As the Town of Chestertown looks carefully at strategies to help the downtown recover from the Great Recession, we ask Spy readers what they feel is needed to get High Street’s mojo back.
[polldaddy poll=6249934]
Nonpartisan and Education-based News for Chestertown
by The Spy
As the Town of Chestertown looks carefully at strategies to help the downtown recover from the Great Recession, we ask Spy readers what they feel is needed to get High Street’s mojo back.
[polldaddy poll=6249934]
The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.
Jake Day says
Such a great conversation for the town to have! Best wishes to downtown Chestertown!
Jake Day
Center for Towns
ESLC
Kevin Shertz says
Jake, your thoughts on the challenges facing Chestertown (relative to your own experience in Salisbury) would be interesting to hear…
Melanie says
It would be helpful if more stores were open beyond 5 or 6 pm and/or on Sunday. There are times when my family would enjoy strolling through downtown after work and possibly have a nice meal at one of the restaurants, but when many of the shops are closed it’s not worth the hassle for the 10 minute walk around an empty downtown. Additionally, there is very little in the shops that are of interest to young families. We understand that a balance is required to preserve the integrity of the small town charm, but for those of us who have spent time in areas with more amenities, the lack of variety and quality of shopping and dining throughout Chestertown can be extremely frustrating. We’ve given up trying to give preference to the local businesses because it’s so difficult to get there when they’re open and then they often don’t have what we are looking for. It’s a shame because it is a beautiful area and we would love to be able to support the downtown (and Chestertown in general), however we often end up driving to Annapolis on many Saturdays because of the additional options for quality shopping and dining. If downtown had stores of interest to young professional families, we would much rather skip the long drive with small children in favor of shopping in Chestertown. I think that it would probably also help draw and retain the young professionals that will be needed to maintain local work forces. There are so many wonderful aspects of Kent County, but the drawbacks for young families are adding up quickly.
Nick says
Amen, Melanie. There’s a huge void of anything to do (not to mention any place to live) in the downtown for anyone who is in the early stage of their life and career.
Melanie says
Thanks Andrea, Chris, and Nick! I’m glad to hear that I’m not the only one who feels this way. I actually just returned from trying out the new rail trail and strolling downtown. I found myself thinking, it would be really nice to have a GOOD, SAFE playground in the immediate area. The one at the elementary school is ok, but it is unavailable during the day except for when school is out, and the area is still somewhat questionable. I was considering having lunch, but my daughter needed a break from sitting in the stroller so we went to Wilmer Park and there’s only so much for her to do (she’s 2). She inevitably made a beeline for the water’s edge and I spent the next 20 minutes walking the delicate line of trying to let her look at the ducks without falling overboard. Finally, we were just both so done that we packed it up and went home. I would love to be able to grab a salad, sandwich, coffee, or even ice cream 🙂 and take it over to the playground where I could enjoy it while watching her play. I’m sure that there are plenty of other at-home moms who would love to get out, but there’s nowhere to go. It would even be nice to do in the evening once the hubby was off work. I have yet to find a really nice playground nearby. Centreville has a beautiful playground area off of 213 with 2 large playground structures. Something like that would be nice for young families, as well as grandparents! I would be much more likely to frequent the area if there was somewhere for her to blow off steam that didn’t result in leaving me too exhausted to even think about shopping or eating.
Steve Payne says
You should call Mayor Bailey. I think she would like to hear from you.
MBTroup says
Bill Arrowood would be a better audience.
Steve Payne says
Great! I suggested the Mayor because she asked for people to call her when she was on WCTR’s show the other day.
Keith Thompson says
How about “All Of The Above” as an option with the idea being that what you don’t say “no” to is often more important than what you do say “yes” to.
Andrea says
^^ I agree with everything that Melanie said!! I don’t have children, but as a working adult it would be great to be able to wander, eat, and shop downtown in the evening. Believe it or not, there IS a core group of young professionals here, and as Melanie said retaining them is the key to maintaining the local workforce & tax base.
Steve Atkinson says
I have felt the same about businesses being open later in the evening, however when I spoke to a couple of the business with this suggestion, their answer was that it doesn’t pay. Even when they are open later, no one comes into the stores.
Business have to have a Return on Investment to be able to justify cost.
I also agree with Keith, all of the above, with an open mind to nearly anything and everything should be the mindset.
Keith Thompson says
I think for there to be a return on investment on staying open late, it must be something that is done as a concerted group effort rather on an individual basis. One or two stores that stay open late will probably not generate a lot of interest, but a group effort (led by the DCA perhaps) that loudly announces that Downtown Chestertown is open late for business would have a better chance for success.
Steve Payne says
That’s true. Most shopping center leases actually require staying open certain days and time periods.
rachel goss says
or earlier in the morning – I take my kids to school and am ready for errands – by the time the stores open, I can be in Easton.
L Braunschweiger says
If all the stores stayed open one night a week and the local restaurants did something special then maybe young professionals would find it appealing to spend the evening in town. An experimental period in the fall would determine whether it would work.
I talked to a woman the other day who lands up going to Easton to buy thread! What Chestertown needs is a small old fashioned five and dime store in the center of town where you could buy thread, an interesting magazine and inner soles for your shoes. Such availability would save a lot of gas.
joe diamond says
Been there & done that! McCrorys (sp?)……….is now gone but you can dunk a donut on the site.
Joe
Carla Massoni says
L. is a new resident to the community. She is my neighbor! We seem to have an entrenched attitude of “been there – done that” but maybe it is time to revisit ideas and ask questions we think are already answered. Those who move here may have a fresh approach to the revitalization of our community. They also bring new energy and a willingness to roll up their sleeves and work! Brava!!
joe diamond says
Carla,
Please understand me……………the title of my son’s book will be “Chicken Necker’s Son”…………..I arrived in Chestertown in 1969 with a college pal. I moved here and married a local lady in 1983. My intention was not to dump on new thinking but rather to underline the idea that IF you went back through all the uses of local business sites……you would have an interesting mix.
This place is ready for new ideas!
If you put all Kent County residents on busses and took them to a baseball game in Baltimore….there would be many empty seats. Not many locals, ya know! There has not been much continuity from generation to generation………nothing for kids to do so our kids leave…old farts…..continue.
Sorry if my comment dissuaded your friend from adding to the conversation.
Joe
Concerned Community Member says
I agree I am a quilter and thankfully Rhodes sells somethings but If i am looking for a small piece of fabric I have to go to centreville or easton! And the way gas prices are its not a fun quick trip to get there!!!
Kaye Salverda says
As a new resident of Chestertown, I love the colonial atmosphere in the downtown area. I was very surprised, however, at the lack of general shopping venues.
I sew and quilt, having to drive to Easton for a spool of matching thread or fabric came as a BIG surprise to me. I appreciate the fact that we have to hang onto the history of this town. However I think that it is not going to attract young professionals and families with children. Without an influx of new people
Chestertown will slowly die. There has to be a balance that will attract new residents.
Nancy Schwerzler says
Kaye, some years ago there was a wonderful fabric, sewing notions and quilting store in Chestertown. (The name escapes me now.) I used to drive down from southern Cecil County to patronlize the shop because of its quality selection and helpful staff. I was very sorry to see it close. Perhaps it is time to re-think some of the past services that are now gone– not to take a ‘been there, done that’ attitude– but to try these venues again, perhaps with a different twist to meet the current market needs.
Concerned Community Member says
Rhodes Furnature store has a great slection of threds and a few tools…She said she is trying to up the tools she has but quilting is new to her…but if you use gutermann thread they have MANY colors
bob says
Why would tourists waste their time coming to a town that’s virtually closed on Sundays and evenings?
rds1955 says
What is it that Easton, Annapolis, Middletown and Newark offer and how they do it that Chestertown Doesn’t…Therein lie your answers…
chris says
It would be nice to see things open longer, but not just a few stores. First fridays are a joke as he only places that are open are serving alcohol and that is what is generating the people. Why not during the warmer months instead of first Friday, why not every Friday? As for the places serving food in town, everything is high end food prices, why not a small plates menu or something without crab in it or on it? Not everyone is a crab fan. Chestertown has to look at something new, something that sets it apart from Annapolis or St Michaels or for that matter Dover. whatever the solution, it has to span the geneerations and can’t focus on just one group. People also have to feel safe, so bring back the police foot partols and public interation. break up the kids loitering at the royal farms and sitting on the wall at the gas station across the street. Don’t kick then out once in awhile, kick them out everytime you see them there. they will learn and people will feel safe. The police do a wonderful job with what they have, but with the public behind them, they could do so much more. We need to figure a way to make the town kid and pet friendly also. We have been focused on trying to keep our waterman roots, but that seems to be us wanting to Annapolis of St Michaels north. We need our own identity. Ultimately, you need to change, because the old way is not working and has not been for a long time. To continue to throw money at it and hope it fixes itself just isn’t cutting it anymore and more and more people continue to move away or travel to other places to spend their money. The old money of the town needs to stop raising the rent on the businesses that they rent to when the business starts to finally get out of the red and support them instead of driving them out. Ask any business owner in town that has closed business and they will tell you their rent killed them. If Oconners did not own their building, they would most likely have closed also. Ok, I have ranted enough and will most likely get hate mail for this, but it is just my opinion and its open for debate. Take it as you may.
matthew weir says
Chris, you will not hear hate mail from me on your posting, but I would ask you to think a little deeper about the issue of rent being too high. High rent is something that is relative. Is it high compared to the earnings of the store or high with regard to what a tenant can pay at another property? In the first case, if a business does not earn enough to pay the rent, they are probably doing something wrong. If the rent is too high and the tenant can get a lower rent down the street, then they should move. The owner of the building will get the message that their rent is too high relative to the market. My point is simply that landlords are not necessarily the ones to blame because a shop owner cannot pay the rent.
Chris says
Matt the issue is as a store becomes more productive the land owners come in and raise the rent only on the fact that the store is making a profit. The store is either forced to pay the higher rent or lose their building. I have seen it happen to many places in this town. The building owners have owned these buildings for many years and have them paid off for about as long. I understand they are investments but it’s the old money of the town smothering the economic growth potential of the community. If the college was not here, this would be a ghost town
Steve Payne says
Everything is relative. A good landlord and tenant relationship will work for both. Most landlords know and embrace this. The rents here are actually much lower than the western shore.
Kevin Shertz says
Steve, as you well know, there is also a much higher population density (aka more customers) on the western shore. Apples and oranges for anybody in a business that relies on getting customers in the door to generate sales.
Steve Payne says
Kevin,
Yes, that is really what I was trying to say. It is relative to sales and sales are lower here so the rents are lower. It also depends on the type of business it is.
Kevin Shertz says
There are still fixed costs, like utilities, that are amortized over a smaller customer base. I think we’re on the same page overall, though.
Steve Payne says
Kevin, Yes we are on the same page. You just say it a lot better than I do and I was assuming that the people that said the rents were too high knew about costs etc. That’s why I posted the demographic study. When any regional or national looks at a site it’s the first thing they get. They can estimate their sales based on them. They already know their other costs and they can determine to lease or not based on that information. A new or smaller operation can readily determine the other costs.
I’d really like to know what kind of annual sales these downtown stores have.
matthew weir says
Chris, on one thing we agree: Washington College does a great deal for the town. I believe that the campus community could do more if the students felt more welcome. However, on the landlord issue, let me say this: I have properties and vacant lots in downtown Chestertown and any business owner who wants a place to do business in the Town and wants a long-term lease, please get in touch with me, I would love your business!
joe diamond says
Do a Cool Hand Luke on the parking meters……………….add more parking…………even if it means a shuttle…..and the business will follow. Retasking some of the duplicate & fading structures…like the post office, a few banks and for sure the social services office could make the place into a destination with attractions. Right now there is a small park and a river. Twenty minutes covers it.
Joe
Janice D says
As retirees who opted to remain in Chestertown, we had already recognized the lack of certain amenities in town. We had become used to driving to Dover for, say, plain white underwear and thread. When we first moved here I made most of our daughter’s clothes with fabric from the Yardstick. Now it’s a trip to Dover for fabric and notions. The addition of any ethnic restaurant would bring great pleasure for those of us who travel to sit down to eat Thai or Indian or Chinese, to name just 3. When the A&P closed it was clear that the area’s demographics would not support a Trader Joes or a Whole Foods, so we still have to go to Easton to the Railway or Annapolis for TJ and WF. It was unfortunate that the A&P moved out of the down town area because it now requires a car to food shop, and many people who live downtown don’t have cars. So would a grocery within walking distance of the downtown area be useful? Not another ‘convenience’ store, but a real grocery. At the same time, I think it is important to support Fresh n Greens because we do need 2 groceries in this area. Back to downtown: NO to chain-anything. An affordable family restaurant, but not a chain. Bring back McCrory’s or another variety store. And whoever thought the town could/would support three bookstores? Answering this type of open-ended survey is so dependent on one’s age, personal preferences, availability or lack of discretionary funds, and so forth, but one truth remains: we need a functioning community-based hospital offering services to everyone regardless of the services’ profit or loss.
Melanie says
Janice, I totally agree, an ethnic restaurant would be WONDERFUL! It would be really nice if they were a bit more family friendly as well. My daughter is very well behaved in restaurants, but the formality and close proximity to other tables in some of the establishments recommended by others have kept us from going to those places. Some of the establishments don’t even have high chairs. We have been very disappointed in the quality of the restaurants we have tried downtown, the service was fine but the food was nothing special. Every few months we think “ok, lets try again” hopeful that things may have improved, but are always let down. I also cannot agree with you enough in regards to the hospital, I know it’s a done deal but as a woman who plans to have more children, the fact that I am actually timing my family planning around beach season is absurd. We have a small child, so my husband will have to juggle assisting me in the hospital, being available for her, and probably trying to make some appearances at work. That’s daunting when the hospital is in town, but to have it across the bridge is ridiculous. If I had known that before we moved here it would have had a major influence on our choice of where to live. As I mentioned earlier, the drawbacks of living here as a young person are stacking up. It’s very unfortunate.
kate o'donnell says
I’m coming to this thread belatedly on May 31, but from what I’ve read so far, it’s clear that nobody has ventured into the various Dollar Stores where you can buy many of the things that were once found in a McCrory’s or 5&10. I second the motion for a Thai or Vietnamese restaurant in Kent County. We drive to Newark to Ali Baba’s on Main Street and to Dover to Thai Cuisine on Rte. 13. See my letter to the editor in next weeks KCN which was written before I stumbled on this discussion board. I suspect, but can’t prove, that the High Street vacancies are due to greed by building owners who won’t drop the rents to something that’s affordable. The fact that Play It Again Sam’s is for sale is the handwriting on the wall.
Diana says
In reply to Chris’s comment about landlords and rent, there is a direct correlation between rent and property taxes. Landlords cannot pay very high property taxes and charge dirt cheap rents.
Property taxes are directly correlated with sustainable commercial growth, and the ability for a community to support itself. Generally a commercial tax base that is equal or more than the discretionary income and spending power of its residents lends that to a county- like Anne Arundel, Talbot, Montgomery, Worcester.
Kent County has shut off any form of growth. Accordingly, property taxes are sky high and only going higher.
So if you want rents lower, the taxpayers should stop fighting commercial growth. Readers of this column know full well the projects that have been stopped in the name of “environmentalism” and “saving the downtown.” Doesn’t look like it worked.
The smartest move would be to widen 213 to 4 lanes in both directions so that county residents can get to the Bay Bridge and Delaware more quickly- ’cause that’s where their disposable incomes are going…right out of Chestertown.
Chris says
Diana, my issue is with the landlords that have owned these buildings for years with no improvements to the structures other than what the tenants have done for the use of the spaces. Then as a business begins to do well they then raise the rent. The people that own these buildings have owned them for many years and build the taxes into the rent. With the property values decreasing over the last few years the land lords are able to ask for an adjustment on their taxes and as the good old boy network of old money works in this town, the same ones that did not want Walmart or any other growth to come to Chestertown goes it is approved and the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. You are correct the youth of this community keep heading south.
Keith Thompson says
I posted this idea in the comments on the original story, but I’ll post it on the wall here and see if it sticks. I’d like to know if there is a way to restructure town taxes to be based more on economic activity and less on property values. The basic idea would be to allow the business tax revenue from a tenant to offset the property tax rate of the property owner. I’m thinking that if a property owner can allow a successful tenant to ease his or her property tax load, then it creates an extra incentive to get tenants into vacant properties, perhaps even to the point of lowering rental rates. In effect, the town should still get the same amount of tax revenue but tax revenue generated by economic activity has a greater value to the town than taxes from a vacant property.
Michael Hildebrand says
Chris, you are 100% correct on the topic of rent raising on up and coming businesses. A great example is the corner store on Rt. 20 and Rt. 21, on the way to Rock Hall. The store had a good thing going when it was Caulk’s Field Cafe but as she began to be more successful, the landlord started raising the rent, to the point that she had to leave. Now the store is in disrepair and empty. How much rent has the owner lost to the fact it has been empty years and years? That decision was a poor one. Greed is a disease in this county. No business will reach its full potential because the cost of living here verses the wages generated by the people that live here are way out of balance. Add to the fact that when good paying jobs try to locate here they are met with tons of resistance, its almost like there is a select few that are working very hard to keep the town and county right where it is. Chestertown has all ready has an identity but lacks the leadership to capitalize on it.
Diana says
Another thought:
How about those who fault landlords form either a non-profit or an investment group that would buy downtown commercial properties, and then rent them at “low” rates?
There is another side to the equation- being a landlord is a tough job. Ask yourself this question: Those who close businesses and operate failing ones often cite the landlord as the reason. How often do you hear of successful businesses thanking or recognizing a landlord for his/her contributions??
Chris says
It would be a bad investment. The town counsel keeps throwing money at a waterfront project hoping that it will take off. Not seeing more boats on the water yet. Chestertown wants to put all their eggs in that one basket and hopes it works.
Barry says
Please allow me to preface my comments with the following… my wife and I are out-of-towners who own a second home in C-town. We come here almost every weekend and we love Chestertown. So my point of view is from someone from the outside looking in. I expect that some of you will want to blast my comments. That’s fine, the first amendment exists for you as well as it does for me. But, please read my comments thoroughly and ask yourself the same questions that I’ve asked myself.
We all know that the internet has put a huge hurt on the store front retail industry. Making a go of opening a retail business in today’s economy, plus having to deal with the pressure of competition of the relative ease of internet shopping, is a daunting task for anyone. That said, I believe that there are some town ordinances related to downtown parking that may be keeping new shop keepers from attempting to open a shop in town. The town council may want to look into this and amend any ordinances that could give new small shop owners a competative disadvantage. I expect that, if correct, most of you reading this comment may agree with me.
Here’s the part that I expect to get slammed about… Most of the downtown stores are very nice and quaint. They mostly appeal to a select group of consummers. Pick any of the small specialty shops downtown that you’d like and ask yourself these two questions: 1.) How often do I go into this shop over the course of the year? Once..twice.. less? And more importantly, 2.) did I buy anything? Whether C-town likes it or not, the town is plopped on a peninsula and it’s not located on a major commuter route. To come to Chestertown, you have to actually want to come there because it’s not really on your way to say Annapolis, Easton or anywhere else. So the town needs to attract visitors (read:
consummers). Maybe the eclectic group of shops that exist downtown is exactly what the town thinks it wants to attract visitors. I’m not so sure. My personal bellweather resides right smack in the middle of the town… Washington College. At Washington College the town has a captive audience of several thousand students and faculty, both of whom presumably have wallets and occational free time. Ask yourself this last question… how many students and/or faculty do you ever see downtown?
I just think that the town needs to do two things: 1.) help retailers compete more fairly and 2.) attract a wider range of consummers.
rds1955 says
Very Well Put Barry. I like when you say the community needs to attract “Consumers”, not just visitors. (I’ll say tourists) I would say yes to the town helping businesses become more competitive if their involvement was very limited and allowed unfettered freedom for said businesses to operate and compete. And in order for the community to attract a wider range of consumer, they first need to and have a wider range in vision. I said in another posting elsewhere here on the Spy, that a complete 180 degree change in perspective was required, not just the same old go-nowhere meetings and discussions as has been done in the past. Someone once said the definition of Insanity is to keep on doing the same things over and over again, but expect different results. There is a lot of good common sense ideas and thoughts offered on this article by those participating… Hopefully, the famine of leadership will dissipate, and a new vision of growth and innovation will take hold and grow. If not, we’ll just continue riding the merry-g-round of Insanity….
Anna says
Barry, you make a great point about the potential of Washington College students as consumers who could be courted and made welcome downtown! My first trip to Chestertown was as a prospective Washington College student. After the campus tour, my mom and I got a recommendation for a place to go for lunch and spent some time wandering around down town. We were surprised by what we found or, more accurately, what we didn’t find and assumed that there must be some other part of town that had the college town vibe with casual eateries, funky shops, and interesting hangouts. It was a disappointment when, as a student, I explored town further and discovered that, in fact, Chestertown does not have the hum and energy that so many college towns do. I’m long out of college at this point, but I’d still be thrilled to see more college-friendly businesses start and succeed here.
bill arrowood says
some notes:
about 1/2 of your list is already available in the plazas or uptown (movies, hardware store, etc) or are seasonal solutions at best (outdoor seating, ice cream shop) and the population simply cannot support multiple locations of such or sustain these year round as solution.
others are businesses already in place. there is a replacement for Andy’s, that business is open and waits for customers and while the drama of that situation has not dissipated, the current management is doing anything it can to stay afloat and can’t seem to lure back any regular crowd that once frequented that space, in the interim several other bars have found a following. (If you want to replace Andy’s pick a place and get your friends and start going there, it is the clientele that keeps and determines the business, or better yet, get your friends and buy a bar and populate it how you want, there are several spaces available in town.)
In order to drive commerce downtown a choice must be made about for whom it hopes to service. The everyday shopper or the occasional and tourist shopper. Bringing services downtown brings regular local customers. A music (instrument) shop with a place for lessons generates traffic, in much the same way the new game store does. A cheese shop, is nice, but a full service gourmet store with cooking retail would generate a regular flow.
What kind of businesses that are not existent in Chestertown or Kent County do people frequent on a weekly or even monthly basis?
start thinking about the population that lives closest to downtown, other than the high income homes of lower high & water street. What are you considering to offer them as services or retail.
A majority of Chestertownians live in apartment or town homes on Upper High, Morgnec Road or behind the plazas, or live closer to the plazas, in College Heights, Foxley Manor or Crestview. What are you considering for these folks to drive downtown. They already have banking options uptown and two grocery stores that need our support, (a 3rd and you are just waiting for one to close, again this is an issue of volume and people’s flight to tax free shopping)
If then you consider downtown as a loss to the lower and middle class residents, then choose to gear it towards the occasional shopper and find opportunities for unique shops and venues. Find out what Chestertown’s niche is, after 300 years, it seems yet in question.
Washington College students wont be coming downtown in gift shops or pharmacies or for books. They shop where ever the price is cheapest, at target or roses for dorm supplies, the liquor store across from the school for other supplies. In even the best developed of college towns, they dont hang out downtown and go to gift shops, they go to bars, which my understanding is that they do frequently downtown and uptown) they tend to patronize the college bookstore, where they get a discount or can use an account. (there is an idea, you want college business, work a deal with the college’s business office that a student can charge his account directly for a sale, the less cash seen by the student, the more apt they are to spend more freely)
offering recreational activities does bring people downtown, but they dont go buy a rug when they are going to a concert in the park, it is a conceit to think that one begets the other. (sure the ice cream at stams or a cup of coffee somewhere downtown, but considering everything but a few of the restaurants are closed for most downtown activities the impact is not as great as it could be. better hours would help this on nights with events, as would an effort to involve the businesses themselves as a part of each event. As one of the coordinators for the Tea Party Festival, i regularly hear from the business and local community that it is a pain and it hurts their business, that it is crowded and people avoid it. It isnt all negative, but the negative is vocal.
that attitude is sad and short sighted. its one day a year and it puts the town back on the map for tourist season and gets local non profits a chance to be seen and make their annual budgets.
but that vocal negative is a portion of your population that you have to change the minds of to develop a better base for businesses.
this week i spoke with folks in Salisbury who spoke that the impression they received from visiting Chestertown was that it wasnt interested in anyone’s business, tourist or otherwise. if this is what we are showing we must find what can we do to amend that.
i applaud the Spy for beginning this conversation. but without incentives to local business to open, without a smart business plan and without the ability to create a following for your business, and most crucially until you get someone who wants to open that business, its just ideas.
this solution requires the community to have a full time staff working to solve this. Easton, Annapolis, Frederick, Cambridge have staff that make it their business to manage, communicate and facilitate commerce, events and community relations. Why not Chestertown? Why are they successful, because they are creating a set of resources and have someone to administer them, meanwhile, this task here falls into the overcrowded plate of the town office. (no disrespect to the Town, but this isnt something someone can or should do while doing the business of the Town, it is a full time job unto itself)
Steve Payne says
“i applaud the Spy for beginning this conversation. but without incentives to local business to open, without a smart business plan and without the ability to create a following for your business, and most crucially until you get someone who wants to open that business, its just ideas.
this solution requires the community to have a full time staff working to solve this. Easton, Annapolis, Frederick, Cambridge have staff that make it their business to manage, communicate and facilitate commerce, events and community relations. Why not Chestertown? Why are they successful, because they are creating a set of resources and have someone to administer them, meanwhile, this task here falls into the overcrowded plate of the town office. (no disrespect to the Town, but this isnt something someone can or should do while doing the business of the Town, it is a full time job unto itself”
Exactly, and it’s a tough job. The tenants need to be willing to heed advice too.
Kevin Shertz says
Bill, your point that the Chestertown Tea Party Festival is a huge fundraiser for many of our local nonprofits and churches (via food sales) can’t be emphasized enough.
DLaMotte says
Bravo Janice D! I really miss a full grocery downtown, although the Organic grocer is wonderful. It is vital for people to be able to have shops
like that within walking distance of their home. I think we have some good places to eat…decent variety…but the town really goes dormant
after hours. I like the fact that more and more we are seeing ” farm to table” here and I believe this is a must for our area, not chains.
Gerry Maynes says
Hi, Its a shame but your town is not big enough to support three Supermarkets. You would loose Fresh N Greens and would have and empty center to worry about. That said your second problem is sales tax. Why would a retailer open in Chestertown, so close to the Delaware line to be at a huge disadvantage,before spendin his first buck on his busines. Perhaps tax free week ends or weeks would help.
Steve Payne says
Here’s a study I ran 6 months ago. It is based on census tract data and is not meant to be anything other than an overview.
Actual input like this thread is very important.
For a town like Chestertown the 5 and 10 mile rings are most appropriate in my opinion.
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/8129996/Chestertown%20Retail%20study.pdf
Kevin Shertz says
Thank you for posting this. It’s very helpful for people (including myself) writing a business plan.
matthew weir says
Steve, The information you have posted is interesting. Certainly information such as this should drive much of the decision making. It would be very helpful to understand how you get to it. Frankly, I am too nervous to put my phone number or email here, but I perhaps Dave can link us up.
Janice D says
Very interesting study proving 2 points (or maybe more, but I got two)
1. People who can shop in Delaware.
2. There are several types of businesses that are missing in Chestertown.
However, we are not going to have a Lowe’s or a Target or bars-a-plenty breaking down the doors to locate to C’town due not only to population density, but also because these businesses are a short drive away in Delaware.
Having lived here for a long time, I never considered Kent County or Chestertown to be against business, maybe just cruisin’ along on the status quo.
Maybe naive of me. Just a thought.
Richard says
The entire biz community needs to commit to better hours especially summer season. Sundays need to be treated as a weekday may thru September. The town needs to invest in a professional retail /prof services study like shopping center investors do before building the survey needs to consider not only downtown but route 213 shopping centers. Downtown needs to provide the boutique, niche and entertainment experiences. The centers can focus on the larger retail needs. The cart may need to go before the horse in order to attract new generations of residents, weekenders and tourists
Roy Kirby says
I’ve lived here for 9 years, but am selling my house and am moving away after, losing approximately $5,500,000.00, trying to make many of the ideas that are stated above, work. I’d like to give a few examples of the problems that exist, from lessons I’ve learned in the trenches here, not lessons that are learned at cocktail parties or Play It Again Sam’s. (Not necessarily in order of importance, but as they pour out of my brain which has become addled trying to figure out why much of the population espouses to want “Smart growth” and more services, yet when a “Newcomer” like myself attempts to provide them, he or she is constantly sabotaged every step of the way. Remember, I’m not giving hypotheticals here, I’m giving 5,500,000 valid reasons).
1. Take a picture of the rest of the block north of Dunkin’ Donuts and tell me if I’m a merchant contemplating moving here I’d even consider one of those stores.
2. You want more of the services listed above? Do a 10-15 year matrix of stores that have gone out of business here and I wager you’ll find each of those services at least once.
3. Drive in from Centreville and after crossing the Chester River Bridge, look at the 3 gas stations.
4. Tell Dicky Grieves and Royal Farm Stores that they can’t build one of the best looking Royal Farm Stores yet at the S.E. corner of High and 291 because “We already have too many gas stations”. I agree with that, and these are the pitiful three edifices that flank the southern gateway to this lovely colonial town.
By the way, Royal Farms was going to close it’s Washington Ave. store that you all complain about as part of the deal. “Beam me up Scotty; I must have landed on the wrong planet”.
5. College input? I’m personally aware how certain individuals from the College have tried to work with the town merchants
and the effort has fallen flat on it’s face. Bulletin folks: Washington College doesn’t need you, but you need Washington College.
6. The exact “Ring around the written/verbal rosy of self proclaimed experts” that is spelled out above also carries over to your Boards and Commissions.
It results in singular interests being promulgated as opposed to what’s good for all. And while you’re at it, put a paid professional on each Board to provide guidance in the areas of which the Members have no experience.
7. The real bottom line is this: people do not and will not patronize the stores,
and there simply is not the population needed to support the volume necessary to support nice stores. You all bragged about defeating Walmart, but all you did was send any frugal family of four or more 26 miles away to have the 6% savings on their FRESH grocery shopping pay for their gas times 3. Oh, and P.S., Maryland lost the jobs and sales tax. Sounds a lot like the anti FASTC fools in Queen Anne’s County. (Wouldn’t those jobs look good to them now!)
8. Here’s the real bottom, bottom, bottom line: people in this town need to stop bitchin’ an moanin’, cause’ there ain’t no free lunch in life. Instead of all of the lip service, open your mouths a little more and PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTHS ARE.
P.S.
The above was a statement only. It wasn’t meant as a prelude to me engaging in some of the inane drivel I see in a few of the comments above.
If you have any problems or would like to clarify any IMPORTANT items, my home phone number is: 410.778.0393
7. I could go on and on but instead of a little barbed humor, I’ll get offensive.
chris says
Finally some one with some clout and business experience to come ou and tell the truth. If only the people that mattered listened. Thank you for your candid honesty.
Kevin Shertz says
Roy, that’s the thing about real estate speculation — it works… until it doesn’t.
What the specific history of this place teaches us (I think) is that Chestertown is not necessarily a place that people can come and make a lot of money; the people that thrive here are ones that embrace – above all else – the quality of life it has to offer.
Best of luck with your future endeavors.
Keith Thompson says
Kevin, I think you make a very pertinent statement that Chestertown is not a place where people come to make a lot of money, but they come here for the quality of life. I think what gets overlooked is that quality of life has an economic cost attached to it and those who can afford that economic cost are the ones who are thriving. The reason for this debate is that there are a lot of residents of Chestertown and Kent County who cannot afford the economic cost associated with quality of life. While there is a lot of wealth in Chestertown, this is not an inherently wealthy community and I see a clash of two different cultures here which generates a lot of problems because both sides have imcompatible priorities.
Kevin Shertz says
Keith, quality of life and economic activity are not at all mutually exclusive ideals… I’d argue you can’t have one without the other.
Keith Thompson says
Kevin, it’s true that quality of life and economic activity are not mutually exclusive but the most vibrant communities have the proper mix of both. You can certainly look at communities (some would argue Middletown) where too much attention on economic activity has had an inverse effect on quality of life. You can also look at communities (some would argue Chestertown) where so much attention has been placed on quality of life that economic activity has suffered. Quality of life is certainly an issue for those living here who can’t find jobs here or have to travel 30 miles to find products they want or need. The fact that Mayor Bailey is searching for answers on how to generate more economic activity in the town is a sign that not everyone here is satisfied with the town’s quality of life.
Kevin Shertz says
Keith, it would be interesting to know what community you feel has a proper mix of both quality of life and economic development.
What ails Chestertown in part is pretty apparent if one takes a step back to look at the situation: a large number of its downtown businesses are owned by people of “Baby Boomer” age who are now ready to retire. The problem is, there is no younger generation of people waiting in the wings to buy these businesses/buildings/homes at the prices they are being offered at. Stagnancy ensues. This will continue to play out over the years ahead unless significant price modifications occur.
Believe me, I’m running the numbers as part of my plan for the microbrewery — it makes no sense to open a business in Chestertown in the current real estate market… you’ll never see a return on your initial investment.
Keith Thompson says
One town that immediately comes to mind for a good mix is St. Michaels. I’m not overly familiar with the town other than I’ve performed there several times as a musician, but St. Michaels seems to have this quaint small town atmosphere while also generating plenty of economic activity. St. Michaels is certainly not a town that’s located along a major highway, so it’s a destination that you have to be drawn to. It’s a riverfront town and they seem to have turned the river into an economic hub. They also have a draw in the Maritime museum which certainly helps the riverfront economy…and of course, they don’t have a Wal-Mart (even though there is one in nearby Easton).
Yes I’ve heard from numerous people who have told me that they don’t want Chestertown to be St. Michaels and I do think there are significant differences between the two towns meaning that you’re not going to make Chestertown another St. Michaels. St. Michaels can be quite busy at times which is probably one of reasons why many in Chestertown don’t want to be St. Michaels. However that does lead me into the quality of life argument. To me, a town primarily develops as a commercial center so if someone chooses to live in a town, a quality of life expectation should be economic activity.
I think you’re spot on that one of the chief problems is that there is not a younger population base in Chestertown to take over for the business owners who are retiring. It’s more than trying to find ways of attracting more younger folks to the town, there also has to be a recognition that the past direction of the town’s economic planning has likely resulted in the issues the town is now facing. It does very little to recognize the problems but not be willing to make the changes to correct them. Chestertown made a conscious decision to become a retirement based community and I think a lot of the problem is that while there is a lot of wealth in Chestertown, much of that wealth wasn’t generated here and isn’t being invested into the town.
I know you’re in the early stages of putting the business plan together for your brewery; but I think the idea has a lot of promise and has the potential to greatly benefit the town even if it’s not located within the town limits. That’s perhaps one of the answers…Chestertown could look beyond the downtown, or even beyond the town limits, for good economic opportunities.
Barry says
I have a difficult time comparing Chestertown to St.Michaels or for that matter, inversely comparing it to Middletown. As I see it, there are several principal differences between C-town and SM. As Keith said, both are river towns… but SM is a deeper water river town with easier access to the bay which makes SM a little more attractive to recreational boaters than C-town. So, SM has a better maritime component than C-town. Keith also correctly pointed out that both C-town and SM are not located on major highways. However, SM is about fifteen minutes by car west of Easton and Route 50. Route 50 is a major commuter route to Annapolis and the western shore and to Cambridge and points south in eastern Maryland. C-town is on a peninsula and Rte 213 is a commuter route only to the people who live in Kent County and work elsewhere. Visitors to C-town mostly go there because they want to go there, not because they’re travelling through and spot a quaint little town that they decide to visit. I also have difficulty inversely comparing C-town to Middletown. They are two different animals. I think that again geography has played a major role in the development of Middletown. It has become a commuter hub to Dover, Wilmington, Newark and Annapolis. Say what you will about the whacky traffic engineers who work for the Delaware DOT, but that town has developed exactly as it should. A town center, new affordable housing near town but set back from Rtes. 301 and 299 and commercial development lining the commuter routes. Not to mention the attraction of no sales tax. I can’t measure the quality of life, or even the differences in the quality of life between these two towns because both have evolved differently… as they should. I think that all of Mr. Kirby’s points are dead on accurate. Not only do people tend to get what they pay for, but they also tend to get what they ask for. So, what exactly does C-town want? Does it want to evolve or does it want to maintain the status quo? As I said in my earlier note, my wife and I love to coming down to C-town on the weekends, but I’m not so sure that we would enjoy coming to a ghost town in 10 or 15 years from now.
Editor says
Editor approved anonymous comment
Bob Kramer says
Just curious, Mr Kirby.
1. What made you come to Chestertown in the first place?
2. Looking back… what would you have done differently?
BTW, thanks for giving us some exciting times… and good luck on your future ventures. Sorry things didn’t work out here.
Steve Payne says
“Sounds a lot like the anti FASTC fools in Queen Anne’s County.”
We should have chased that deal hard towards the end.
Gerry Maynes says
Hi, Whats so hard to understand? bad business enviorment , To close to a state that does not have a sales tax, Business friendly towns wqith in easy driving distance of Chestertown. A portion of the population 6hat does not want change, at the expense of the working class that needs employment that has some future to it. Correct some of the above and you just migth see some brave folks looking to expand into town. Keep on the current path an d the young will move away and the town will exist as as suburb of Middletown or Dover and nothing more.
DLaMotte says
Middletown as a poster child of a “town developed as it should”?! Too funny for words.
Keith Thompson says
Hmm, depends on your perspective and what you’re expecting from your planning…
…keep in mind, Middletown’s planners were faced with an entirely different set of issues than Chestertown. In the 1990s, a large number of people were moving south from Newark and Wilmington and buying new homes being built around Middletown. This rapid influx of population was putting a strain on Middletown’s infrastructure (especially the schools) and the residents were consistantly voting no on referendums to increase the school taxes. Based on the situation, the town was not faced with a decision on how to maintain “quality of life” to attract new residents as the town was already being overrun by new residents (apparently Middletown’s quality of life was better than the areas they were coming from), instead the town needed to find a way to build the infrastructure (without raising property taxes) and decided to let retail development pay for it. The town also annexed many of these residential developments as well as retail development zones to build up the property tax base. Certainly Middletown’s town leaders acknowledge that they have made some mistakes and that things could be better, but the town was forced to grow and given the reality of what they faced; their planning decisions have largely met their goals.
As for Chestertown…the town is faced with an entirely different set of issues than Middletown. Despite all of Chestertown’s planning that has been aimed at maintaining quality of life, the town is currently engaged in a debate on how to generate more retail business in the downtown and how to fill vacant commercial property space throughout the town. While I think you rightly be critical of Middletown’s planning efforts, I don’t think you can assume that Chestertown’s planning efforts have been faultless.
DLaMotte says
I am not going to get into a debate about Middletown. I will say, however, that a town could not have developed in a more ugly way.
Cheaply constructed houses and buildings, total lack of any charm, and done in such an ” in your face” scale and design. Chestertown’s
choices? Even at its worst (Kent Plaza) , Chestertown has and will remember what she is. Shame on the powers at be in the state
north of us.
kate o'donnell says
For the record, Delaware is NOT north of “us”. Mason and Dixon surveyed the line from the transpeninsular point, midway, northward to the arc, 12 miles centered on the old courthouse in New Castle, and then shot off on the 40th parallel toward Ohio. Read your history, know your geography! I’m not a big defender of Middletown but it’s young population can afford the houses and MOT–Middletown-Odessa-Townsend–seems to have a very active recreational program in place for its youth. MOT isn’t consolidating schools, a la Kent County. Referring to Chestertown as she? She reminds me of the Dowager Countess of Downton Abbey. In time, maybe just not OUR time, the young trees planted around the housing developments annexed by Middletown will reach maturity and those developments will have second and third generations of families proud to call Middletown home. Who knows, maybe one day Middletown will earn the designation of a Tree City USA?
DLaMotte says
My referring to Chestertown as “she” ? There is something about our Victorian and 17th century houses that define Chestertown
as a long-reigning town of importance that should be cherished. There is something majestic about it…”she” being the ultimate
complement. Curious you find this antiquated.
kate o'donnell says
Ships are shes. Towns? Gender nonspecific. Remember Washington Park is also in Chestertown–affordable housing for those aspiring to the middle class.
Keith Thompson says
In some ways though, the town was uglier before the development. The area surrounding the town was largely open farm land (before the farms got sold to developers) but the town was rather run down. The central downtown area has been revitalized and spruced up, thanks to the business revenue that has come in.
As for the town’s aesthetics, I won’t argue that the residential development doesn’t have the grace and style of Chestertown. The homes are also much more affordable meaning that its easier for the town to attract younger families…a problem that Chestertown suffers from.
The point here is, pick your poison.
DLaMotte says
Wow, Kate o’donnell, sounds like Northeast or Middletown have it all…go for it!
kate o'donnell says
To expand a little bit on what I wrote earlier about trees maturing and housing developments entering their second and third generation of ownership, I’m reminded that my former hometown, Swarthmore in PA–home of that amazing Liberal Arts College of the same name–was built on treeless farm fields where dairy cattle grazed. Newcomers to Swarthmore probably think that those 150 year old houses, arbored over by equally ancient trees, were always that way. Communities are planted, like crops, and grow to maturity but it takes awhile. Chestertown had several catastrophic fires in the downtown that gave it the challenge/opportunity to reinvent and re-image itself–take for example Worrell’s Tavern on Cannon and Cross that was either burned or demolished. The three attached houses that replaced it have matured into their streetscape quite nicely. The terrific thing about Chestertown is that it is NOT Williamsburg, that Colonial Revival theme park. Chestertown is real people who drive on paved streets and who care deeply about its quality of life. But make no mistake: those brick sidewalks only date to the US Bicentennial. Newcomers should be welcomed with open minds and hearts, but do we have a Welcome Wagon here? I remember Pat Piposzar and Laurie Crosley stuffing envelopes to disseminate loads of helpful info to send out via realtors to the curious and tourists. But getting back to the theme of this blog: it will take a village to pick Chestertown up by its bootstraps and fill those vacant storefronts and crowd those not-so-old brick sidewalks.
matthew weir says
I think the Spy has done a wonderful thing for the community by encouraging this dialogue. However, those who are posting tend to be the same people. I would urge everyone to ask their friends to share their views on this site. These issues are important to us all. Post this link in Facebook, email the link to friends, let’s expand the dialogue!
Brett says
This is a nice conversation you have going here, and I can see valid points in nearly all of the comments. Mr. Kirby you are right on target with your comments and am sorry to hear you are leaving the community. As a person who moved here from PA some years back having seen various types of communities around PA, Maryland and Delaware I can envision Chestertown having a downtown similar to Newark DE. They seem to have a nice mix of business to cater to the residents of the town and college students and staff. The Main Street area of Newark offers shopping choices for all in the community be it a college student, town resident or tourists. I would love to see that same mix here in downtown Chestertown wouldn’t it be nice to go downtown on any given day stop by The GAP or a Jos. A Bank and buy some nice clothing then stop by our great book store grab a coffee at Sam’s or get a nice meal at one of fine local eateries or a nice national chain restaurant (not fast food) like a Panera Bread, and for the young adults of husbands maybe a nice sports pub where they could catch a game on tv while waiting for their spouses of girlfriends who are shopping.. That along with our hidden gem the Garfield Center at the Prince Theatre we would have a true downtown ar hub of activity for the community. I think that would keep people and there money in Chestertown could you imagine being able to actually do your Christmas shopping here in town wow would that be nice. So what I am saying here is not to give in to stores like a Walmart but a mix of small national chain stores that people actully shop or eat at mixed with our already great downtown merchants. This is just my humble opinion on the matter and thank you for having this discussion on here to get people thinking.
Brett
matthew weir says
Brett, Interesting comments but I doubt Chestertown has the customer base that Jos. A Banks and Gap want to see in order to come. Based on the demographic data Steve Payne put a link to (above), it would be interesting to know what base criteria an ‘appropriate’ chain would want to see.
kate o'donnell says
Having just spent part of a day in North East, MD, on a Saturday, I can tell you that town is hopping. It’s on a river, has a marina, shops and restaurants galore and yet it’s about the same size as Chestertown. Somebody ought to study what the folks in North East are doing right and try to import it to Chestertown. From What I could tell North East doesn’t ‘put on airs,’ nor does it have a college or hospital and yet the sidewalks are full of tourists spending money. Havre de Grace has a similar feel and lively economy. St. Michael’s is a stop on the way to Tilghman and has the Ches. Bay Maritime Museum as well as the St. Michael’s Museum–open on Sat-Mon and offering 90 minute walking tours of the waterfront and a story to tell about Frederick Douglas’s time spent in Talbot County. Perhaps these offerings will inspire Chestertown tourism? At least I hope so.
Kevin Shertz says
Kate, as a graduate of North East High School (I grew up on Elk Neck) I can tell you that North East’s current prosperity is by and large derived from tourists/boaters from Pennsylvania. It’s only 20 minutes or so to the Pennsylvania line. Boaters have been going there for many years (I learned the expression, “The Pennsylvania Navy” at a very young age.)
It’s also assisted by the fact that I-95 has a North East exit which is less than 3 miles from the downtown.
Geography matters.
kate o'donnell says
Reply to Kevin Shertz: the thing that took us to North East was a small boat “Mess About” at Elk Neck Landing which is ten miles south of the town itself. The license plates on the attendees’ cars ranged from New Jersey to Virginia. Messing About In Boats (monthly magazine) has a lot of subscribers who would enjoy a similar event on the Chester or off Eastern Neck Island. More events, well publicized, would draw foot traffic to downtown but empty storefronts would squelch return trips. This problem won’t be solved by the Gap and/or Jos. A. Banks solution offered by Brett, and clearly the imminent demise of additional businesses moves a bad situation further down the road. As I see it, Chestertown has three groups of potential patronizers: college students 8 months of the year for whom the town offers very little, retirees who are buying essentials on an as need basis, and tourists/boaters who are more inclined to visit restaurants than to buy high ticket items. So where do we locals fit into this scenario? For affordability and convenience we’re shopping at JBK, Peebles and the dollar stores–none of which are on High and Cross. Not to be too ‘glass have empty’ but Chestertown’s downtown appears to be waning and may never be vibrant and/or economically successful again. First Fridays could be renamed Free Foodies for all the sales that are generated. After a certain age–and I’m at that age–my walls are full, much as I’d love to add another original Linda Hall to my collection! I hope I’m wrong, but only time will tell. Is anyone tracking or graphing the turn out at events like Art in the Park, the Historic House Tour, and Down-Rigging? With high gas prices, one has to weigh the price of just getting here into the equation.
Roy Kirby says
In my earlier post I mentioned that it was a statement only, and that I wouldn’t engage in a written tug-of-war. However, the two questions posed by Bob Kramer don’t fit into that category. Additionally, while I don’t always agree with Bob, I believe that his thoughts are truly his own thoughts and that he’s come by them honestly.
His questions:
1. What made you come to Chestertown in the first place?
2. Looking back…what would you have done differently?
#1. I was a member of a hunting club in Rock Hall from 1979-1984. Coming from Baltimore, I obviously drove through Chestertown. I’ve always been intrigued by historic towns and the window to the past that they afford us. My hunting club friends and I would come into town occasionally for dinner.
After dinner I’d stroll around and look at the houses. When I saw Widehall I was spellbound. I made a promise to myself that if the planets aligned and Icould afford it, I’d try to buy Widehall. Fast forward to 2002. Bill and Paula Ruckelshaus were friends of mine and I drove up from St. Michaels to buy
sweaters. At the time I owned a historic house there that my men had renovated called “The Cannonball House”. In driving thru town I saw a for sale sign
on Widehall. I immediately walked into the yard hoping that it hadn’t been renovated, but obviously it had. I bought it and settled on 23 March 2003. I emotionally had a hard time selling The Cannonball House, in that everything we’d done had been in strict compliance with The Maryland Historical Trust and the house really was a showplace, yet very livable. However, after renting it for a pittance, it made no sense to hold on any longer and I soldit.This was obviously a complicated answer to an easy question.
#2. “Looking back…what you have done differently”.
Firstly, I would not have bought The Marina. I had no experience with boats, other than a small ski boat, or marinas. However, I kept the ski boat there and had made friends with Lee Reiley. Lee had two contracts fall thru that had more contingencies than he could understand. Additionally, John Linville, the Old Wharf owner was intimidating him with the threats of a lawsuit that was bogus but also had the old guy really disturbed. Additionally, the last contract had a contingency to build 14 residences. Even though I was new to the area, to me it would have been criminal to shut down for public use the only marina in Chestertown. I sat with him one Saturday as he bemoaned his situation and I said, “Lee, what would you sell this place for ‘Cash, 30 days'”? He quoted me a figure, we shook hands, and the deal was done. His only request was that he worked there for free until he could no longer work no problem I had done no pro forma or any research, and as I said earlier, I knew nothing about marinas. but boy was I the “White Knight” for 6-12 months in Chestertown.
Enter Johan Trumpy, whom I’ll usually call after a deal’s done and say, “Johan, how are WE (Emphasis on the we, after the fact) going to make this work”?
Long story short, thru Johan’s expertise with marinas and boats, he prepared a BIG grant request that was #1 among 300 requests across the country. We were awarded $445,000.00 to improve The Marina. BIG stands for “Boating Infrastructure Grant” and is funded by monies from fishing license fees, gasoline taxes, etc. The money sits in a pot and is distributed to the approximately 7-10 winners across the country. It IS NOT TAXPAYER MONEY, but don’t tell the “Often wrong but never uncertain” group of self-proclaimed “experts” in Chestertown that. You could show them the government regs in 5 inch letters, but it’s really cruel to confuse certain folks with the facts when their minds are made up. So we’re trying to deflect this train of thought and wasting time and energy that could be better spent Pershing the The Marina renovations.
Enter Sultana. We were in the process of working with the best marina designer on the bay. I say this because Johan had had experience with him in the past. As a courtesy to our next door neighbor, Sultana, we showed them a few freehand sketches of very early “conceptual” sketches to review, but in any case I said, “These are for your review and comment, but you have my word we won’t do anything that we don’t mutually agree upon” The Board asked me to attend a meeting and discuss the concepts. I attended and made it clear that I had told the member to whom I’d given the sketches that they were preliminary and for their ” review and comment”, and that I’d given him my word that we would not proceed without mutual agreement. At that point a very agitated gentleman in a loud and angry voice said, “Your word, your word, what good’s your word”? To which I very calmy replied, “Then I’ll make it very easy for you sir, you doubt my word, then my word’s off the table. Good day ladies and gentlemen”.
Next Sultana shot: They obtain a copy of our Grant Request and find a minuscule error and go running to the, I believe it was, Attorney General of The State of Maryland to try and derail our Grant.The six other recipients are high giving and having parades. These are the same folks whom we’ve given our docks to for ” Down-rigging”. As an aside, we’re doing this to try and get closer to break even as the now shunned “White Knight” has a yearly net operating loss of $110,000.00. Sultana’s “problem” is that the Tall Ships (The very ones who use our docks “pro bono”), won’t be able to turn around in the River. We then drag the Corps of Engineers, The Coast Guard, our engineers, etc.out and prove it’s no problem.
In summary, and after giving you too much information, I’ll say that the only reason we were involved in Stepney was to get the College the waterfront. Same for The Armory. We’re $165,000.00 losers on Cross St. yearly until we can build the next two buildings. At Chester River Landing the market kicked us in the butt, but we saved it from being a 1/2 paved oil dump.
My verbosity above surprises even me, but I guess it was a “cleansing” of sort for me. In no way was I looking for sympathy, but my hope is that people learned lessons from my “Tour of duty” and realize that not everyone with a new idea is your enemy. And instead of condemning people prematurely as a sort of “Blood sport”, they’re at least given the benefit of the doubt.
I’ll vouch for two people who are truly concerned with this community, and it would be a crime to not treat them with respect, and they’re Matt Weir, who bought The Fish Whistle from us, and Dave Whelan. These guys really care.
Bottom, bottom, bottom line Bob (And I didn’t have an answer for you until just now, upon completing the above), “What would I have done differently”? I’d have stayed to the right at the 50/301 split and kept heading toward St. Michaels.
I have an idea for a Town motto, though. St. Michaels is “The Town that fooled the British”.
Chestertown could be, “The Town in which no good deed goes unpunished”.
Bob Kramer says
Thanks… for the straight response. But… that’s what I’ve always gotten from you.
I’m kinda thinking that what I’d like as a do-over for you would be concerning the Armory. I really liked your idea as presented to the town… and it’s becoming mo’ clear each day (at least to me) that this would have changed the dynamics of downtown Chestertown better than anything else I’ve seen.
Here’s hoping your money bags are full again… sooner rather than later. 🙂
Kelly Aimes says
Like it or not, Roy Kirby tried to put his money where his mouth was! He made a major attempt to upgrade, improve, and enlarge the concept of the Town. Bad economic time were hovering over his head the entire time. He did surge onward and tried to reach success. Every Shore town would love to have someone such as Mr. Kirby move into their midst and develope a goal of putting their area on the map. Chestertown did not appreciate what they had right in their palm. So easy, and uncomfortable, to kick him now. I would move on, too, to live in a place that pulled with you in projects and not continue in Chestertown where everyone has all the complaints but none of the know-how’s. Thank you, Mr. Kirby! Some of us hoped you would be able to come thru with your big ideas. Many of us will miss YOU!
charles reeser says
Wow. well said Roy…. ill miss seeing you.
charles reeser says
Ive come to know Roy Kirby and appreciate what he has done in purchasing, cleaning, rebuilding and most importantly revitalizing areas around town.I like ctown and it looks so cool now where the new old printing and adjacent buildings mesh into the rails to trails.Remember the mantra “save the Armory”……. maybe the new mantra should “be save us from ourselves”
Tink Blakeney says
Sounds like DLamotte spends alot of time in Middletown and not so much in C-Town. Since my family has been here for over 200 years what is in your mind for this area. No jobs with benefits, low pay(8-10 $) who can afford to live here on that. Don’t want any growth? Tell me what you want, and then we can go from there.
DLaMotte says
Well Tink, your family must be quite happy with this area if they have remained here for 200 years. As far as growth in Chestertown, how
Silly to conjure one is anti-growth because the thought if becoming another ugly Middletown is abhorrent. Growth here, I feel,
should not be short-sighted. This means using the Bay and it’s surrounding land as the economic driver to any growth. By this I
would hope that such growth would complement and encourage the protection of this area’s natural resources. It is important
also to remember that tighter zoning laws reduce pollution and one cannot ignore that there is a direct relationship between
water quality and land development. By focusing on what Chestertown has rather than bemoan what it lacks, perhaps we can
be an attractive place for new businesses that know the importance of clean technologies and innovation. Evidently, years
ago, pollution was thought of as a sign of “progress”. Smog in the air? Well at least we have industry. I know we are all better
informed now. Developing Chestertown in a smarter way that respects this area will create jobs and a standard of living for
People who choose to live her, I believe.. That said, Chestertown will never be everything to everybody.
Tink Blakeney says
Your point has been taken. I agree with alot of what you have said, but what will keep the younger people here? My children have moved away because there isn’t anything here for them. They both have their masters and are working on advanced degrees, but they only visit here once in awhile. I was lucky to have a job that paid well, and had good benefits and retirement. Otherwise I would be long gone.