(March 17, 2016) The deteriorating appearance of the North and South Gate entrances to Ocean Pines came up repeatedly during General Manager Bob Thompson’s town hall meeting, last Tuesday.
During the hour-plus public comment portion of the meeting, one homeowner said she moved to Ocean Pines 24 years ago, when it was a “beautiful place.”
“You drove in over the North Gate Bridge and everything was pristine,” she said. “Every time I drive over that bridge, I think no one gives a damn about this place anymore.”
She said the broken and mismatched light bulbs on the bridge were an eyesore, and the upkeep of the surrounding area was less than desirable.
“I want my old bridge back, and I want it to be pristine where I live,” she added.
Thompson said part of the problem was the boards’ difficulty in dealing with the nonresident goose population, which frequents both entrances, but that he believed the directors would allow him to clean that area later this year.
To that effect, he recently sat in on a meeting of the Environment and Natural Assets Committee, which appeared to recommend a more forceful approach than it had during the previous year, when “no-mow” areas, fishing wire, egg oiling and aerosol spray were used to discourage the invasive population, but produced mixed results.
“We need to take steps to mitigate the goose situation. Something needs to be done,” he said. “I believe that their recommendation coming out is going to be go ahead and get that mowed and cleaned up.”
Board Vice President Cheryl Jacobs also addressed the issue, saying, as vocal as some homeowners were during the meeting, there was an equally vocal segment of the population that were adamantly opposed to using lethal means to control the geese.
“You and I may say, ‘kill the damned geese,’ but we’re trying to balance what everybody’s concerns are here, and that’s a difficult balance,” Jacobs said. “So we hear you and we tried other things. That didn’t work. We gave that other group of vocal people an opportunity to see if we couldn’t make it one way – it didn’t. So, now we’re going to approach it in a different fashion.
“Hopefully, the result of that will be you’ll get a more aesthetically pleasing look at the North Gate, and, hopefully, then you’ll be happy and they’ll be happy,” Jacobs continued. “That’s our goal, as a board, to try to make a balance between all these voices in the community.”
As for the light bulbs, Thompson said the original fixtures were “not easy to find.” Twice, he said, he tried replacing them with different styles of bulbs.
“I thought there was going to be a public lynching,” Thompson said.
Former director Terri Mohr, in attendance during the meeting, said she had brought the issue up “about 7,000 times” during her three-year tenure on the board, and confirmed it was a series of sticky situations.
“If [the board] allows me to clean it up, I’ll clean it up,” Thompson said. “If they allow me to replace the lights, I’ll replace the lights. I’m with you on that.”
Thompson went on to say he had lobbied for more aerators and sprinklers at both gates – but was “shot down” by the board.
“The entrances, in my opinion, don’t look great, but I don’t have free will to make those changes,” he said. “I think the entrances ought to be spruced up.
“I’ll get it cleaned up, I promise – once the board gives me the go-ahead,” Thompson added. “I believe they’ll give me permission to fix it this year.”
During the hour-plus public comment portion of the meeting, one homeowner said she moved to Ocean Pines 24 years ago, when it was a “beautiful place.”
“You drove in over the North Gate Bridge and everything was pristine,” she said. “Every time I drive over that bridge, I think no one gives a damn about this place anymore.”
She said the broken and mismatched light bulbs on the bridge were an eyesore, and the upkeep of the surrounding area was less than desirable.
“I want my old bridge back, and I want it to be pristine where I live,” she added.
Thompson said part of the problem was the boards’ difficulty in dealing with the nonresident goose population, which frequents both entrances, but that he believed the directors would allow him to clean that area later this year.
To that effect, he recently sat in on a meeting of the Environment and Natural Assets Committee, which appeared to recommend a more forceful approach than it had during the previous year, when “no-mow” areas, fishing wire, egg oiling and aerosol spray were used to discourage the invasive population, but produced mixed results.
“We need to take steps to mitigate the goose situation. Something needs to be done,” he said. “I believe that their recommendation coming out is going to be go ahead and get that mowed and cleaned up.”
Board Vice President Cheryl Jacobs also addressed the issue, saying, as vocal as some homeowners were during the meeting, there was an equally vocal segment of the population that were adamantly opposed to using lethal means to control the geese.
“You and I may say, ‘kill the damned geese,’ but we’re trying to balance what everybody’s concerns are here, and that’s a difficult balance,” Jacobs said. “So we hear you and we tried other things. That didn’t work. We gave that other group of vocal people an opportunity to see if we couldn’t make it one way – it didn’t. So, now we’re going to approach it in a different fashion.
“Hopefully, the result of that will be you’ll get a more aesthetically pleasing look at the North Gate, and, hopefully, then you’ll be happy and they’ll be happy,” Jacobs continued. “That’s our goal, as a board, to try to make a balance between all these voices in the community.”
As for the light bulbs, Thompson said the original fixtures were “not easy to find.” Twice, he said, he tried replacing them with different styles of bulbs.
“I thought there was going to be a public lynching,” Thompson said.
Former director Terri Mohr, in attendance during the meeting, said she had brought the issue up “about 7,000 times” during her three-year tenure on the board, and confirmed it was a series of sticky situations.
“If [the board] allows me to clean it up, I’ll clean it up,” Thompson said. “If they allow me to replace the lights, I’ll replace the lights. I’m with you on that.”
Thompson went on to say he had lobbied for more aerators and sprinklers at both gates – but was “shot down” by the board.
“The entrances, in my opinion, don’t look great, but I don’t have free will to make those changes,” he said. “I think the entrances ought to be spruced up.
“I’ll get it cleaned up, I promise – once the board gives me the go-ahead,” Thompson added. “I believe they’ll give me permission to fix it this year.”