But city officials think they can use a carrot-and-stick approach to exert some control over parking and the serving of alcoholic beverages at the facility.
The privately owned nonprofit museum is to be built in part on state land at the end of Prince George Street and in part on adjoining land that is now privately owned.
At issue, Mayor Josh Cohen said Friday, is the city's desire to regulate the sailing hall's parking during large events,...
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NSHOF - 2010-02-10 12:47:56
The article never mentions rent of $1.00 a year. Furthermore the last sentence-"this is a state project." This is our waterfront and our taxes and I want my city dock! This will never be a museum - just a club for special members and we are footing the bill. There is no plan to honor the true history of this area. If you invest in this "museum" what is the return on your money. NSHOF say they have been working on this for five years and the city completed $9 million in reconstruction of City Dock including 752 feet of dock space now owned by NSHOF (Jobson Report) Where was Speaker Busch? This as been a secret mission for 5 years with our money and no public input.
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mary powell - annapolis, md - Karma: Neutral
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Get real!!! - 2010-02-09 10:17:34
The area of "historic" Annapolis is hardly a "DOWNTOWN". It WAS a downtown area hundreds
of years ago, but that time has come and gone. It is simply a historic area. Preserve it, and move on...Why can peoples minds grow beyond that?? There is NO MORE LAND to build on in this small TOWN. Get with the times and
focus on growing and building a broader tax base, by annexing the Parole area and building a true modern commercial/business center. i.e.(a real downtown). With streets built for CARS, not horse drawn buggies. With mass transit, not TROLLIES. Houses that people can AFFORD, not just the wealthy.
The effort to remain the same is what limits us...
Annapolis is not just for the rich, and the families who have lived here for generations. If we kept everthing the same as it was, Annapolis would still be making its riches from slavery, as it once did.
It is embarrasing, that place as old as this is still stuck so far behind and refuses to grow up. I am born and raised in Annapolis, but I was lucky enough to leave and see different parts of the world and about
%65-%70 of the U.S. Therefore I am calling it how I see it.
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micheal campbell - Annapolis, Md - Karma: Excellent
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Another vanity project - 2010-02-09 09:05:39
This time it's a private yacht club, marina, and shrine to a bunch of rich white guys. How much more elitist can you get at public expense?
Cohen may talk about his "carrot" but what he needs is a lot of lettuce -- provided by the taxpayers -- to keep this boondoggle afloat. All while costing the city revenue it desperately needs from slips and property taxes.
Dick Israel is the only one who seems to get this. Everyone else is dazzled by the glamour and the money being thrown around by these well-connected yachtsmen.
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Bob Bolder - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Excellent
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Downtown isn't dying!! - 2010-02-09 03:11:17
Annapolis isn't dying. Even Ellen Moyer couldn't do that much damage. Nancy Smith may bragg about transparency, but the process didn't work when the taxpayers lose money and access to the waterfront. I think Alderman Israel is doing his job. The design for the museum lacks imagination. It has no class!! It detracts from the beauty of the waterfront. The reason why the museum wants to stay under state control, is they don't want the CITY to have influence over their activities. Therefore, all the transparency in the world means nothing if the neighbors have no real say in what is happening in their town. So much for the pride of Annapolis and the future of its "historic" bent. $30 million is nothing to what will be needed to support the facility long term. The State is making a bad deal for taxpayers. And Alderman Israel has a healthy skepticism about its real value to the city.
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Maryellen Brady - Edgewater, MD - Karma: Neutral
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Great Idea for Annapolis - 2010-02-08 20:14:20
Unlike the individuals who posted the earlier comments today, I am a resident of Ward One. Seems that these two are "cutting-and-pasting" the talking points of Alderman Dick Isreal and his small band of Ward One Association obstructionists. Clearly, Isreal and a few in the Association are using the NSHOF to advance their own personal political interests at the expense of the majority of the Ward One residents, businesses and sailors. The entire process of granting the lease has been transparent with numerous public hearings and meetings with Ward One Association members. Isreal and followers love the meetings and publicity -- makes them feel special and relevant, but does nothing to advance a project which will help rescue a dying downtown and provide residents, sailors and visitors with a unique site which will enhance Annapolis' claim as "America's Sailing Capital" as well as the economic vitality of our downtown.
So what shall it be Alederman Isreal: "America's Sailing Capital" or "America's Souvenir Tee Shirt Capital?" At the current rate of thinking by our Ward One elites, that's about the only kind of sustainable business that can survive downtown these days.
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nancy smith - , - Karma: Neutral
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Wake up Annapolis - 2010-02-08 16:49:42
Interesting that this article doesn't mention the amount of rent the Sailing Hall of Fame will be paying to Marylanders, whose land we're talking about here after all. It's a whopping $1 per year for 50 years, with an option to renew for another 20. I hope the governor and the rest of the BPW realize what a bad deal this is for taxpayers and vote Wednesday not to approve the lease. I hope Mayor Cohen doesn't give the city's waterfront away either.
Let's see...what does the SHoF stand to get for their dollar a year?
1. All the land and riparian rights at the bottom of Prince George Street.
2. The state's immunity from local ordinances and historic preservation requirements.
3. Exemption from property taxes.
4. Revenue of some $400,000 per year in dockage fees from boats using the docks and bulkhead formerly controlled by the city and state.
5. The bulkhead in front of the property, recently refurbished with $1.7 million in taxpayer money.
6. Liquor license not subject to local fees or restrictions (that's one way around the city's moratorium on 2:00 AM licenses!).
If I were a business owner downtown I'd be questioning this pretty closely. Or offering the state $2 a year for the land.
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Rock Toews - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Neutral
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BAD IDEA FROM DAY ONE! - 2010-02-08 16:15:08
This tribute to ego disguised as a sailing museum has been a bad idea from day 1. The combination of public and private property removes more tax dollars from the city, county and state coffers.
The Building has no class. It looks like a modern day warehouse and is detrimental to the historic nature of downtown.
Putting this "large" obstruction to the waterfront puts the public dock space at risk and endangers the long term viability of the space. How many more "public" dollars will be needed to "rescue this museum" from the inevitable waterfront flooding long term?? Once again the taxpayers and the people of Annapolis are being sacrificed to satisfy the very shortsighted needs of a few.
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Maryellen Brady - Edgewater, MD - Karma: Neutral
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