I made a reasonable plea at the March Board meeting, but April saw the Board doubling down on the war on leaves and pine needles by stating it had nothing to do with aesthetics, it was for fire prevention. Homeowners quickly saw the hypocrisy. The CPI dashboard at the April meeting recorded an unprecedented 435 new violation which is the highest number ever reported. This record-breaking figure is part of a stark upward trend in violations.

Consider the evolution over time: In March 2023, only 20 new violations were noted, which jumped to 119 by March 2024 and to 435 by March 2025.
The surge is also dramatic when examining longer periods. Between January 1 and March 1, 2023, there were 148 new violations; this number climbed to 316 in the same period of 2024, and exploded to 746 in early 2025. In total, this marks an overall increase of 404% since 2023, with a 114% rise from 2023 to 2024 and a staggering 136% surge from 2024 to 2025.

Ocean Pines which is heavily wooded and of course has lots of pine trees has long been appreciated for its natural beauty. The objective of the ARC guidelines is to preserve that beauty. Since my DRs, dated in 1968, OPA has never given out violations for having leaves or pine needles on lots...just ditches. Now the Board is stating that under DR Section 8(l) lots should be kept neat and free of anything unsightly, even natural things like pine needles.

I understand that the DRs have language in them that state even if OPA hasn’t enforced a rule in half a century, any delay or previous inaction isn’t a waiver of their right to take action in the future; however, adding the language leaves are not acceptable groundcover is murky at best. Certainly, the founders of OPA and up until this Board, didn’t declare a war on mulching leaves and decide that meticulous manicured lawns are what OPA is about. We aren’t Glen Riddle and no matter how many violations are sent out, we will never be Glen Riddle.

My neighbor on Burr Hill was told by CPI that her yard must be raked clear and it is a Maryland law. I certainly can’t find that law, but I have pointed out, in writing, to the Board Maryland House Bill 322.

Maryland House Bill 322 was designed to protect homeowners who choose an eco-friendly, low-maintenance (or “low-impact”) approach to landscaping. In essence, it means that if your property is maintained as a natural, sustainable landscape, then an HOA generally cannot enforce rules that force you to use a highly manicured or conventional look. Under HB 322:
• Protection for Low-Impact Landscaping: The law defines “low-impact landscaping” as practices that conserve water, lower maintenance costs, reduce pollution, and support wildlife: certainly that would include mulching with leaves and pine needles. If your naturally wooded yard, with its pine trees, pine needles, and fallen leaves, is part of an intentional, eco-friendly design, then the law is meant to shield you from rules that would force you to clear away elements that are simply part of a natural environment.

• HOA Limitations: Even if this Board and the beauty police have decided that Ocean Pines’ DRs includes provisions meant to keep lots free of “unsightly” debris and they are recharacterizing that as leaves and pine needles, HB 322 prevents HOA-enforced restrictions from imposing "unreasonable limitations" on low-impact landscaping. This means that if having natural debris like pine needles aligns with a low-impact landscaping plan that you’re maintaining, OP’s new strict enforcement might be seen as unreasonable under the new law.

The war on driveway reflectors is another matter altogether.