By Tara Fischer

Staff Writer

Ocean Pines homeowners are invited to a public hearing on the upcoming referendum on the whether the Ocean Pines Association should help pay for a  new South Station Firehouse.

The ballot question will be put before voters in conjunction with the 2025 Ocean Pines Association’s Board of Directors election, which has four candidates vying for one of three open seats.

The referendum question will ask voters whether the  OPA should contribute to the Ocean Pines Volunteer Fire Department’s new South Station.

The referendum reads, “Do you authorize the Ocean Pines Association’s Board of Directors and Administration to proceed with the construction of a new South Fire Station at a target cost to OPA, Inc. of up to $3.4 million, with a possible cost variance of up to ten percent (10%)?”

The meeting will be held Friday, June 27, at the current South Fire Station, located at 911 Ocean Parkway, beginning at 2 p.m.

With approval from OPA, the fire department was directed to determine the layout, design, interior dimensions, color schemes, and furniture.

Upon the completion of that rebuilding, the OPVFD will pay all property taxes and maintenance associated with the South Station space and its improvements.

The agreement between the town and the fire department also states that the fire company will use “grant and bond funds previously secured toward the project’s construction cost.

“The department shall also utilize funds raised through charitable fundraising efforts or otherwise available for the Department for the project.”

OPA will be responsible for the remaining costs, “subject to OPA having exclusive control over the ultimate cost and scope of the project, as well as management after that.”

According to OPA and the fire department, a new station is needed to ensure the proper level of community protectiom contimnues.

“The station was built for a different time and does not adequately accommodate the department’s growth,” the document reads.

“The gross square footage falls well short of our operational needs. The bunkroom, originally built for one staffer, currently houses four men and women in a single room.”

Safety concerns are also central to the renovation, because current building’s layout does not meet standards set by the National Fire Protection Association and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The OPA and the OPVFD agree that the infrastructure is outdated, has  mold and gas line issues, the first responder circulation is convoluted, potentially slowing emergency response times, and the old facility makes recruiting and retaining volunteer and career staff challenging.

“In light of these challenges, OPVFD and the OPA Board are seeking your support for a vital project,” reads the public hearing announcement. “We propose to build a new station on the existing South Station footprint, addressing the shortcomings of the current facility and providing a safer and more efficient environment for our first responders and the public.”

The new South Station Fire House will be built within the next few years. Friday’s public hearing will allow residents to obtain additional information on the issue before casting their ballots.

Voting will open on Monday, July 7, and close on Wednesday, Aug. 6. Ballots can be submitted online or in hard copy.

Assuming the OPA funding is approved, construction of the nearly 15,000-square-foot South Station will begin this October. The work is expected to take around a year and three months.