Chestertown may be getting into the marina business. At last night’s meeting, the Mayor and Council voted to send a letter of intent to purchase the Chestertown marina from Roy Kirby. The letter, which is non-binding, would allow for a “stand-still” period by the marina owner and give the town a six-month study period. After the study there would be no obligation on the town’s part to buy the property.
“It would take the property off the market,” said Matt Tobriner, a member of the Port Study Group, which was formed to look at public access to the waterfront.
The purchase would be funded by grants and outside entities, “nothing from the tax coffers,” he said.
Kirby has not officially put the property up for sale; he is offering it to the town first, according to Tobriner. “He’s trying to live up to his promise to the town when he bought this property in 2003 to keep this as a working marina. I’m putting words in his mouth, but I believe this is what he thinks.”
The marina is made up of three contiguous parcels of land with three buildings and 55 working boat slips, about 89,000 square feet. A portion of the land along Front Street, about 40 percent, has been approved for sale and development of seven residential building lots.
If the marina were purchased by a private company and those lots were developed, the public’s access to the river would be lost.
“Once this place gets shut down or privatized there will be no access to the river,” Tobriner said. “Timing is of the essence.”
The town losing a site of major historical significance is also at risk. According to the Port Study Group’s report, Chestertown was created to be a colonial port for trade from the Caribbean, Europe, the Mediterranean, and Africa. Chestertown’s port history can be traced back to 1706.
“The town has an opportunity to preserve the lessons of the waterfront’s rich history and culture for future generations,” the report states.
If the town should buy the marina the Port Study Group estimates revenue generated from the marina to be $250,000 to $325,000 a year depending on the number of boat slips available. The in-town spending by transient boaters is estimated to be anywhere from $50,000 to $80,000.
The property does not come without its problems however. A number of docks, bulkheads and pilings are in dire need of repair or replacement and the basin needs to be dredged to open up the boat slips that are silted in. There is also the question of whether or not the town would make any money.
“It scares me when government tries to run something that private entities can’t make money off of … how much revenue are we going to lose taking this off the tax rolls?” asked Councilman Marty Stetson.
John Trumpy, of Roy Kirby & Sons Inc., said taxes on the marina are about $17,000 a year.
Speaking from the audience Nancy McGuire said, “There’s some time in life when you don’t need to compare tax dollar to tax dollar. You need to risk it … we’re talking about our grandchildren and great-grandchildren not being able to enjoy Chestertown the way we do now.”
“I would hate to see the only thing left of the marina someday in the future is an interpretive sign that said ‘here was the port of Chestertown,’” said Mayor Margo Bailey. “The marina has been chipped away and chipped away and to lose any more would be tragic.”
The council agreed to form a committee, the Chestertown Port Committee, to look at the feasibility of purchasing the marina. The committee will report back to the council monthly on its progress and work closely with Town Manager Bill Ingersoll. Councilman Jim Gatto asked the committee specify to show what the town has to gain, monetarily, from purchasing the marina and what it has to lose from letting it be developed.
Chesterbridge says
We need to preserve the remnants of our harbor at all costs. To stay in business, Roy Kirby has got to expand, actually, to have more slips. In other words, we have to restore a little more of the old harbor. The main opponent of the expansion is the Sultana–which also brings a lot to our community–and also needs a harbor. The marina offered to build them a special slip, but maneuverability was in question. Is there really no compromise possible?
Liz Smith says
Fantastic !!!! As a former marina owner, I have been very concerned that Chestertown was going to lose the only marina / boatyard it had. The death of a true waterfront town is to have no place for the berthing and repair of boats. I would be happy to be on the committee …. !!!!
Keith Thompson says
I think this is a good idea if…and only if…the town can use the marina as a vehicle to build up the economic infrastructure in the town, especially the downtown area. Otherwise, as Marty Stetson says, if the private sector can’t figure out how to make the property work economically I’d be skeptical that the government can. It’s one thing to preserve the property and make it a showplace or a part of the town’s heritage, but you have to make sure that the showplace has the ability to be a economic boon or it becomes an expensive museum piece that no one sees or uses.
Gibson Anthony says
The financial dynamic that threatens the marina goes well beyond striking a compromise on slip numbers. In fact, the Port Study’s initial report already includes options for a compromise expansion of the slips. The analysis that went into the Port Study’s initial recommendation shows that, regardless of the owner, the property’s use as a quasi-public space (privately owned, with public access) will continue to be threatened by a two-fold problem. First, there is significant market pressure to privatize waterfront properties, and second, without public investment, the financial model for a marina is anemic. The analysis was based on the work of at least two different groups as well as county residents with intimate knowledge of marina operations (other than Chestertown Marina).
The Spy’s coverage is always appreciated, but with due respect, the lead sentence of this article does a disservice to the Port Study’s initial report. The report is interested in the possibility of ownership of the land (to protect it). The report is not suggesting that the Town run the marina. Continuing a relationship with the current marina operator is the preferable option for Phase 1 of the recommendations.
Human nature dictates that there will be the tendency to snap-judge this process. I want the public to know that the Port Study Group recognizes that the hard work of compiling the information necessary for a careful final decision has just begun.
Residents can review the initial report in the Town Office. I will also ask that it be posted on the website.
Gibson Anthony
Chair Port Study Group
Councilman, Town of Chestertown
Robin Wood Kurowski says
All I can say is all the best to Roy and Chestertown and may everything work out. We are very fortunate in Rock Hall to have the county owned bulkhead and Bayside Park and Marina. I think this will be just wonderful for all if this is to be. Good luck!
MD Eastern Shore says
Let’s see now…
can’t run the schools
can’t run the libraries
can’t collect the recycling
can’t keep the malls fully rented
Oh yea, buying and running a marina should be absolutely no problem whatsoever. Any doofus can do it.
Other nearby Kent and QA marinas won’t mind at all… Rolphs, Lankford Bay, Long Cove, Green Cove, Osprey Point, Rock Hall Landing, Sailing Emporium, Gratitude, North Point, Swan Creek, all these marinas are all 80% full or less, they can’t possibly be hurt by a competitor which doesn’t have to pay property tax at the waterfront rate and has preferential access to grants and loans. Yea, this is a great idea.
Diana says
Why is Roy Kirby selling the marina?
ford says
It’s too bad that the only cynical response doesn’t use a name. The town does not run schools and libraries and it does collect recycling and it’s the private sector that is in charge of keeping the malls full. Also the town did not say that it definately will run the marina.
I wish the Port study lots of luck and I hope that Chestertown will continue seeking to enhance our quality of life as it has been doing so well these past years
MD Eastern Shore says
“It’s too bad that the only cynical response doesn’t use a name.” Yet another form over substance attack… when you can’t refute with facts or argument, attack the arguer. It’s a quick, easy, and cheap rhetorical technique but clever people see through it.
Allow me to restate my argument: government at all levels in Kent County (Kent County is not alone in this, but it is the county we’re talking about) has proven incompetent in terms of operational and/or financial oversight. What makes anybody think it will be different this time? Please explain.
Further, we have private citizens with their own financial resources and futures at stake in the running of large local businesses and employers. By definition those citizens are being forced (at the threat of the loss of their properties and their livelihoods via government confiscation) to financially support through property and income taxes a competitor which has preferential access to low cost capital, special zoning, and the ability to run without regard to profit or loss. Not only is it not a fair fight, it is theft of private property by the government at the point of a gun.
If we want the port area to thrive, then we have to give it room to grow and thrive. It needs more parking, it needs many more slips, it needs improved service facilities, it needs contiguous land. The way to do that is property tax breaks, rapid permit approval for new slips and other expansion. Instead for better or for worse, it’s surrounded by brand new condos, a park, college property, and a collection of historic homes. It’s almost as if the long term plan was to force the owner into selling to the town as his only viable option.
Troup says
Wow “MD Eatern Shore,” I thought I was supposed to be Mr Message Board Cynic. To paint with a broad brush, I believe the town has an obligation to preserve a quality of life for its citizens. I can appreciate where you’re coming from, in some respects (ToC has nothing to do with schools – even so, I think CoK school employees are fine, dedicated people). After all, anyone south of 514 and north of the river would be paying for this project. We have to get it right.
There is a phrase I’ve read a few times on these boards. To paraphrase, “When will ToC realize that it exists beyond 400 High Street?” I could see that argument coming into play. This can’t turn into “ToC buys a marina in the middle of a recession so that people can park their boats here, while everyone north of the dock writes the check.” Judging by Gibson Anthony’s remarks, I think the board is aware of that concern.
So I’m on the Keith Thompson plan. The way to do this is to make it an economic center – a return on investment, if you will. A return that goes beyond abstract terms like “preserving our identity.” I’m not a boating aficianado, but areas of that waterfront look perfect for paddle boat docks. They have them in Baltimore, and there is plenty going on in that harbor. That would be a nice way for families to enjoy the maritime culture beyond throwing some bread at ducks.
I think if the marina could be sublet in a way that businesses could still run from the non-viable boat slips (thus saving on restoration costs), the Town could receive funds for CAM and RET. All the while, having limited involvement “in the marina business.”
Joe Wiedemann says
Excited. Wish the study group all the best, their effort is appreciated. It was the working Marina that tipped the
scale for me when I decided to retire here 17 years ago – it would be the loss of the Marina that would make me move away. Good luck Gibson.
Diana says
I’ve observed a recent trend over here on the Shore for towns and municipalities to “bail out” developers who get themselves into financial trouble. The towns end up paying market prices far over and above current market price in order to purchase property that anyone else could have purchased for much less.
Chestertown should consider purchase of the marina, but at a price that would be low- as in foreclosure, bank-owned, auction price low. Let’s be considerate of us as Town Tax Payers, and conduct hard-ball negotiations. My next question- is the town negotiating with a bank/lender, or with Mr. Kirby himself?
What will be next in the Kirby Fire Sale?
Roy Kirby says
Dear Diana,
I prefer not to respond to the many questions that I get from private citizens, vis-a-vis the plans for our real estate holdings in Chestertown. Johan Trumpy has, and will continue to be, the moving force behind our efforts. Johan, our engineers and architects, have worked very closely with the powers to be, and have closely followed the mandated guidelines. In my opinion, they’ve done a very professional and outstanding job. They have been very responsive to any questions relating to those plans. (When those questions came from the appropriate departments, not from private citizens). However, when I see comments from a private individual, who is so obviously misinformed as yourself, posted in the public domain, I feel compelled to respond, as I have once before in The Spy, with a comment posted by “Jane”.
If you’ll read the above article closely, and the front page article of the most recent edition of The County Kent News, we do not have the Chestertown Marina up for sale. The Port Study Group contacted us initrially. Since I purchased the marina in 2004, I’ve funded an aggregrate shortfall there of approximately $1,000,000.00, personally. In light of this, I don’t understand the “Kirby Fire Sale” to which you refer. My other ventures are also funded personally by me, and aren’t for sale.
Giving you the level of explanation that I just have goes far beyond your “Need to Know” as a private citizen. Your posts, without accurate background knowledge and your obvious inability to either read, and or interpret correctly, the written word, are offensive. However, I’ll indulge you, as I did “Jane”, from her previous post in The Spy. If you would like additional information, or what I’ve personally gleaned from the two atricles referenced above, please call me at my home telephone number: 410.810.0160. Funny, I made the same offer to “Jane” months ago and never heard from her.
Roy Kirby
Diana says
I must have hit a nerve in Mr. Kirby! A public forum is certainly not a place where I wish to discuss anyone’s personal business, or financial status, and I’m not going to make assumptions regarding Kirby. But…. anyone can make logical connections when: an office closes, properties remain unsold- the norm in this area, unfortunately, employees leave to go elsewhere and public records recorded in a courthouse point to significant borrowings in a variety of properties.
My husband’s office has closed too. Times are difficult whether you are rich or poor. Throwing around numbers like one million doesn’t help your cause. Average town taxpayers like me then think that our taxes will have to pick this up like you did. The more I read, the less I think that a town marina is a good investment, at any price.
And, Mr. Kirby, I’m not going to be calling.
Robin Wood Kurowski says
A town marina should exist in every port town or one that is relatively close to the ICW and it normally does up and down the East Coast. Unless you work in the marine business or have an economy which relies heavily on one you would not know what this type of operation would do for a local economy or to employ people whether they are on your payroll or work as a subcontractor.
I have often told Roy I wish he had selected Rock Hall to live and work. Not only would our businesses and residents be much more appreciative but I believe he would be much happier, too.
Roy does not deserve this very personal and pointed scrutiny or supposition. Ever since he came here full time he has been the object of unfair comments and observations. He actually rented a place to hunt in Rock Hall in the early 80’s, so for those of you that do not know him personally, he has been thinking that long or longer about how he could work, live in and do good things in Kent County.
Bayside Park and Bulkhead in Rock Hall is and has become a center for transients, residents and locals for festivals, to launch boats, to swim or to just hang out. I just want to thank everyone who took part in the purchase of Pelorus Marina which is now our Bayside Park. And yes, my husband was a partner in Pelorus. I believe it was relatively painless for those involved in the transaction and everyone was fully capable of taking care of business and could envision what a great asset this would be in our community.
I do not know of one person in our town that is not proud of our waterfront or what it provides for all of us. It is also here I will note that in Rock Hall we all work together and try to fill slips, rooms, stores, boatyards and our calendars. We all promote each other’s businesses with a very concerned and considerate eye for our residents who do feel the town fill in warmer months.