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Annapolis Harbor Lines at Hawkins Cove
For the purpose of changing the City of Annapolis harbor line at Hawkins Cove to allow for the implementation of the Hawkins Cove Restoration project; and matters generally related to harbor lines.
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City Council of the
City of Annapolis
Ordinance 3-26
Introduced by: Alderman Thorp
Co-sponsored by: Mayor Littmann, Alderman Savidge, Alderwoman Contee, and Alderman Smith Brown
Referred to: Board of Port Wardens
AN ORDINANCE concerning
Annapolis Harbor Lines at Hawkins Cove
FOR the purpose of changing the City of Annapolis harbor line at Hawkins Cove to allow for the implementation of the Hawkins Cove Restoration project; and matters generally related to harbor lines.
BY revising the maps entitled “Annapolis Harbor Lines” as referenced in § 15.18.020 of the City Code, 2026 Edition.
WHEREAS, Title 15 of the City Code regulates the location of piers, moorings, wharves, bulkheads, and the configuration of shoreline development within the developable waterway area; and
WHEREAS, In 2021, the City of Annapolis initiated a capital project on Hawkins Cove known as the “Hawkins Cove Restoration” project to improve ecological functioning and provide public water access and other community open space amenities; and
WHEREAS, The Hawkins Cove Restoration project is one of the short-term recommendations in the City’s Equitable Public Water Access Plan adopted by the City Council in 2025; and
WHEREAS, Hawkins Cove is located immediately adjacent to the City’s largest public housing community, which has historically lacked access to the City’s waterfront; and
WHEREAS, The Hawkins Cove Restoration project is being coordinated with the complete revitalization of the adjacent public housing community, known as the “Eastport Choice Neighborhood Initiative,” for which a master plan was adopted by the Annapolis City Council in 2024; and
WHEREAS, Development and natural erosion along Hawkins Cove have, over time, added sediment to the cove, which currently prohibits access and navigability; and
WHEREAS, The City of Annapolis is working with federal and state permitting agencies to determine the most effective ways to provide reasonable access to navigable waters; and
WHEREAS, Providing water access might involve dredging and constructing piers while, at the same time, ensuring that we prioritize public benefits by avoiding or minimizing impacts on tidal wetlands and habitats.; and
WHEREAS, To ensure equitable access to public water, a pier may need to extend beyond the current harbor line to reach navigable waters; and
WHEREAS, In accordance with the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) § 26.24.02.02, the Maryland Department of the Environment may suspend the processing of an application for a community pier or dredging activity if the application does not comply with local land use requirements, such as the harbor lines set by the City of Annapolis; and
WHEREAS, The City of Annapolis continues to work with the Maryland Department of the Environment to determine the optimal length for the pier and the necessary amount of dredging; and
WHEREAS, Harbor lines define the maximum channel-ward limits of marine construction for a given developable waterway area, and are graphically shown on the City of Annapolis' “Annapolis Harbor Lines” maps; and
WHEREAS, The City Council has amended the “Annapolis Harbor Lines” maps on several occasions over the years, reflecting updates and changes as deemed necessary by the City Council; and
WHEREAS, This ordinance includes a proposed amendment to the "Annapolis Harbor Lines" maps relating to the harbor line on Hawkins Cove, illustrated in Exhibit A, which is attached to this ordinance, incorporated herein, and made a part of it. Exhibit B displays the current harbor lines.
SECTION I: BE IT ESTABLISHED AND ORDAINED BY THE ANNAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL that the “Annapolis Harbor Lines” maps shall be amended as depicted on Exhibit A.
SECTION II: AND BE IT FURTHER ESTABLISHED AND ORDAINED BY THE ANNAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL that this ordinance shall take effect upon passage.