BERLIN – Ocean Pines Association officials agreed to endorse a 60-unit duplex development proposed for the south end of the community.
On April 30, members of the Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors voted unanimously to send a letter in support of the project, proposed by Marvin Steen, to Worcester County officials. Steen will need the county to rezone the property, which is currently R-1, to R-3 multi-family residential, before he can proceed.
“I think it’s a win-win,” said Dave Stevens, president of the board.
Steen has plans to develop land between King Richard Road and Gum Point Road into Triple Crown Estates, a community of 30 duplexes that would eventually become part of Ocean Pines. He originally hoped to build 60 homes on one-acre lots in the area but as the economy changed decided to build 30 duplexes. Because each duplex would house two families, the project would still amount to 60 households, the same as Steen’s original proposal. He said the traffic impact therefore would be the same.
Steen, who has spent more than 40 years in the home building industry, has extensive experience in Ocean Pines. He developed the Wood Duck Isle, Salt Grass Cove and Harbor Village neighborhoods.
“I want to be part of Ocean Pines,” Steen said. “I want to try and do right.”
Steen signed an agreement with Ocean Pines Association officials in 2002 when he first made plans for the property near King Richard Road. Under the agreement, Steen would pay the association $6,500 for each unit built. In addition, the association would receive an annual assessment from the owner of each unit. Because the original proposal was for one-acre lots, Steen agreed that the units would be assessed at the estate assessment rate, which is $1,381 a year. Because Steen no longer plans to build large single-family homes on large lots however, owners of the proposed duplexes will pay the basic assessment rate of $921.
Resident and former board member Bill Zawacki expressed concern over the change.
“Based on the 2015 budget, that’s a $28,000 hit every year, while at the same time you’re still having to support the same number of residences and provide the same amount of services,” Zawacki said.
Board member Jack Collins pointed out the association would still be receiving the basic assessment from each home, amounting to more than $50,000 a year, as well as the $6,500 per unit fee.
Board member Sharyn O’Hare asked Steen if he would consider putting a hiking trail somewhere in the development.
“There’s a lot of nice land there and it’d be nice if there was some recreational facility available,” she said.
Steen said he would consider the possibility.
“I’ve got enough property for it,” he said.
The duplexes, once they are built, will be accessed via King Richard Road. As they’re being erected, however, construction crews will access the property from a dirt road off Route 589. That way, Stevens explained, large trucks would not be passing through the King Richard Road neighborhood.
Stevens added that an additional benefit to the project from his point of view was the fact that the dirt road would eventually serve as an emergency exit for Ocean Pines. While it will be closed off with a gate, in the event of an emergency public safety officials will be able to open it to provide residents with access to Route 589.
“That way there would be another way out of Ocean Pines,” Stevens said.