Ocean Pines Association General Manager John Viola provided updates on the yacht club’s tiki bar expansion, renovations to the community’s racquet building, and more during the latest board meeting on April 20.
Audience members are pictured at the latest Ocean Pines Association board meeting on April 20.
Tara Fischer / Bayside Gazette
By Tara Fischer, Staff Writer
Ocean Pines Association General Manager John Viola provided his monthly report on the community’s financials, initiatives and maintenance, while also discussing new business and committee appointments.
The expansion of the Yacht Club’s tiki bar is on track. Viola maintained that the association expects operations to begin by Memorial Day, as the concrete work has concluded. Framing and electrical efforts are currently in progress.
The general manager also updated the planned pavilion at Veterans Memorial Park. The project is expected to be finished by Veterans Day, and former board member Frank Brown will aid with the design work while The Wayland Company handles the construction.
Viola discussed the racquet sports building renovations. “We’re shifting gears a little,” he said. “However, the board has instructed me … to continue with what’s been approved, and we are still focused on that.”
The approved renovations prioritize expanding the bathrooms, pro shop, and director’s office and improving staff visibility of the courts.
The general manager touched on the community’s financial standing. March reports show $148,000 favorability. Golf is also expected to secure $40,000 in profits this year after depreciation.
“The golf course pays for itself, and the golf course will pay for the new irrigation system,” Viola said.
The Ocean Pines Beach Club’s maintenance efforts were also discussed. According to Viola, the bathrooms were renovated in 2018, and the interior restaurant area was repainted last fall. The entire deck is also scheduled for replacement over the next few years.
Pelican Underground will reline drainage pipes at several locations, including the golf course, White Horse Drive, Capetown Road, 57 Ocean Parkway, 22 Harpoon Road, and 192 Teal Circle.
The community has used “cured-in-place” pipe replacement, a cheaper, less invasive, and more durable method than traditional installation, for five years.
“This is something I believe was never addressed,” Viola said. “This is key to why the drainage is better.”
The new electric sign was installed at the North Gate on April 16 and rotated through news and event announcements. The general manager said that the structure’s cost totaled $26,558. This includes surveying, permits, and landscaping.
Golf membership is increasing, clay renovations and new support beam installation began this week at the racquet center, and outdoor pools are being cleaned for the summer. Swim lessons at the Sports Core pool are scheduled through May.
New programs, such as yoga, martial arts, skateboarding, paint classes, disc golf, and cornhole leagues, are being offered by the community’s recreation and park staff.
Senior Executive Office Manager Linda Martin gave an IT update. The Wi-Fi was upgraded at the Yacht Club, and microphones and slide presentations for board meetings have been improved.
Director Elaine Brady led the motion to add plaques with the names and descriptions of Anna Foultz and Phyllis East, who inspired the names for the Ann Foultz and East Rooms at the Ocean Pines Community Center, respectively. The proposed initiative passed in a unanimous vote from the board.
Brady also advocated for the creation of a historical work group. The team would be responsible for adequately obtaining, storing, preserving, and showcasing historical photographs and documents about the community.
“We are going to lose this institutional knowledge and not only our past documents of the last 50 or 60 years, but we need to ensure we have documents going forward because, in two or three generations from now, everything we’re doing is going to be considered historical,” the director said.
OPA Board President Rick Farr also announced advisory committee appointments. Wesley Blakeslee will begin his second term in strategic planning, Michael Galello will commence his first term in architectural review, and Robert Long will start his third term in golf.
The next meeting of the OPA board of directors is scheduled for Saturday, May 18, at 9 a.m. in the Clubhouse Meeting room.