Changes in Ocean Pines Beach Club sparks debate

Gino Fanelli
Ocean Pines board of directors and general manager at July 28 meeting

The Ocean Pines Association has adopted its operating budget for 2017, with some new expenses added to the list.

According to the capital summary, which accounts for the fiscal year beginning May 1, a total of $3,490,800 in capital expenses is planned for fiscal year 2018, with funds pulled from the historical and legacy reserves. A sizable chunk of these expenses, at $525,000, will go to renovations of the bathrooms at the Beach Club.

The Beach Club is one of the most profitable Ocean Pines amenities, pulling in $330,326 in net revenue in 2016. The club sparked controversy in the community over the issue of parking. The specific point of contention is the lack of use of revenue brought in from parking at the beach club, totaling $430,830, and a plan to remove beach club passes.

Under the new plan, a resident can choose to either receive a pass via a swipe card to use the pools at the Beach Club, which can be lent to other people, or purchase family pool memberships. Those who use the swipe card will be charged a discounted rate of $7 per adult entrance, at a total value of $120 for the card. A $200 parking fee will also be implemented, a $25 rise from the 2016 price.

This motion to reduce the accessibility of the Beach Club, resident Marty Clarke said, came about because of the unfair cost of parking and membership.

READ MORE: PRMC building cancer center in Ocean Pines

"I've heard people ask 'why are we doing this at one of our most successful amenities?' " Clarke said at an Ocean Pines board meeting on Saturday, Feb. 25. "The answer is simple; because they can. It's a gouge."

Resident Sonya Gable suggested the board reconsider removing the passes, noting that fees would rise while access to pools would generally be lower.

"I don't know of many places that raise fees while reducing the number of amenities," Gable said.

The bylaws in Ocean Pines state that people staying with a full-time resident of Ocean Pines are offered access to the Beach Club, along with all other Ocean Pines amenities, resident Brian Muller noted. While still allowable with the swipe card, access to the Beach Club pools would be limited

The heightened cost of parking and membership for the Beach Club, with costs attributed mostly to access to pools, run counter to why most people use the Beach Club, board member Doug Parks said.

"A lot of people that use the Beach Club go for maybe lunch and a cocktail," Parks said. "I find it hard to justify paying for that $120 pass for something that I'm not really using."

READ MORE: Nostalgic, cozy changes coming to Pines yacht club

In support of the motion, board member Cheryl Jacobs said the change isn't as drastic as the public comments make it seem.

"We're treating that pool just like we treat the other pools," Jacobs said. "Once you deplete the swipes, you have to buy coupons to use the pools. If you're worried about not using the pool, you knew that when you purchased the pass."

Despite the debate, the motion to adopt the new pass system was was ultimately passed, by a slim 4-3 margin.