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Council approves special-exception path for marine construction staging at marinas; sets limits and conditions
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Summary
The Anne Arundel County Council passed an ordinance to permit pile-driving and marine-construction staging as a special-exception use at marinas, subject to screening, size, and operating-hour limits. The bill passed unanimously after public testimony from marina owners, contractors and nearby residents.
Annapolis, Sept. 2 — The Anne Arundel County Council on Tuesday adopted an ordinance creating a special-exception path for pile-driving and marine-construction staging and operations at marinas, setting size, screening and hour limits and requiring administrative hearing review.
The ordinance adds specific conditions to Article 18 special-exception review for “pile driving and marine construction operations,” permitting staging of equipment, vessels and materials at marinas where certain criteria are met. The council approved the bill by roll call 7-0.
Key provisions The ordinance requires that any allowed staging area be accessory to a marina and limited to the lesser of 15% of the total site area or a quarter-acre, and that the total lot be at least half an acre. Operations would be limited to 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and sites must be screened consistent with the county landscape manual. Applications must still satisfy the standard special-exception findings set out in Article 18 before the administrative hearing officer, and the hearing officer may impose further site-specific conditions.
Sponsor and administration positions Councilmember Volke, the bill sponsor, described extensive community engagement and said the ordinance creates a narrow, countywide process balancing marina operators’ needs with neighborhood impacts. The administration and the Office of Planning and Zoning opposed the bill in large part because the MA‑2 marine district was intended for lighter commercial marina uses rather than heavier staging operations; Lynn Miller, assistant planning and zoning officer, noted the property at issue was recently rezoned to MA‑2 after a comprehensive review.
Public testimony Speakers who use marinas, own marinas or run marine-construction businesses urged passage. Jeanne Geisler, owner of Geisler Point Marina, said her family’s marina has supported county waterway projects for decades and urged the council to allow a balanced approach that enables contractors to stage near work sites. Multiple contractors said proximity reduces project costs and barge tow time; a resident of Bayside Beach and the community improvement association said case-by-case administrative hearings would allow fair review.
Council action and context Councilmembers said the measure creates a pathway for a limited set of properties and that the administrative hearing officer retains discretion to deny uses that fail the special-exception criteria. The council emphasized the bill is narrow and includes a series of hurdles intended to avoid unchecked spread of heavier uses into MA‑2 marina districts.
Ending The ordinance passed unanimously. The county’s planning office will apply the new special-exception standard if and when applicants seek approval; any approval would be subject to the administrative hearing officer’s required findings and potential site-specific conditions.
