For 700 Families, an Anchor by the Bay

Residents Strive to Keep Town's Piece of Maryland Waterfront

On a warm afternoon recently, the narrow lanes of Selby on the Bay were teeming with traffic -- foot traffic. Couples strolling hand in hand passed large dogs on leashes, exercising their owners.

Basketball-toting kids headed to the community's private eight-acre waterfront park, where a sandy beach and expansive views of Selby Bay draw folks unwinding from school or work.

Selby on the Bay is a homey community of 700 houses on the Mayo Peninsula in Anne Arundel County, just south of Annapolis and less than an hour from Baltimore or Washington.

Cute 1930s bungalows, immaculate Cape Cods, new modular houses and a sprinkling of deteriorating shacks line the community's sidewalk-free streets. Residents without waterfront property can keep their boats at one of several marinas within walking distance.

And if the original developer had signed the proper papers in 1938, Selby's community association would not still be trying to acquire clear ownership of an often-used bayfront land parcel and clubhouse.

Original lots in Selby on the Bay were sold via "lunch and lecture seminars" at which potential buyers enjoyed a free waterfront picnic while salesmen sang the praises of the community -- including a promised private beach.

In the late 1930s, when the developer changed his mind and decided to build houses on that waterfront land, the battle began.

Because of the implied promise, courts have ruled over the years that Selby residents have free and unobstructed use of the property.

However, because the developer still had not transferred title to the community before he died in the 1960s, the waterfront park has been in limbo. It passed through several hands until the Youth Development Foundation of McLean acquired the clubhouse parcel via a charitable donation in 1996.

Before then, residents basically used the property as they wished, holding community functions there and making repairs to the building as needed.

Ed Robey, a father of two, grew up in Selby on the Bay and recalled when the clubhouse "held a slew of things to keep kids busy." There were Red Cross swimming lessons, craft activities and a snack bar.

However, today the building is deteriorating. "We can't get a contractor to touch it because we don't hold the title, and YDF won't fix it," said Marci Dawson-Moser, a 10-year resident.