By Greg Ellison

(Feb. 11, 2021) Projects and potential enhancements were discussed during the Ocean Pines Recreation and Parks Committee virtual meeting on Monday.

Robin Hood Park

Planned upgrades for playground and basketball facilities are on tap next month at the roughly three-acre Robin Hood Park in South Ocean Pines.

Recreation and Parks Director Debbie Donahue said the previously budgeted improvements include installing new equipment and expanding the playground area.

“We’ll probably start in mid-March depending on when parts arrive,” she said.

The project includes upgrading benches and repainting the half-basketball court section along with general beautification of the Sherwood Forest-based amenity, which also features an intersecting trail that ends at Knight Terrace.

Donahue said Ocean Pines Public Works would perform initial demolition tasks to prepare the site.

“We will bring in a crew to do it within a week total time,” she said. “The playground company does all the borders … and landscaping.”

Committee Chairman Steve Cohen asked if any consideration was given to holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony after the playground is installed.

Donahue said a celebration of some sort would be held to highlight the overall revamping of Robin Hood Park later this year while taking covid-19 restrictions into account.

Kayak rack

Rental rates for a proposed 18-spot kayak storage rack at the Swim and Racquet Club were also vetted.

Committee member Laura Scharle said initial estimates for renting a storage slot are $100 annually or $75 from May through September.

“We priced it at what we thought was reasonable,” she said.

Committee member Martha Arthur noted Ayers Creek Adventures outfitters, which rents individual water equipment including stand-up paddleboards at the Swim and Racquet Club, charges $100 for enclosed storage from May through October.

“Good paddling continues well into October,” she said.

Scharle wondered if annual pricing would be warranted as demand would likely dramatically diminish in colder weather.

Arthur, concerned that one and a half dozen slots would not meet demand, asked if prices for nonresidents should be set marginally higher.

“Demand should be strong,” she said.

Committee Board liaison Larry Perrone said the associations’ tax status would prohibit limiting access to kayak storage rack for only Pines residents.

“I think we’re going to have a lot of people wanting those spots,” he said.

The committee approved a motion to seek board approval for an additional storage rack if demand warrants.

Community bike ride

Hoping to spur new bicycle events this year, Ocean Pines resident Patti Stevens is planning on meeting soon with General Manager of Golf Operations John Malinowski about course access for riders.

“Not in peak golf season,” she said.

Stevens said the hope is that open dates exist in the spring or fall when bike riders could be permitted to cycle along the golf course cart path.

Stevens also proposed the committee help develop a waiver form for a communitywide bike ride this spring, which could coincide with National Bike Month in May.

“Probably limit it to adults and older teens,” she said.

Stevens said children should be prohibited from taking part unless the Ocean Pines Police Department escorted riders or conducted road closures.

Scharle suggested the proposal to expand golf course access at select times should include hikers and joggers.

Cohen said the cart path is likely not wide enough to accommodate varied users.

Donahue suggested the mixed-use suggestion for the golf course would likely meet resistance.

“John [Malinowski] can explain why and share past experiences,” she said.

In terms of what course usages would be feasible and at what times, Donahue said golf play picks up early in the year.

“By March, it is the beginning of golf season,” she said.

Stevens suggested wider community usage would help build support for golf from non-players.

“The golf amenity is nice for the whole community,” she said.

Arthur agreed, while noting the proliferation of walkers when the golf course was temporarily closed last spring at the onset of the pandemic.

“There might be liability issues to do it when the course is open,” she said.

Perrone said the course makes the largest revenue from package play during shoulder seasons.

“People will be out there until dusk,” he said.

Bat boxes

Cohen asked about reviving a bat box-building event held under the White Horse Park Pavilion in 2019.

Donahue said the activity got cancelled last year because of the coronavirus, with uncertainties remaining about holding the gathering done in conjunction with the Maryland Coastal Bays Program two years ago.

“We have put one bat box in the back of White Horse Park but we definitely need more,” she said.

The boxes primarily accommodate little brown bats, which measure about 4-6 inches with wingspans around nine inches.

The wood frame boxes, which are coated with a special heat-absorbing paint primer, provide a safe space for bats during their cold weather hibernation cycle.

Donahue said the boxes could prove useful in other Ocean Pines parks to provide housing and keep bats away from playgrounds.

“There are few answers to stop them from coming,” she said. “They don’t bother anything, it’s just the droppings and when they fall.

Little brown bats typically devour over 1,000 insects, largely mosquitos, in an hour.