Annapolis wants community help redesigning city dock

Annapolis, MD - Annapolis's city dock has been around for....even longer than that.

But the dock area's purpose and been pretty much the same for all this time.

There are plenty of bars and restaurants, quaint businesses and city dock is well a dock.

But it needs something, some oomph.

Something that says; this is Annapolis's front yard.

"We need to do a better job of marketing ourselves also providing something that is an attractive alternative that brings people downtown." Annapolis Mayor Joshua Cohen says.

Cohen says for example the parking lots are open space that's just wasted right now when it could be revised to help take advantage of the water front.

The lots just allow people to come in, park and then leave the area.

They don't stay, or linger downtown or bring families here.

It's space that could be put to better use.

There is also an issue of dealing with pedestrian and traffic, if you're visiting crossing the street can be a challenge.

“You do have to find crosswalks it's not all set up just to have everyone on foot people live here and do drive their cars around it's not like it's a car less town .” A tourist from Virginia told ABC 2 News.

While tourists hate dodging the traffic they love the shops and restaurants.

But the local folks would also like a reason to come downtown.

“I think it should be more for the citizens of Annapolis and the folks who live here and not so much for the tourists that buy ice cream and cookies and what ever...make it more of a working town...yes." Annapolis Resident Richard Bruther says.

And that's the tightrope the city has to walk as they try to create more economic development in the area by making the city dock more livable.

The technical term here is oomph.

"One of the assumptions in planning is that if it works for the locals if the locals will come down here it will work for the tourists so we will put a great deal of stock in what do the locals want to see here." Annapolis Planning Department Assistant Director Virginia Burke says.

The city has brought in the Urban Land Institute to go around Annapolis to come up with suggestions to revise the city dock area.
There is another meeting with the land institute from five until six tomorrow at city hall.