Anne Arundel County partners with marina to provide public boat ramp access to West River
As WJZ reported last month, the county abruptly closed the ramp after the county council voted to terminate funding for rent and expenses at Discovery Village – the only public boat ramp within a 30-minute drive.
The county announced a partnership with Parish Creek Landing Marina on Woods Warf Road in Shady Side, just across the creek from Discovery Village, allowing the public to use their boat ramp for free through October.
"The county will take care of the dues, so to speak," said Julia Howes, the President and CEO of the Southern Anne Arundel Chamber of Commerce.
Boaters just need to check in with the office at Parish Creek Landing to get a day pass before launching.
Capt. Kacie LaCovey, the general manager of Parish Creek Landing, said dozens of boaters came out to use the ramp on Saturday.
"We have commercial watermen that were kind of at a loss and didn't have a way to launch and go crabbing and fishing, so we're trying to offer it and make the best of what we have here," LaCovey said.
Parking is limited, and the layout of the marina requires a skilled boater to launch without hitting other vessels, whereas the Discovery Village launch has a lot more room for error.
"Our biggest struggle right now is we just don't have a lot of parking, but we're trying to consolidate things and reorganize," LaCovey said.
It may not be a perfect solution, but it's only temporary.
"By partnering with a local marina, we can provide immediate access," said Jessica Leys, the Director of the Anne Arundel County Department of Recreation and Parks. "The Department is committed to continuing the conversation and working together for a long-term solution to serve the South County residents with comprehensive water access."
When the public boat ramp at Discovery Village in Shady Side suddenly closed days before the Fourth of July weekend, local fishermen like Mike Potts worried the cost of water access would drag them under.
"That would end up being a pretty penny for the summertime just in boat ramp fees," Potts said.
In July, council member Shannon Ledbetter said the county's lease had rising rent and allowed the property owner to bill for maintenance, spending taxpayer money without public approval.
The council voted to cut funding for the rent, but the decision cut off public boat ramp access for southern Anne Arundel County.
"Not everyone here is privileged enough to live in one of those waterfront communities, so there's a lot of access that is private, and we really need more of that public area to be able to get into," said Julia Howes, the President and CEO of the Southern Anne Arundel Chamber of Commerce.
Howes said the chamber began advocating for the local boaters.
"We did recommend working with local marinas and businesses to get that temporary access going," Howes said.
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