By Tara Fischer

Staff Writer

Ocean Pines leadership will consider a new multi-purpose meeting space, provided a cost analysis, drawings, and blueprints are compiled.

Per a unanimous vote by the Ocean Pines Association’s Board of Directors, General Manager John Viola will prepare estimates of cost, drawings and blueprints of “appropriate renditions for a modular meeting room that meets the needs of the association for its annual meeting as well as committee meetings,” a motion brought forward by board member Steve Jacobs said.

The materials are to be available for consideration by the start of the fiscal year 2026-2027 budget preparation.

The vote at the body’s Saturday, Feb. 22 meeting does not mean OPA is bound to approve the project. Simply put, Viola and his team will consider the feasibility of creating a new area for official gatherings. The findings will be available to guide the board in the future if they wish.

If the board votes to move forward, concrete planning or construction is three or four years out, officials said.

“The information sought should be comprehensive enough to address the locations of a meeting room, modular arrangement, space, and parking arrangements, impact on other activities, including for argument’s sake, the farmers market on Saturdays, quality of acoustics, video, and audio capabilities, assurance of quality hybrid connections as well as design and appropriate reasonable outfitting of chairs and workstations,” Jacobs said.

The board member added Viola may also suggest changes to the current Clubhouse Meeting Room. The motion’s intent is to determine whether constructing a new space would make financial sense for the association.

“The board seeks to compile information to gauge the desirability, cost, and workability of such an undertaking,” Jacobs continued. “This is not an attempt to vault a meeting room ahead of other particular capital budgets. It is simply to get it in the queue for further consideration.”

The board member noted the issue has come up in the past, yet a viability analysis has never been completed, halting any serious consideration.

“No one has ever put together a package that is worthwhile, so this is a step to do that and will determine where we are depending on our budget needs and other demands for our members and what we can financially support,” Jacobs said.

If the initiative eventually moves forward, the new boardroom will alleviate the limitations of the current Clubhouse Meeting Room.

Jacobs said that some work has been done to improve the conditions of the meeting space currently in use. Panels were added to address acoustic issues, for instance, but the board member maintained that the situation is still “cumbersome.”

He argued that the audience sometimes sees things that the individuals leading the meetings cannot and that there are audio lags and delays when community members watch virtually. Jacobs said that he would defer to Viola and his staff to determine if an entirely new room is needed or if there is more to be done to work with what is available. Still, he said that if he had to take a position, he believes a “room other than [The Clubhouse]” is necessary.

The remainder of the board agreed that a feasibility evaluation is beneficial. Member Jeff Heavner said the body “owes it to the association to do our due diligence” to look at all options and that the motion “obligates us to nothing.” However, he argued that neighborhood leadership has not exhausted all possibilities available to spruce up the Clubhouse. He was asked “very recently” to be part of a group that will consider improvements to the existing facility.

OPA Board of Directors Secretary John Latham said the group needs to consider all possible choices, including the cost of a new space and what can be done with the current facility. However, ongoing projects like the new South Station Fire House, golf course irrigation, and regular maintenance are the priority.

“I want to be clear that none of this is at the expense [of other projects],” he said. “We have a fire department that is job one right now. We have a racquet sports center; we need to continue contributing to our reserves, roads, bulkheads, and drainage, so in my mind, these are the things that are important to us… I think there is no cost other than time and evaluation…just to see what the options could be for the future. There’s no burning platform here for us to move quickly on anything, but it would be nice to know our options.”

OPA Board Vice President Rick Farr added that preparing a cost analysis and having drawings is a “best practice” and that it’s a good idea to get a budgetary baseline on what a multipurpose space that could be used for committees, the board and other membership functions would entail.

“This gives us an estimate on the cost moving forward,” he said. “If it’s something we will put on the radar in the next three or four years from now, at least we have a baseline of what this would cost for us.”

If the leadership eventually proceeds with the project, it could include constructing a large room with ample seating, enough for 100 to 150 people for the annual meeting. It may also have redesign capabilities for smaller committee and board gatherings. Some walls could be opened, and others could be closed. Jacobs described it as a “convertible room.”

There was some community opposition to the motion.

During last week’s public comments portion of the regular board meeting, OPA resident Amy Peck argued that it is financially irresponsible of the board to consider a new space when the community has “significant expenses on the horizon.”

“This board has already funded several costly, non-revenue producing projects, such as the Tiki Bar extension and electronic signs opposed by the community,” Peck said. “Let’s avoid adding a dedicated boardroom to this list.”

Following the Feb. 22 assembly, Peck wrote on Facebook that the board considered a new meeting space in 2023 that would hold 150 seats. She claimed it could cost between $450,000 and $600,000. The board did not indicate a price estimate at its gathering last week.

However, the 2023 discussions were dropped because, according to Peck, the idea was met with homeowner pushback. The resident said the town’s most recent town halls, a Touch of Italy questions and answers held at the community center and a budget session at the Clubhouse Meeting Room, had “plenty of space” and that committees do not require additional room.

“If OPA cannot afford amenity increases in line with inflation, improve road safety for pedestrians and bikers, and afford a leaf truck, it should not be able to afford an infrequently used, unnecessary new meeting space,” Peck said. “It’s time to tighten our belts and not spend foolishly. I’m asking you to focus on needs, not wants.”

Still, the board unanimously approved the motion to instruct Viola to compile a cost estimate and drawings and blueprints for a new meeting room.