The Canary in the Coal Mine

A Sensitive Indicator of Danger

The Annapolis Yacht Club members okayed the expansion project, as reported in the Capital on June 17.  But let me throw some numbers at you:  According to the article there are a total of 1600 members of the AYC; of that number 300 showed up for the vote.  This is approximately 19% of total membership.  Of that 19%, 85% voted to approve the expansion project.  That’s approximately 16% of the total membership of the AYC.  Hardly a raging endorsement.  I wonder how they define a quorum.

The article portrays them as having to go through a painful extended process to get their project considered.  But we have to believe they will pull out all the stops to try to fast-track this project.  They must deem it very important, to propose spending so much more money on it than was originally planned.  And now with the thumbs-up from their members we can expect they’re moving ahead as fast as they can.  There was a decided “Aw shucks” quality to the comment attributed to Commodore Rod Jabin in his email to the AYC members:  “Now the real work starts.”

Let me be clear:  They have a desire to make the most of what they’ve got, and I can’t fault them for that.  Anyone in their position would feel the same.  However, I hope that were I in that position I would take the long view and be considerate of the impact of all such actions on the whole community.  Having said that…  I walk past the site of the proposed project on a regular basis.  I see the potential the location has for a community-focused project such as a waterside park and sanctuary.  Why does every inch of open space have to be compromised?

I realize that every time I walk by the site I pay attention to one particular tree (my canary in the coal mine).  For me, now, that tree is a symbol of Eastport; the future of that tree represents the future of Eastport.  If that tree is cut down, the future of Eastport as a village with a diverse population, and a distinctive flare, will disappear.  If the tree is salvaged but entombed in an overbuilt construction project, then the Eastport that we know will be endangered.  However, if the tree remains and lives in a grove with its extended family, to me that would signify hope for the future of our community.  Alderman Ross Arnett remarked that so far as he knows the fate of the trees has not yet been taken into consideration.

Okay, back to the reality of the moment.

The project proponents will want to benefit from the current low interest rates.  Their team will be burning the midnight oil.  Our call to action is to do the same.   We need to be knowledgeable about their proposals, the  planning and zoning issues and process.  We need a proactive and comprehensive community master plan before this or any other massive project is considered.  If anyone out there can get information on any of this, please let us hear from you; let us know what you find out!

If we wait for town meetings we are already well behind the curve.  No one has our interests at heart but the people who live here.  That sound we may soon hear in the background?  It may well be from a seemingly endless line of cement trucks blocking our streets and ruining our community.

And perhaps, killing my tree.

Me Too

Count me in too. I love the idea of the AYC pool- want to make sure our voice is heard.

Count Me In

Count me in. I am very concerned as well. I have also attended the city council meetings regarding Crystal Springs and the proposed projects in Eastport will most definitely effect my life. I will support any effort to keep our community in tact. Tell me when and I will show up.

 

Time to Get Organized?

With the growing popularity of this site and the increase in concerns over the proposed projects, do you think it’s time to get organized and keep everyone informed about the when and where of the city council or other meetings we could attend to voice our concerns to the appropriate officials? I have been to several of these meetings regarding the Crystal Spring project due to notifications received on Facebook. There are too many projects in the works for Eastport that will negatively impact the community and I feel its time for us to be heard and not just write about it. If you agree, let’s get together and try to make a difference.

Before I moved to Annapolis I was a resident of Arlington, VA since the 1990’s and I watched that once quiet suburb turn into something unrecognizable. The effect of such changes have long term effects. One being the more popular a place becomes, the more expensive, to the point where I and a large number of other families had to flee because it just was not affordable anymore. I would hate for the same thing to happen here in Eastport and with all of these proposed projects in development, that is the direction this is going. It may not seem like it if you look at these projects one at a time, but the overall affect is the area will become so exclusive and so expensive that anyone with a mid-level income will just not be able to afford to live here anymore. I know from first-hand experience. I can see the writing on the wall at this point and would like to join the effort to stop it if that is still possible.

Comment from Jude

I don’t think it ever hurts to get more information from developers. I don’t have a true opinion on either development in Easport yet because I don’t have enough information. I do think we have to remember we are a diverse community and that includes families and boaters. Would I like another pool option for my family other than Mears which is outrageously expensive at 1600 for a family of four? Yes. Do I belong to AYC ? No. Would I consider it? Maybe. I like the idea of a computer generated model. I would hate to think that we would be as stubborn as the folks across the bridge and allow our community to financially wither away because we are so rigid or fear change. For a community to thrive it must grow and change. But the change needs to be respectful and appropriate and all side will have to compromise. Thank you for opening this forum it’s clear you care about our community and I appreciate the opportunity to learn more information here. Cheers

Reply to Anonymous

Thanks for your anonymous comment.

The response that we either “know a lot of people who are for “ or “know a lot of people who are against” any or all projects is hardly a rigorous well thought out or documented argument.

As you can see from previous posts, I proposed a fact-based discussion on the impact of these proposed projects on the entire community

I have proposed using both a referendum and computer modeling and simulation as means to ensure wide participation and fact finding. I would also be in favor of other objective methods of fact finding and wide community participation. The results of these efforts must inform both planning and zoning policy and process, consistent with our vision for the future of our community.

Surely this will be more productive than continuing to lob opinions over the net.

Comment on Development Concerns

I received your mailing. Have you considered that Eastport residents could be AYC members? Most of the people in the neighborhood are happy about the possibility of the AYC pool—and the rest of the developments too. Your assumption that the club members “don’t live here” is wrong.

Recommended Course of Action

Tell me, I forget

Show me, I remember

Involve me, I understand

(Moore and Davis  1997)

For the proposed Annapolis Yacht Club project, because of its significant impact, we need to require the use of computer modeling and simulation.  That way, we and the project proponents can actually work with the same set of “facts,” rather than talking over each other as to whose “opinion” is the best.  Collectively, we can present project input assumptions, develop scenarios and mutually assess outcomes.

The project proponent would be expected to provide funding for the computer modeling and simulation, and the Office of Planning and Zoning (P&Z) would select a prequalified, objective university or research firm to actually conduct the work.

Computer Modeling and Simulation

Computer simulation modeling is a discipline gaining popularity in both government and industry.  Computer simulation modeling can assist in the design, creation, and evaluation of complex systems. Designers, program managers, analysts, and engineers use computer simulation modeling to understand and evaluate ‘what if’ case scenarios. It can model a real or proposed system using computer software and is useful when changes to the actual system are difficult to implement, involve high costs, or  are impractical. Some examples of computer simulation modeling familiar to most of us include:  weather forecasting, flight simulators used for training pilots, and car crash modeling.

Benefits:

• Gain greater understanding of a process
• Identify problem areas or bottlenecks in processes
• Evaluate effect of systems or process changes such as demand, resources, supply, and constraints
• Identify actions needed upstream or downstream relative to a given operation, organization, or activity to either improve or mitigate processes or events
• Evaluate impact of changes in policy prior to implementation

(Copied from web research)

This technology is not new.  It should become a staple, used for all projects that exceed a predetermined cost or scope.

(This post will also be forwarded to the Office of Planning and Zoning.)

Reflections

The international and national news is truly disturbing.

It’s comforting to know that we are one community, diverse and tolerant.  We may often disagree, we may lose sight of others’ needs.  But in the end, communication and understanding are our strengths.

Open Note to Alderman Ross Arnett

I read the article in the Capital Wednesday June 17 on the Annapolis Yacht Club vote by the membership to approve the huge expansion project.  I appreciate you publicly declaring your conflict of interest as a member of the Yacht Club and as the representative of Ward 8 where the expansion would take place.

Yes, you will hear strong and pervasive opposition to this playground for the privileged.  It is over-sized and irresponsibly proposed for an area which will be choked to death by the traffic engendered by its presence.  This project is in the interests of only a small subset of individuals at the expense of the whole community.

I have consistently noted that if we make the mistake of waiting until the details of a project are presented to the public, the public is behind in the power curve.  You are stated in the article as saying that you have not talked to constituents about the project because it’s still in the planning stages, but will probably hear how it will affect them once it is further along.

Are you serious?  You suggest that we just sit and wait?  What that means is that by the time we hear anything substantive the lawyers and contractors will have come up with a polished argument supporting their position.  We, your constituents, the residents of the affected community, will be forced once again into a totally reactive position.  Perhaps a project of this outrageous magnitude should be submitted to a public referendum, where individuals actually have a say.

The Annapolis Yacht Club expansion project is the poster-child for projects defining the future of the community.  It turns the planning process upside down.  Instead of a project fitting into a community master-plan, which you as our representative should be interested in helping us formulate, this project will hold the master-plan hostage.