Faced with cleaning up prior neglect and the poor decisions of the past, the Ocean Pines Board of Directors has to make the tough decision to abandon the idea of renovating the County Club.

Considering that solutions have been batted around for years as to the best course of action to take on the decaying building, it’s a smart move. The recently ill-fated attempt to patch the building together has made it apparent that to continue with the course of rehab would, in the long run, not only cost more, but also never provide a building that is truly functional.

The only real decision left is to decide is where the board can best accommodate the additional need for community meeting space. While adding space to a new country club may be expedient, it also may not turn out to be the best course of action. Parking is an issue, as is the addition of more traffic to the narrow, winding streets in the adjoining neighborhood.

Perhaps a better solution would be to add the additional square footage to the proposed police department expansion. Keeping the hub of community activity in that central location would seem more ideal.

The community right now has a board that seems willing to make some tough calls. Hopefully, it will continue to make decisions that benefit the community for the long term, rather than those that are politically expedient in the short-term.