Passionate Crowd Fills Council Chambers for City Dock Hearings

An estimated crowd of 150 attended a Thursday night City Council public hearing over legislation that would change Annapolis' City Dock as we know it.

As passions flared throughout the hearing, City Dock became a battleground for the future of Annapolis. 

Some see the 16-acre waterfront property as a chance for Annapolis to distinguish itself—others see a chance to reinvigorate downtown retail. But exactly how City Dock should be adapted for these ends remained in question at the end of the more than four-hour hearing. 

The standing-room only crowd was gathered elbow-to-elbow for hours into the night, waiting for a chance to speak. At one point, the fire marshal even paid a visit, asking the mayor to ensure there was a clear exit pathway in case of an emergency.

Three pieces of legislation were up for discussion at the hearing Thursday, but Mayor Josh Cohen tabled one item until September. The City Dock Master Plan and a rezoning for 110 Compromise Street remained.

It was the first time the City Council had addressed the topic of the master plan, which was first presented to the City Dock Committee in 2012. The plan calls for sweeping changes to an area of the city Mayor Josh Cohen has consistently called its "crown jewel."

But the plan proved divisive even among the committee, which failed to come to a consensus. It drew a line between those who wanted to use it as a launching point and those who wanted a more comprehensive plan to work from before moving forward.

That divisiveness reared its head before the hearing even began, as Cohen outlined the structure of the meeting. First, the city staff would speak, then a selection of supporters of the plan, then opponents—finally, the more than 70 people from the general public who signed up to testify.

City Planning Director Jon Arason was first to speak, calling the plan consistent with the recommendations of previous master plans for that sector of the city over the past two decades. 

But something has to be done about downtown Annapolis if the city is to remain economically competitive, Arason said. As the Annapolis Towne Centre in Parole grows, buildings remain vacant downtown, he said.

"That should be a wake-up call for us," Arason said. "I don't think continuing as is—which is doing nothing—is really working for us very well."

Alderman Fred Paone asked Arason what the plan was attempting to fix, to which he replied that Annapolis had an image problem among some visitors, and this was a chance to repair that.

"I've heard people say, 'This is it? This is the famous Annapolis City Dock?' We can do better than that, and that's all we're trying to do," he said.

Chuck Walsh, a longtime Annapolis resident and supporter of local arts, called City Dock the city's canvas, and cautioned against stagnation, calling opponents of change, "A culture of no."

Those opponents included members of the Save Annapolis Coalition, a group comprised of business leaders and residents from around downtown Annapolis.

Leading the pack was attorney Daniel Ward, who joked that perhaps Walsh meant they represented, "a culture of know." 

Ward called into question the depth of the plan being discussed. Dropping a thick stack of documents onto the table with a thud heard throughout the room.

"That's what a master plan is supposed to look like," he said.

Former Annapolis Mayor Ellen Moyer underscored that point with her testimony, saying the city needed to dig its heels deeper before undertaking a plan to change City Dock.

"This comprehensive study has to be comprehensive," Moyer said. "It's not like a Band-aid. This is like putting a tourniquet."

Once the public was given their turn to speak, among the first to the microphone was Ed Hartman, owner of Annapolis' seasonal boat shows. Hartman said he was against the proposed plan, saying it threatened the potential for the boat shows.

Throughout the meeting, most council members were mum on their thoughts, but at one point, citing the lack of consensus, Alderman Ross Arnett said he didn't think the council could accept the plan, as written. 

Cohen then spoke, saying there would not be a vote taken at this time.

The hearing continued until after midnight. The full hearing will be available for review on the city's website Friday, according to a city employee.