Boats, Barges, and Liveaboards
Some common sense recommendations
I recently returned from a trip to visit friends in Wilmington, NC. Tucked away on the Cape Fear River, downtown Wilmington is a charming city that has thoughtfully preserved its heritage while reinventing itself and creating ways to attract visitors and support residents and businesses. One of the things I noticed during my visit was a group of house barges located at one of the marinas. Recently, this topic has generated discussion here in the City of Annapolis, and I wanted to address ways in which I feel we, as a City, could address some of the concerns expressed, while also supporting our local marinas. Spoiler Alert - I don’t think a lengthy study or wide-sweeping changes to City Code are necessary.
After talking with residents around Eastport, the main concerns I heard with allowing people to stay for a short period on the water are the following:
Economic impact (e.g. driving up costs) for boat slips in the area
Increased noise and traffic in mostly residential areas
Environmental impact of fixed structures on the water
On average, a boater can expect to pay roughly $3-4/foot per day for a transient slip in Annapolis or approximately $5k-$8k a year for a slip under 40 feet. Although these vary based on exact location, amenities provided, and other factors, you get the idea. One of the concerns with the proliferation of short-term visitors staying on the water is that these prices could increase, pricing out average boaters and their ability to call Annapolis “home” for their boat. Referring to the Wilmington, NC example, the average nightly stay is $450/night, potentially earning a marina owner ~ $164k of extra revenue a year, if every night was booked and not considering cost/overhead. Compared to a normal yearly slip fee, you can see where this is going. Outside of the economic factor, more transient people staying at our neighborhood marinas increases possible noise from rowdy guests, increases demand on already-limited parking, and increases the risk of harm to our environment. These are legitimate concerns, and I share them, so I want to outline some possible solutions that respect our residents, support our local marinas, and preserve our environment.
The City needs to officially define a “liveaboard” and protect their long-standing history. Our liveaboards are some of the most respectful stewards of our maritime heritage, and they should be left alone.
Proposed definition of a “liveaboard” - A person whose primary residence is a vessel.
Update the 1984 Barge Law to account for the changes our City and the maritime industry have had…Some recommended changes at a high level include:
Update the definition of a House Barge
Clearly define a Houseboat to align with industry-wide standards
Create a “Short Term Rental Vessel (STRV)” category which provides for temporary stays, but requires all STR-related occupancy taxes and limits to 2% of slips for marinas with 50 or more slips or a maximum of one for marinas with less than 50 slips
Limit the number of house barges to the same restrictions as above (e.g. 2% of slips for marinas with over 50 slips or a maximum of one for marinas with less than 50 slips)
In addition to the above changes, marina owners could be required to monitor noise generation and provide routine reports to the City for noise compliance.
Our marina owners are an important part of our community and we, as a City, need to ensure we are supporting their ability to remain open and successful, while also respecting our residents and the limited resources available. The above recommended changes could be easily implemented and would go a long way toward accomplishing just that.
Thanks to everyone who helped contribute to these recommendations, and please let me know what you think.
