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This week Historic Annapolis filed an appeal of the Historic Preservation Commission’s (HPC) recent decision regarding the City’s Maritime Welcome Center (MWC). I would like to share some background about this action.
It is important to understand that HA’s concerns around the MWC and HPC approval are separate and distinct from City Dock resiliency efforts, which Historic Annapolis strongly supports. We applaud the City for its efforts to protect our waterfront from flooding. Our concerns are about the size and scale of the MWC building. The MWC has nothing to do with resiliency and addressing the serious flooding threats to our historic waterfront.
We did not arrive at the decision to appeal lightly. Historic Annapolis has the utmost respect for the HPC and its staff. This city commission is made up of civic-minded individuals who volunteer their time and talent to the betterment of our historic district. And, as a past commissioner, I am sympathetic to the tremendous responsibility that the HPC has in applying guidelines and standards consistently with all applicants, so the HPC is not perceived to be uneven in their deliberations. The decision that the HPC faced with the city application at the February hearing was consequential.
It is our opinion that the decision rendered by the HPC unfairly gave the city special treatment, in essence not following established rules governing the process which should apply equally to all property owners in the District. So, we have asked the courts to weigh in. This appeal is about fair and consistent application of the guidelines which exist to protect the historic district– the beating heart of our community and why Annapolis is such a vibrant place to live and visit. This appeal is about protecting the future of our city, for our children and our grandchildren.
We also believe that the HPC ruling deviates from established preservation standards of review, particularly regarding the proposed addition to the historic Burtis House, the last surviving waterman’s home on the waterfront. This decision, as it stands, will set a new precedent for future applications before the HPC.
Protecting the city’s historic character is integral to our future. We will keep you updated on this matter, and we appreciate your support.
