Initiatives to enhance the neighborhood’s amenities

By Tara Fischer

Staff Writer

(July 30, 2026) The Ocean Pines Association continues to prioritize maintenance projects across the community, including improvements at the Yacht Club’s new Tiki Kitchen and walking trails.

During the Board of Directors meeting Monday night, General Manager John Viola said the new Tiki Kitchen at the Yacht Club is already enhancing food service for patrons.

“We built the structure. [Touch of Italy] is leasing it, they put the kitchen inside,” Viola said.

Touch of Italy operates Ocean Pines’s food and beverage operations, including the Yacht Club. The restaurateur built the outside kitchen this spring to improve service to poolside guests.

Recent maintenance work included installing screens around the Tiki Kitchen for pest control and placing red stone in areas disturbed during construction. Viola said additional work around the Yacht Club, including cleanup near the grease trap area, has been completed, with more improvements expected during the offseason.

Director Monica Rakowski said residents have already noticed the difference.

“I’ve had several people in the last two weeks come up and say, ‘I ordered french fries and they came out hot,’” she said. “Because they were coming from the Tiki Kitchen. So, it has been a good amenity increase for us.”

Senior Director of Administration Linda Martin also provided an update on maintenance of the community’s walking trails, noting that public works crews finished clearing debris from the trails beginning July 13.

However, she said the work continues because some homeowners have continued placing branches back onto the paths.

She urged citizens to stop cluttering the trails.

Martin also reminded community members that the association’s public works yard will remain closed for the rest of the summer after being deemed unsafe because of loose soil from the new firehouse construction site, debris pickup materials, dredged material, and pieces of dock stored in the yard.

Residents needing yard debris pickup should place paper-bagged debris at the curb and contact public works to schedule collection. There is no limit on the number of paper bags that will be collected.