At long last, Anne Arundel Countyboaters may soon have more access to their beloved waterways.
County Executive Janet Owens included $58,718 to study the acquisition of property and construction of more public access boat ramps along the county?s more than 500 miles of shoreline. At the top of the list is a ramp on the 250-acre Weinberg property in Pasadena that includes 9,000 feet of shoreline. Construction could begin as early as 2008.
Rick Franke, owner of the Annapolis Sailing School, said any new public access boat ramps would be more than welcome.
“Especially in Anne Arundel County, the development pressure is tremendous for property on the water,” he said. “That kind of access to the water is disappearing.”
Recreational boaters currently have two options to launch their boats for free in the county ? launch sites in Annapolis? Truxton Park and at Sandy Point State Park off US Route 50. Dennis Callahan, county director of recreation and parks, said the county has tried to establish more public access points to the Chesapeake Bay.
“But it was the individual communities that would rise up around any area we?d propose,” said Callahan, who is also a candidate for Anne Arundel county executive. “We have public parks, there should be public access to the water. How are you going to appreciate the Bay if you?ve never been out on the water?”
County Council Chairman Ed Reilly said the county largely missed out on opportunities in the last two decades to purchase prime waterfront real estate for public use, especially in the more rural southern reaches of the county.
He said the county is negotiating the purchase of a piece of property off Muddy Creek Road.
“There?s no dissension in the county government that there?s not enough boat ramps in the county,” he said. “But there?s also a common understanding that there are plenty of marinas where people can launch for a small fee.”
