(March 10, 2016) In November, developer Marvin Steen got the ball rolling on the renovations of the bathrooms and changing area at the Ocean Pines Beach Club by presenting a cold pitch during a public meeting.
That included a $464,000, 13-page packet signed by Berlin-based developers Sens Inc., which the directors used as the basis of a $525,000 capital item in the recently approved fiscal year 2017 budget.
The only problem was the directors could not agree whether the existing facilities should be renovated, or whether an entirely new building should be built on the property, located on 49th Street in Ocean City.
Now that it’s March, Steen hoped to clear up the issue by distributing a letter from Don Smith at Sens, Inc. to all seven members of the Ocean Pines Board of Directors last week.
In the letter, Smith noted that any renovation that exceeds 50 percent of the current value of the building would require the entire structure to be brought up to current codes. If the OPA opted to renovate rather than build new, no civil or structural drawings would be required. Architectural and mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) drawings, however would be needed.
Smith wrote that standard fees for building permits, fire marshal fees and environmental impact fees would total $10,957.92 for renovation.
On the other hand, construction of a new building would require civil, architectural, structural and MEP drawings, along with costly stormwater upgrades. Because the building is east of Coastal Highway, Smith said pilings would be needed for the foundation. The drawing process would also be much longer, and additional design work and soil samples would be required.
Reached for comment on Monday, Steen said the decision was obvious: renovate.
“They don’t have any choice,” he said. “It would cost a fortune to do a new building, plus you would lose all the parking, the building’s got to go up in the air on pilings – it would be a nightmare. The stormwater management alone would drive the price out of site.”
“What I’m hoping is that [the directors] take a hard look, and they can check all the facts in the letter, and let’s go ahead and do it next year,” Steen added.
That included a $464,000, 13-page packet signed by Berlin-based developers Sens Inc., which the directors used as the basis of a $525,000 capital item in the recently approved fiscal year 2017 budget.
The only problem was the directors could not agree whether the existing facilities should be renovated, or whether an entirely new building should be built on the property, located on 49th Street in Ocean City.
Now that it’s March, Steen hoped to clear up the issue by distributing a letter from Don Smith at Sens, Inc. to all seven members of the Ocean Pines Board of Directors last week.
In the letter, Smith noted that any renovation that exceeds 50 percent of the current value of the building would require the entire structure to be brought up to current codes. If the OPA opted to renovate rather than build new, no civil or structural drawings would be required. Architectural and mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) drawings, however would be needed.
Smith wrote that standard fees for building permits, fire marshal fees and environmental impact fees would total $10,957.92 for renovation.
On the other hand, construction of a new building would require civil, architectural, structural and MEP drawings, along with costly stormwater upgrades. Because the building is east of Coastal Highway, Smith said pilings would be needed for the foundation. The drawing process would also be much longer, and additional design work and soil samples would be required.
Reached for comment on Monday, Steen said the decision was obvious: renovate.
“They don’t have any choice,” he said. “It would cost a fortune to do a new building, plus you would lose all the parking, the building’s got to go up in the air on pilings – it would be a nightmare. The stormwater management alone would drive the price out of site.”
“What I’m hoping is that [the directors] take a hard look, and they can check all the facts in the letter, and let’s go ahead and do it next year,” Steen added.