The Ocean Pines Association is one step closer to combatting erosion around the South Gate Pond after receiving two bids for the design of the restoration project.
The South Gate Pond In Ocean Pines is pictured.
Tara Fischer / Bayside Gazette
By Tara Fischer, Staff Writer
The Ocean Pines Association is one step closer to combatting erosion around the South Gate Pond after receiving two bids for the design of the restoration project.
Joe Reynolds, the online Ocean Pines Forum moderator, said Annapolis-based Underwood and Associates provided a design bid of $50,358.56. Vista Design, Inc., out of Showell, bid $53,070.
The companies were asked to submit a price tag with their design plan for the landscape surrounding the pond, which will address water quality, erosion, aesthetics, and fishing access. OPA General Manager John Viola said the association will make their final decision with the help of the Maryland Coastal Bays Program. The selected business will also handle the construction of the project.
Financial support for the initiative will come exclusively from grant money, Viola maintained. The association has already received $150,000 in funding from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The project’s total cost is still unknown, but the company OPA chooses will first draft a design plan, which will inform the overall price.
Viola said the need for such a project at the pond was discovered roughly a year ago. To combat the erosion, vegetation, including grass and flowers, will be planted around the perimeter of the waterway. The entire project is expected to cover 4,600 feet of shoreline. The first phase will focus on the area that faces Racetrack Road, where the soil has been identified as particularly troublesome.
“We initially saw this as doing some plantings to help stem erosion along certain parts of the South Gate Pond,” Viola said in February. “After further review by our team and a site visit by Maryland Coastal Bays Program officials, we think there’s an opportunity for a larger project to help address erosion issues, improve water quality, and beautify the entire area while also preserving fishing space and protecting local wildlife, like the fish and turtles that live in the pond. This will also create a nice backdrop for the Veterans Memorial events.”
The general manager said that both bidders addressed the bulk of the project’s needs and that they would make their decision based on follow-up and the value of OPA.