliant and improving drainage around the playground. The OPA is surveying residents about the Bainbridge Park playground. The survey can be found at http://bit.ly/43b7940

Due to the remote location, the committee suggested adding portable restrooms to the park.

At Pintail Park, residents requested access to the water for kayaks and a dock. The committee suggested a waterfront pier and handicap access. This suggestion has recently been acted upon by the board.

The tennis courts at the Swim and Racquet Club Park are not regularly used. The committee recommended adding fitness equipment, a covered picnic area and additional pickleball courts.

At Whitehorse Park, signs indicate that no dogs or bikes are allowed, yet both cyclists and dog walkers regularly use this area. The committee recommended that the signs be removed to allow for these activities.

The committee also noted that shuffleboard, bocci ball, and horseshoe pits at the park need repair and equipment should be provided.

At the Southgate Pond Walking Trail, the committee recommended installing outdoor fitness stations, which was a request made in the recent survey of residents.

The report made the following overall recommendations:

The Public Works Department should increase efforts to clean trash and debris from trails. The parks committee volunteered to help with cleaning the trails where appropriate.

The committee also wants to re-establish the OPA Adopt-a-Park program partnerships to aid in park & trail maintenance, suggesting that it could be a source of revenue and labor to maintain the parks.

“The Adopt-a-Park program guidelines have been updated. The Department of Recreation and Parks continues to administer the program,” said Bill Barnard, the chair of the Rec and Parks Advisory Committee.

 The committee found that a number of the parks have been adopted in the past, but it is unclear whether any maintenance work is being done by the adopters.

Overall, many of the walking trails need improvements. The committee suggested adding gravel to maintain levels and cover tripping safety hazards, beautify the trails, and enable accessibility for residents with limited mobility. It also suggested adding safety crosswalks and crossing signs where walking trails intersect with roadways.

The committee suggested installing dog waste plastic bag dispensers and trash receptacles at major entrances to trails to help dog owners dispose of their pet waste and aid in trash removal convenience.

In the report, the committee said it was willing to support each recommendation by coordinating volunteers to assist the OPA departments in taking corrective action. This should reduce costs and labor on the OPA Departments.

Barnard suggested that a volunteer coordinator position would also be helpful.

The committee also suggested the need for more fitness opportunities for residents. Suggestions included a new facility or outdoorequipment.

The committee will be submitting an annual report by Oct. 31 with these recommendations, Barnard said.