(Jan. 26, 2017) Along with a vote to select a headhunter to fill the general manager’s role, the Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors will likely have its work cut out for it during what should be an eventful meeting on Saturday.
Tentatively on the agenda are add-ons at Mumford’s Landing a.k.a. the yacht club, seed money for the 50th anniversary committee, several new racquet sports courts and renovations to the Manklin Meadows playground.
That list was largely set during a public work session on Monday, when the biggest topic of debate was a proposed pirate-themed playground at Mumford’s Landing. The structure would be placed between the main building of the yacht club and the pool.
Interim General Manager Brett Hill said the playground, funded by a donation from resident Tim McMullen, would appeal to young families in Ocean Pines who were considering dining at the club.
“Families are a part of Ocean Pines. We’re not a retirement community – we’re a diverse community with a lot of needs and a lot of people that we need to serve,” Hill said. “I believe a proposal’s been put forth that’s been generously funded so it’s not an impact on association members’ assessments, and it provides value to the building to help meet the needs of all the population.”
McMullen is the chair of the recreation and parks advisory committee and the director of the Mary Mac Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit formed in memory of his late wife, Mary McMullen, who succumbed to scleroderma in 2012.
“Mary McMullen was a founder of our youth program way back in 1974, and we’ve held a golf tournament here for the past five years, and have always donated money to recreation department,” he said. “We feel strongly about money being earmarked for children.”
McMullen admitted he had encountered pushback from senior citizens about once a week when those youth programs were started, some 40 years ago, and said some of that sentiment remains today.
“This is a family community, this is a recreation community [and] our recreation committee feels strongly about this project,” he said. “When I start hearing that certain facilities are only for certain groups I become extremely uncomfortable.”
Gary Miller, who serves on the clubs advisory committee, said he was apprehensive about the location of the playground. He feared the addition of a play area would signal that the policy of the pool, the only adults-only swimming area in Ocean Pines, was about to change.
“This is not, as you said, a retirement community, but you do have a lot of retired people that like the peace and quiet of the yacht club pool,” he said. “My concern is … just having the playground there in that close proximity is going to [create] noise issues and is going to be disruptive to the adults that are enjoying the peace and quiet of that one little oasis that they have in the community.”
Miller said the playground could be considered a first step toward “achieving that goal of making the yacht club pool a family pool.”
“I think both of those ideas are very bad,” Miller said. “We … have four other pools for the kids to be at.”
Resident Mary Lynn Reinhart, on the other hand, said a majority of young families in Ocean Pines did not feel welcome and that a playground at the yacht club would help erase some of that unease.
“I’m not saying crowd the yacht club with kids, but it would just offer something for younger families to do,” she said. “There are a lot of younger families in the community and they go to Ropewalk, they go to Fish Tales, they go to the other places that do have [playgrounds]. That encourages them to come and to spend money – they have money to spend, but they don’t feel very welcome to come into the yacht club when we have that mentality expressed of ‘keep them away.’”
Board Vice President Dave Stevens said the proposed location was the only feasible one, and that it was somewhat absurd to worry about the noise of a playground when there is already an outdoor bar adjacent to the pool.
He said Mumford’s Landing had become an entertainment venue and that many children attended events there.
“The real issue is do we want to have a playground for kids whose families want to come to the yacht club and basically try, as we are in other ways, to attract a younger crowd – or don’t we,” Stevens said.
Director Cheryl Jacobs believed the new playground would not be a revenue generator and said the positioning did not make sense because parents would not be able to see their children from the dining area.
She agreed the play area would signal a move toward making the pool “family friendly,” and added the proposed location of a new bandstand at Mumford’s Landing would only block the view of the waterfront.
“That is an obstruction of our million-dollar view – the single most important attribute of this community,” she said. “And you’re going to stick that stand in right smack in the middle of that view. That doesn’t make any sense to me at all.”
The board will vote on whether or not to continue plans for the playground during the regular meeting on Saturday.
Hill asked the board to consider funding several other enhancements at Mumford’s Landing. A formal vote on those is expected this weekend.
He said $55,000 previously set aside for a food truck was reallocated for decorations and other improvements at the facility in December, and asked for $20,000 in additional money to replace the first-floor bar-top and to purchase heat lamps and a heater for the second-floor kitchen, where there is currently no heat.
According to Hill, $21,000 had already been spent on new furniture in the bridal suite, groom’s suite, and lobby and lounge areas. Another $12,000 went towards the new Tuffy’s Tavern bar, while about $3,000 went to additional decorations, Hill said.
Also during the meeting on Monday, Jenny Cropper-Rines from the 50th anniversary committee, a group that is planning a series of celebratory events starting next year, asked for $20,000 in start-up money.
She said five events had been chosen for the year-long celebration: a sign ceremony, parade, golf tournament, time-capsule ceremony and a winter ball. The committee needed the support of association staff and the board of directors in order to plan and produce those happenings, she said.
Hill expressed his displeasure that committee members had apparently tried to speak to Ocean Pines staff directly, and called for a clearer overall plan from the panel. He said existing staff could perform tasks relating to planning the anniversary, like creating a logo and booking entertainment, at no extra cost to the association.
The board also discussed adding two new platform tennis courts.
Stevens asked for $3,000-$5,000 in engineering funds to study the feasibility of converting existing courts at Manklin Meadows, while Hill said he would present a plan to build a pickleball center at the swim and racquet club, where several existing tennis courts were failing and in dire need of repair.
Hill proposed the association then repurpose several of its existing pickleball courts at Manklin Meadows for platform tennis, and asked for $15,000 in engineering funds. Both plans will be on the agenda Saturday.
In addition, the board will consider several bids to install a new playground at Manklin Meadows during that meeting, which is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. in the Assateague Room inside the community center on 239 Ocean Parkway.
Tentatively on the agenda are add-ons at Mumford’s Landing a.k.a. the yacht club, seed money for the 50th anniversary committee, several new racquet sports courts and renovations to the Manklin Meadows playground.
That list was largely set during a public work session on Monday, when the biggest topic of debate was a proposed pirate-themed playground at Mumford’s Landing. The structure would be placed between the main building of the yacht club and the pool.
Interim General Manager Brett Hill said the playground, funded by a donation from resident Tim McMullen, would appeal to young families in Ocean Pines who were considering dining at the club.
“Families are a part of Ocean Pines. We’re not a retirement community – we’re a diverse community with a lot of needs and a lot of people that we need to serve,” Hill said. “I believe a proposal’s been put forth that’s been generously funded so it’s not an impact on association members’ assessments, and it provides value to the building to help meet the needs of all the population.”
McMullen is the chair of the recreation and parks advisory committee and the director of the Mary Mac Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit formed in memory of his late wife, Mary McMullen, who succumbed to scleroderma in 2012.
“Mary McMullen was a founder of our youth program way back in 1974, and we’ve held a golf tournament here for the past five years, and have always donated money to recreation department,” he said. “We feel strongly about money being earmarked for children.”
McMullen admitted he had encountered pushback from senior citizens about once a week when those youth programs were started, some 40 years ago, and said some of that sentiment remains today.
“This is a family community, this is a recreation community [and] our recreation committee feels strongly about this project,” he said. “When I start hearing that certain facilities are only for certain groups I become extremely uncomfortable.”
Gary Miller, who serves on the clubs advisory committee, said he was apprehensive about the location of the playground. He feared the addition of a play area would signal that the policy of the pool, the only adults-only swimming area in Ocean Pines, was about to change.
“This is not, as you said, a retirement community, but you do have a lot of retired people that like the peace and quiet of the yacht club pool,” he said. “My concern is … just having the playground there in that close proximity is going to [create] noise issues and is going to be disruptive to the adults that are enjoying the peace and quiet of that one little oasis that they have in the community.”
Miller said the playground could be considered a first step toward “achieving that goal of making the yacht club pool a family pool.”
“I think both of those ideas are very bad,” Miller said. “We … have four other pools for the kids to be at.”
Resident Mary Lynn Reinhart, on the other hand, said a majority of young families in Ocean Pines did not feel welcome and that a playground at the yacht club would help erase some of that unease.
“I’m not saying crowd the yacht club with kids, but it would just offer something for younger families to do,” she said. “There are a lot of younger families in the community and they go to Ropewalk, they go to Fish Tales, they go to the other places that do have [playgrounds]. That encourages them to come and to spend money – they have money to spend, but they don’t feel very welcome to come into the yacht club when we have that mentality expressed of ‘keep them away.’”
Board Vice President Dave Stevens said the proposed location was the only feasible one, and that it was somewhat absurd to worry about the noise of a playground when there is already an outdoor bar adjacent to the pool.
He said Mumford’s Landing had become an entertainment venue and that many children attended events there.
“The real issue is do we want to have a playground for kids whose families want to come to the yacht club and basically try, as we are in other ways, to attract a younger crowd – or don’t we,” Stevens said.
Director Cheryl Jacobs believed the new playground would not be a revenue generator and said the positioning did not make sense because parents would not be able to see their children from the dining area.
She agreed the play area would signal a move toward making the pool “family friendly,” and added the proposed location of a new bandstand at Mumford’s Landing would only block the view of the waterfront.
“That is an obstruction of our million-dollar view – the single most important attribute of this community,” she said. “And you’re going to stick that stand in right smack in the middle of that view. That doesn’t make any sense to me at all.”
The board will vote on whether or not to continue plans for the playground during the regular meeting on Saturday.
Hill asked the board to consider funding several other enhancements at Mumford’s Landing. A formal vote on those is expected this weekend.
He said $55,000 previously set aside for a food truck was reallocated for decorations and other improvements at the facility in December, and asked for $20,000 in additional money to replace the first-floor bar-top and to purchase heat lamps and a heater for the second-floor kitchen, where there is currently no heat.
According to Hill, $21,000 had already been spent on new furniture in the bridal suite, groom’s suite, and lobby and lounge areas. Another $12,000 went towards the new Tuffy’s Tavern bar, while about $3,000 went to additional decorations, Hill said.
Also during the meeting on Monday, Jenny Cropper-Rines from the 50th anniversary committee, a group that is planning a series of celebratory events starting next year, asked for $20,000 in start-up money.
She said five events had been chosen for the year-long celebration: a sign ceremony, parade, golf tournament, time-capsule ceremony and a winter ball. The committee needed the support of association staff and the board of directors in order to plan and produce those happenings, she said.
Hill expressed his displeasure that committee members had apparently tried to speak to Ocean Pines staff directly, and called for a clearer overall plan from the panel. He said existing staff could perform tasks relating to planning the anniversary, like creating a logo and booking entertainment, at no extra cost to the association.
The board also discussed adding two new platform tennis courts.
Stevens asked for $3,000-$5,000 in engineering funds to study the feasibility of converting existing courts at Manklin Meadows, while Hill said he would present a plan to build a pickleball center at the swim and racquet club, where several existing tennis courts were failing and in dire need of repair.
Hill proposed the association then repurpose several of its existing pickleball courts at Manklin Meadows for platform tennis, and asked for $15,000 in engineering funds. Both plans will be on the agenda Saturday.
In addition, the board will consider several bids to install a new playground at Manklin Meadows during that meeting, which is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. in the Assateague Room inside the community center on 239 Ocean Parkway.