Mayor Gavin Buckley has announced a decision to submit a $2.2 million offer to acquire a 6.88 acre parcel of land on Hudson Street in Annapolis. The site will be used to relocate the Department of Public Works facility which will house street and utilities operations as well as fleet maintenance.
“Leadership is keeping an open mind to the possibilities as they present themselves,” said Mayor Gavin Buckley.
According to Director of Public Works David Jarrell, the facility and material storage will take up 3.35 acres of the site. The site is currently zoned for industrial uses.
“It’s a shovel-ready site, which is a big advantage,” Jarrell said. “We can continue to use our current contractor and architect who will adapt the previous plans to the new site, which is cleared and graded. This location is expected to be less expensive to build out than Spa Road or Forest Drive.” The City did not release any costs associated with the engineering, design, or construction on the previous (original and current) site on Spa Road which was halted when Mayor Buckley took office.
“The guidance from the Public Works Maintenance Facility Task Force has proven useful,” said Task Force Chair Jared Littmann. The Task Force was implemented to study the prior plan of a land swap n Forest Drive at the insistence of Alderwoman Sheila Finlayson and the majority of the City Council. “Their work and the input from the public helped flush out issues identified by the Mayor and council and now highlights why the Hudson Street property is a better fit for the City. I’m grateful for the work done by the Task Force members.”
The front of the parcel adjacent to Hudson Street side will be the location of the Public Works facility housing offices and fleet maintenance. The rear of the lot will be used as the operations yard for materials and parts storage, as well as for a salt barn, heavy equipment storage, and parking. Existing plans will be modified to the site, and construction is expected to start in late summer after the design work is completed and subcontractor bids are received.
It is unclear if there will be a new traffic signal installed at West and Hudson Streets. The current intersection is not signalized and sits about 250′ from West Street and Route 2.
“We want to ensure that we give preference to women and minority contractors and employ Section 3 hiring practices so that this project benefits all corners of our City,” Buckley added.
Once the Department of Public Works has moved into the new facility, the City may dispose of its Spa Road property. Buckley said he will propose using any sale proceeds to leverage grant funding for transportation infrastructure in and around the area of Forest Drive, including enhanced safety for pedestrians and bicyclists.
“This site is a win-win. It buys us time to create the most value from Spa Road. In addition, our commitment stays in place to build bridges and connectivity.”
On Monday, at the final City Council meeting of 2019, Mayor Buckley, Alderwoman Sheila Finlayson and Alderwoman Rhonda Pindell Charles will introduce an ordinance to modify the description of the Maintenance Facilities capital project so this project may move forward.
