Public Water Access Planning for City of Annapolis, MD

Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County

Total Project Budget: ~$135,000 (~1,100 Volpe staff hours plus travel for two (2) site visits)
Project Timeline: November 2021 – September 2024
Project Partners: National Park Service Chesapeake Gateways, U.S. DOT Volpe Center, City of Annapolis
Project Deliverables: 1) Annapolis Public Water Access Mapping Tool; and 2) City of Annapolis Public Water Access Plan

Project Request and Purpose

The City of Annapolis updated its city comprehensive plan, which includes the addition of a component that specifically discusses public water access. National Park Service (NPS) Chesapeake Gateways (CHBA) partnered with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Volpe Center (Volpe) to provide technical assistance to support the City of Annapolis in developing the City’s first public water access plan. The City of Annapolis updated its comprehensive plan, which includes the addition of a component that specifically discusses public water access.

Project Purpose: To provide the City of Annapolis with technical assistance to collect data, develop a publicly accessible planning tool, and conduct stakeholder engagement to determine a baseline status of public water access; identify recommendations; and draft the public water access plan that reports on both. This initiative aims to improve access to the City’s waterfront for residents and visitors by highlighting the variety of water access points in the city.

Project Background

The City of Annapolis, Maryland sits on a peninsula with seven creeks surrounding and flowing into the city’s landscape. This geography positions the city to be defined by water, with much of its land directly bordering or directly adjacent to a body of water. The creeks and proximity to the Chesapeake Bay have shaped the city’s history and legacy, influencing a dominance in maritime culture. Private and commercial landowners have enjoyed waterfront views for decades, but public access has been steadily decreasing. As industries have evolved over time, tourism has become an integral part of the city’s economy, with visitors flocking to Annapolis for the nautical experience. To continue Annapolis’ story as a place where water is key to its identity, that water must be accessible to enjoy by all. This project also provided an opportunity to look forward and holistically envision how existing waterfront spaces could be better connected in a way that benefits all residents and visitors.

U.S. DOT Volpe Center

Project Activities

• Conducted a comprehensive inventory of all 38 public water access sites in the City of Annapolis identified by the city. This included documenting site conditions and amenities, including, for example, lighting, seating, boat launches, and transit access.
• Implemented a multifaceted public engagement strategy to inform the Public Water Access Plan, which included conducting a survey that collected over 500 public responses, as well as three focus groups that convened stakeholders from interdisciplinary backgrounds.
• Developed a web mapping planning access tool for Annapolis Public Water Access sites. This tool features key information for the public, documented through the site inventories.
• Attended a public stakeholder workshop in Annapolis, MD to identify and assemble representatives with expertise from city departments to provide input on the plan. This information was then incorporated into the finalization of the plan.
• Drafted the Public Water Access Plan that:

1. Pulls together an overview of the existing state of public water access,
2. Identifies opportunity sites throughout the city for new and improved public water access,
3. Discusses citywide goals and objectives to guide the advancing of public water access,
4. Identifies key program and partnership initiatives to help achieve these goals,
5. Explores opportunities to expand alternative mobility options to connect access points, and
6. Establishes an action plan based on the information gathered and discussed in the plan.

U.S. DOT Volpe Center

Project Outcomes

In an effort to provide a baseline of water access points in the city and suggest recommendations for upgrades and connectivity among them, the first major deliverable to come from this effort is a web mapping planning access tool. Currently available to the public, the tool serves as a guide to the City of Annapolis existing water access points. The overall Public Water Access Plan developed by the city using data collected by this project is intended to serve as both a visionary and actionable planning tool within the city’s greater comprehensive plan. The City of Annapolis is now well-positioned to prioritize both water access site improvements and establishing additional public water access points. The plan also positions the city to act more critically and holistically in regard to addressing barriers to public access as the city engages in future infrastructural projects. This includes ADA-accessibility, environmental resilience, and connections to multimodal transportation networks. The plan also offers a scalable model for other communities aiming to accomplish similar goals around public water access.

• 

  City of Annapolis

  Contact: Eric Leshinsky, Chief Comprehensive Planner, [e-mail]

• 

  NPS Chesapeake Gateways

  Contact: Wendy O'Sullivan, NPS CHBA Superintendent, wendy_o'[e-mail]

• 

  U.S. DOT Volpe Center

  Contact: Emily Maciejak, NPS CHBA Portfolio Manager, [e-mail]