What Happened?
The city of Annapolis, Maryland, was recently awarded $1.5 million from the federal government to support various improvements to the city dock to reduce flooding and improve efficiency.
So What?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Boating Infrastructure Grant Program is funding the upgrades that will allow municipality leaders to better manage stormwater controls and response to heavy rains to increase protection of city assets. The rehabilitation of the city dock includes rebuilding 700 feet of bulkhead, upgrading slips used by boaters and improving stormwater management. The project will cost $12.5 million, investing in modern upgrades to prevent backups in stormwater pipes that result in destructive flood on public property.
The $1.5 million provided by the federal government will be used to upgrade dock slips. CIT bonds and stormwater fees paid by local citizens will account for the remaining $11 million needed to complete the project.
Details Of The Program
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Boating Infrastructure Grant Program was designed to help localities maintain boating facilities and resources for better use of public assets. There are two funding tiers available through the program – one that allocates up to $100,000 to each state annually, and another that is more competitive and evaluates proposals on a national level. The competitive funding tier lays out ranking criteria to ensure proposals offer the necessary information.
Each year, the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund provides the financial backing for the program. For 2013, the grant program is planning to fund 25 tier 1 and 16 tier 2 projects for the construction and maintenance of boating facilities and resources across the country. The agency will distribute more than $2.2 million in tier 1 grants and $11.2 million in support of tier 2 proposals. For the projects submitted through the tier 2 funding option, federal funding will provide participating municipalities with:
- 345 new slips
- 46 moorings
- 11 new facilities to support boat recreation and maintenance
$10.7 Million To Chattanooga Docks
Similar to the downtown Annapolis project, the city of Chattanooga, Tennessee, is launching a $10.7 million project to build 44 transient boat docks and four downtown locations to attract boating business. The city has acquired a $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through the tier 2 funding to support the project, which aims to make downtown Chattanooga a more popular destination for transient boaters along the Tennessee River.
City officials made the decision to invest in dock upgrades and construction after reviewing the findings of a Jones and Jones architectural study that outlined recommended improvements to Ross’ Landing Park. The report suggests various improvements to the riverfront area to make it more pedestrian friendly to attract business and downtown activity. The recommendations include:
- Floating dock for small boats
- Easier access to the river
- Park paths and additional trees for shade
- Land bridge to make the region more walker-friendly
- Activities center along the riverfront
Recreational Improvements
Gov1 has also reported on other financing efforts to maintain public parks and operational models to reduce unnecessary spending.