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Committee urges review of city conservation easements after gaps found; Jeremy—s Way bulkhead cited as urgent
Summary
Staff told the Environmental Matters Committee it has discovered easements and conservation records that do not match deeds or plats; members asked the Office of Law to help correct records and prioritized Jeremy—s Way bulkhead concerns as a safety and maintenance issue.
Committee members were briefed on a multi‑year inventory and correction effort for city conservation easements and related recorded documents, and several members raised immediate safety concerns about specific properties, including Jeremy—s Way.
What staff reported: Staff said they found multiple instances where recorded plats, deeds, and conservation easements did not match or where easements did not appear in the deed record or on the city website. The conservation board and a Chesapeake Conservation Corps intern performed an initial reconciliation of web records and paper deeds; staff prepared a draft memo to the Office of Law describing unresolved items and possible next steps, including surveying and title work that may require contract legal assistance.
Jeremy—s Way bulkhead and other hazards: Committee members described an aging bulkhead at Jeremy—s Way that they say poses a safety and public‑health hazard (for example, derelict buildings and potential homeless sheltering in the abandoned structure). One member asked staff to provide a timeline and, if necessary, assert city authority to remediate the hazard and place a lien or use bond funds to address the safety risk. Staff said they will prioritize the site and coordinate with the Office of Law and public works to determine whether permits were transferrable and whether the grading permits remain valid; staff acknowledged gaps in record transfer from the annexation period and recommended using outside expertise where records are incomplete.
Next steps and institutional fixes: Staff told the committee they will:
- Finalize the memo and share it with the Office of Law before the next meeting. - Propose a systematic procedure to ensure conservation easements and similar instruments are recorded and published consistently after project approval and completion. - Identify whether additional funding or contract attorneys are necessary to survey properties and clear title or deed discrepancies.
Why it matters: Committee members said unclear or missing recorded easements can cause litigation risk, hinder maintenance or remediation of shoreline structures, and create confusion about public access or conservation responsibilities. The chair asked staff to include the Office of Law as a presenter on the next agenda to explain what remedies and resources are available.
Ending: Staff committed to deliver the draft memo to the Office of Law within a week and to return to the committee with a clearer work plan, timeline to resolve priority sites such as Jeremy—s Way, and recommendations for an ongoing recording procedure.
