Title
City Ownership of Bembe BeachPort Williams Marina, support for Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating’s Adaptive Boating Center - For the purpose of supporting the City’s ownership of a marina on Back Creek off Bembe Beach Road, to be purchased as a City-County-State partnership utilizing Program Open Space monies, for use by the Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating’s (CRAB) Adaptive Boating Center.
Body
CITY COUNCIL OF THE
City of Annapolis
Resolution 25-19
Introduced by: Alderman Savidge, Alderwoman Tierney, Alderman Rodriguez,
Alderman Arnett
A RESOLUTION concerning
City Ownership of Bembe BeachPort Williams Marina, support for Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating’s Adaptive Boating Center
FOR the purpose of supporting the City’s ownership of a marina on Back Creek off Bembe Beach Road, to be purchased as a City-County-State partnership utilizing Program Open Space monies, for use by the Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating’s (CRAB) Adaptive Boating Center.
WHEREAS, the Maryland General Assembly, thanks to the Anne Arundel County Legislative Delegation, has pledged support of the acquisition, improvement, and use of said property by CRAB, and has authorized $1,000,000 of State funds to be used in acquiring and improving the property on Bembe Beach Road; and
WHEREAS, Anne Arundel County has pledged approximately $1,500,000 of their own Program Open Space funds in support of the acquisition, improvement, and use of said property for use by CRAB; and
WHEREAS, the City has $1,240,517 in Program Open Space monies available for appropriation in FY2020 for various projects providing for public benefit and will finalize distribution of those funds in its final FY2020 budget; and
WHEREAS, the proposed ownership of said property by the City would be in the interest of citizens of Annapolis with mental and physical disabilities, wounded warriors, the elderly, and local children from at-risk communities, whom CRAB has served for the past 28 years; and
WHEREAS, for the past 28 years CRAB has enhanced the quality of life for tens of thousands of people who would not otherwise have had access to boating on the Chesabeake Bay; and
WHEREAS, CRAB’s current base of operations at Sandy Point State Park has become challenging and limiting over the past several years and a search for a better site is in progress; and
WHEREAS, the two ADA accessible piers the City of Annapolis currently owns do not meet United States Access Board ADA pier standards since they do not extend the full length of the ship, and do not have floating docks that allow access onto boats, and the CRAB Adaptive Boating Center would address this deficiency and provide a wide diversity of accessible boating for people with disabilities; and
WHEREAS, CRAB has proven to be a dependable non-profit partner of the State, County, and City and hosts many Group Sailing programs for organizations in the State, including Maryland School for the Blind, Opportunity Builders Inc., Bella Macre, Langton Green, as well as the Anne Arundel County and City of Annapolis Police Department’s Kids Sailing Camps, and has become an important element of the therapeutic services and community programs offered by these organizations; and,
WHEREAS, the City of Annapolis’ ownership of said property would ensure that the Marina would remain available for our disabled, elderly, wounded warriors, and at risk residents and would directly serve our taxpayers; and
WHEREAS, the City of Annapolis’ ownership of said property would also ensure that the Marina is integrated with nearby parks and communities; and
WHEREAS, the City of Annapolis’ ownership of said property would be in keeping with the City’s Maritime heritage in the existing Maritime District in Ward 7; and
WHEREAS, the purchase and ownership of the Bembe BeachPort Williams Marina by the City of Annapolis would have minimal impact upon Annapolis taxpayers because, if the Marina is leased to CRAB, it would be responsible for improving and maintaining the property for the duration of the lease; and
WHEREAS, the Annapolis Maritime Board unanimously passed a motion to "support the concept of an Adaptive Boating Center in the City of Annapolis”; and
WHEREAS, ensuring that our underserved Annapolitans with mental and physical disabilities, and children from at-risk communities can enjoy the Chesapeake Bay is essential to building “One Annapolis”.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE ANNAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL that the City of Annapolis allocate of a portion of our Program Open Space acquisition funds to partner with Anne Arundel County and the State of Maryland in acquiring the marina property on Back Creek off of Bembe Beach Road, for future use by Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE ANNAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL that the City of Annapolis own the marina off of Bembe Beach Road.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE ANNAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL that a copy of this Resolution shall be sent to Maryland Governor Hogan, Senator Sarah Elfreth, Delegates Alice Cain and Shaneka Henson, Department of Natural Resources Secretary Jeannie Haddaway-Ricco, and Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE ANNAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL that this resolution shall take effect from the date of its passage.
EXPLANATION
Underlining indicates matter added.
[Strikethrough] indicates matter stricken.