Public Works shifts City Dock flood‑barrier design to manual deployment, cites settlement and cost

Annapolis Public Works Director Bur Fogle told the Environmental Matters Committee on March 12 that the City Dock flood‑barrier project will use manually deployed barriers rather than the originally planned automatic or self‑rising systems because of cost and subsurface settlement concerns.

"All deployable barriers in the current design are going to be manually installed," Fogle said, citing two reasons: a substantially higher cost for automated systems and expected ground settlement in the park fill that would prevent mechanically tight tolerances required by automatic barriers. He said manual systems are easier to adjust amid settlement and can be reconfigured if mounts shift.

Fogle described logistics for the manual approach: stored panels and hardware likely staged in two to four small trailers (sites under consideration include the Spa Road site and water‑tank sites), an initial trained crew of eight plus four backups, and an annual training and inspection event to maintain gaskets and seals. He estimated an experienced crew could deploy the system in a day but budgeted two days for conservatism. "A crew of eight would be able to deploy everything we would need in a day. Um, but just being conservative, we would plan for two days," he said.

Fogle also summarized long‑range vulnerability and cost tradeoffs: he said reverting to the original automatic design would now be difficult because construction is underway and the difference could be on the order of $10 million. He framed the change as a practical response to soil consolidation in certain park areas that will require ongoing maintenance and adjustments to hardscaping as the ground settles.

Committee members asked about sediment consolidation and how that influenced the design shift; Fogle explained that a deep layer of unconsolidated sediment in the active park will compress under new load, making rigid, automated barrier interfaces problematic. He also reviewed sea‑level projections and contingency options such as temporarily closing Compromise Street and installing a barrier across it during extreme events.

Public works staff and council members said they will continue planning for phased implementation, annual training, and adjustments as the project advances.