ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The Discovery Village boat ramp closed at the start of July, leaving boaters with one less option to access the water in an area already limited in public launch sites.
A private property sign now greets people who want to get their vessels in the water.
"I used it 4 or 5 times this summer. I just bought a boat, so it was an excellent opportunity for me to get out on the water, and certainly the closest to my house in Shadyside," David Dickerson said.
Community members are meeting Tuesday to discuss solutions beyond the temporary fix currently in place. A marina across the water is allowing the public to use its ramp for the rest of the season.
WATCH: Community meeting planned to address Discovery Village boat ramp closure
"We did not anticipate so many elected officials being able to attend. That number has certainly increased from what we expected. So we don't anticipate them being able to answer every question or even be able to answer a lot of questions, but we want to be able to gather all that information and really just find out what the community wants to say," Julia Howes said.
The boat ramp closure happened after the council decided the current lease wasn't good for taxpayers. It also highlights a larger issue — there are only three public boat ramps for more than 500 miles of coastline.
"I want the ramp open to the public, whether it is operated and owned through a county state partnership or a continuation of an amended lease, isn't my concern, but getting the boat ramp open and available is incredibly important," Howes said.
A number of neighbors want the county to buy the property the boat ramp is on. It's currently listed for more than $3 million and comes with two commercial buildings.
"We want to collaboratively work with the Department of Reed Parks, the county executive, and other partners to be able to find a great usage to continue public water access. We do think that Discovery Village is probably the best bet and was very underutilized previously," Howes said.
The meeting is Tuesday at 4 p.m. at the county library in Deale.
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