Updated Dec.4 at 2 .p.m.–The Chestertown Town Council has approved $8,000 for concept drawings and other visual aides to help the Waterfront Task Force present a shared vision of life along the Chester that serves the interests of Washington College and the Town.
WC and the Town are the largest landholders on the banks of the Chester.
The money will go to translate the task force’s “concepts for physical change into drawings and conceptual visualizations,” wrote the task force chair, John Moag Jr., in letter to the council dated Dec.2. Town Manager Bill Ingersoll read Moag’s letter at Monday’s council meeting.
The Baltimore-based architectural firm of Ayers Saint Gross will design the waterfront concept at a cost of $16,000. Mayor Margo Bailey said that task force had secured the remaining $8,000 from the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development to cover the expense.
Wednesday update: Moag sent a comment to the Spy late Tuesday contradicting that the task force had secured a matching grant of $8,000 from the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development. He said the town had to apply for the grant on their own.
“I assumed there was a match,” Ingersoll said in a brief phone conversation on Wednesday. “It is a surprise to me, but no money will leave the town unless there is a matching grant.” He said he does not yet have a copy of the grant application.
Ingersoll followed up with an email.
“The Town’s approval of the requested $8,000 matching funds for the Ayers, Saint, Gross visualization of the Waterfront Study was dependent upon matching funds being secured from DBED,” Ingersoll wrote. “If the Town is required to submit the grant application for DBED funds the matter will be taken up by the Council at their next meeting.”
Original story cont’d
“I think this is a must,” Bailey said. “This is taking [the task force’s] information and seeing how it can fit in the broad spectrum of Chestertown’s waterfront.”
The motion to approve the $8,000 passed by a vote of 3-0. Councilman Marty Stetson was on vacation and Councilwoman Linda Kuiper abstained because she serves on the task force.
The council established the eight-member task force of Washington College and town representatives in January to develop a master plan for the Chester River waterfront. The goal of the task force is to integrate town owned property with the college’s waterfront campus, which now includes the newly acquired Sgt. John H. Newnam Armory.
The college’s purchase of the Armory in April came almost a year after the town bought the marina for a little over $2 million from developer, Roy Kirby.
Moag’s letter also stated that he was withholding his report to the council until the task force meets with the Governor’s Subcommittee on Sustainability. He said the meeting could help identify sources of state funding.
“While our report to the town is in draft form, it is not yet complete,” Moag wrote. “To release our report prior to the meeting would be premature since we believe it is incumbent on us to not only share our recommendations but to specify ways to fund those recommendations.”
The task force has postponed a report to the council three times since June. The last report was postponed to avoid influencing the town’s recent election.
When asked why Washington College was not required to pay an equal share of the $8,000 for Ayers Saint Gross, Bailey responded that she was “OK with what it is.”
“They found half the money for us, that team,” Bailey said. “And I’m not going to worry about it.”
She said with a new a mayor and council members taking office in January, it was important to have things “set up” so they could “understand it and follow it.”
“This is going to be an important document for us to move forward.” Bailey said.
Ingersoll said the $8,000 approved by the town could come out of the $200,000 gift the college paid to buy the Armory.
“There’s no reason why it shouldn’t come out of the gift,” Ingersoll said.
Correction: When this story first ran it was stated that Town Manager Bill Ingersoll was on the Waterfront Task Force. This was incorrect, the Spy regrets the error.
John Moag says
Editor,
It was incorrectly stated that the Task Force has secured a matching grant from the State. We have not.We have only engaged the State through Bernadette Bowman’s efforts with the State’s Department of Business and Economic Development, and the Governor’s office. The Town must submit the grant application to the State that the Task Force provided the town.
Janice Dickson says
Editor,
So this important report has been delayed three times? Why? And how could it have influenced the election? Have details been leaked? Is there already — prior to release of the report — discussion of the future of Chestertown’s waterfront?
One can only assume that the architects hired by Mr. Moag have been given a few/some details of the task force report, so why waste money for an architect’s ‘visualization.’ Why pay to put the cart before the horse? Why not give the report to the Town for review, then get together with the College to further discuss it. If there’s agreement, it would then be appropriate to hire an architect. Based on conversations I have had it seems to me that Mr. Moag has some very specific, concrete ideas for the waterfront. This is reinforced by his engaging an architect; he does appear to have a personal interest in this project. He has been a member of the college board. He has had some ideas for other real estate in town, some may have been good; others, not. The task force’s report needs to focus on the long-range needs of both the college and the town, two very big groups.
It’s time to stop the delays. Trying to meet with the Governor’s subcommittee will only serve as another delay; we are approaching the holiday season. Is it really thinkable a meeting could be scheduled prior to the first of the year? Yet another delay, and for what rational reason?
I am a taxpayer in Chestertown, and I believe paying an architect prior to release of this long-awaited reports to be useless. I believe it’s time to present the report and be done with it. How long could it have taken this task force to come together and produce a coherent plan? It’s done, isn’t it? It doesn’t seem it was such a difficult task. It is indeed difficult, though, to understand the delay, delay, delay.
Mauritz "Marty" Stetson says
Editor,
If you have wondered how I would have voted at the meeting on the request to pay the $ 8,000.00 to the waterfront task force, the answer is no , not unless Washington College paid half. If this is truely a joint venture between the college and the town and both will benefit, then the expenses should be shared jointly. Finding the funding is apparently part of what they are supposed to do. They have said they are holding up the report so they can seek ways to fund any changes to the waterfront. I do not think the tax payers of Chestertown should be the only payee in this manner.
I missed the meeting as I was visiting my daughter and her family in Denver, Col. for the Thanksgiving holiday.
John Moag says
Editor,
A Mayor of a small town once said that he had to visit the coffee shop to find out what was going on his life. That seems to fit the Task Force as well!
The eight members of the Task Force have given generously of their time and experience through a very comprehensive and thorough process that has touched virtually every element of our community. The ideas that will appear in our report reflect very diverse and thoughtful views; not mine, not those of the Task Force, but rather an amalgam of ideas for the future of Chestertown. As a group, we feel strongly about our report being comprehensive and fully informed; especially when it comes to resources available to the County and Town to implement those recommendations the community wishes to pursure. In the meantime, the professionals at ASG will be providing important options for the town to consider. We will not, for instance, provide just one option for the marina. Rather, ASG has been asked to consider a few alternatives.
In the meantime, I’m relatively confident we all will be able to enjoy the holidays without having the Task Report yet in our hands.
Janice Dickson says
Editor,
Amazing confidence! Even if relative.