Popular boat ramp in Anne Arundel County reopens after lease negotiations

A popular boat ramp in Baltimore County that abruptly closed this summer has now reopened to the public after a new deal between the county and the property owner, according to the Anne Arundel County Executive's office. 

The Discovery Village boat ramp initially closed for public use on July 1 after County Council members questioned the lease, saying it contained escalating rent and allowed the owner to make repairs and bill the county, potentially spending taxpayer money without a public appropriations process.

Shortly after the closure, the Anne Arundel County Department of Recreation and Parks partnered with the nearby Parish Creek Marina to provide public access to the marina's boat ramp through the end of the 2025 boating season.

Discovery Village boat ramp reopens

On Wednesday, officials said they were fully reopening the boat ramp, after negotiating a new lease with the property owner that will provide public access to the boat ramp through July 2027. 

"This new agreement is good news for the county, our taxpayers, and our boaters in South County," County Executive Steuart Pittman, a Democrat, said in a statement. "We now have a fair, fiscally responsible agreement that restores public boating access at Discovery Village."

What changed in the new agreement?

Under the old lease, the county agreed to pay about $156,000 annually until 2046 to maintain free public boat access. The lease required the county to cover all maintenance costs the property owner deemed necessary.

The new lease includes a one-time payment of $292,195 in total rent and covers repaving of the boat ramp parking lot.

These costs will be paid from the county's capital budget. According to the county, the new terms eliminate long-term liabilities that existed in the previous lease.

The county said it estimates the reduced rent will save more than $1.5 million over the next 21 months.