Joint Statement by Local Leaders on Historic White’s Ferry
Last week, Historic White’s Ferry announced they would be ceasing operations immediately after the Circuit Court of Loudon County ruled that no public landing exists on the Virginia Shoreline at White’s Ferry Road, prohibiting the ferry from landing at that location in Virginia.
Rockland Farm released a statement responding to the announcement later that day.
Maryland State Senator Brian J. Feldman released a joint statement on Historic White’s Ferry on his Facebook page over the weekend.
The joint statement is by Senator Feldman, Montgomery County Councilmember Andrew Friedson, Delegate David Fraser-Hidalgo, Delegate Kathleen M. Dumais, Delegate Lily Qi, and the Town of Poolesville Commissioners.
It can be seen below:
“We fully understand the importance of White’s Ferry to residents and businesses of Western Montgomery and the region and are committed to exercising every option we have available to get this critical transportation link reopened and running as quickly as possible.
As soon as we became aware of the closure, we have been working collaboratively at the county, state, and municipal levels to engage with the private parties and officials in Loudoun County and Virginia.
We are working closely with the Maryland Secretary of Transportation, the Montgomery County Director of Transportation, and the County Attorney and in direct communication with their counterparts across the Potomac River.
This is a complicated legal dispute between two private entities (Rockland Farm in Virginia and the Brown Family in Maryland) over land beyond the state and county’s borders.
We have dedicated every resource at our disposal to this issue and will continue to work with our public and private counterparts throughout the region to resolve the issue.
We will keep our residents informed throughout the process with any and all information we are able to share.”
Councilmember Andrew Friedson
Senator Brian Feldman
Delegate David Fraser-Hidalgo
Delegate Kathleen M. Dumais
Delegate Lily Qi
Town of Poolesville Commissioners
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11 comments
What’s missing from the online reporting I’ve seen is mention of Ferry’s cable breaking during the Christmas flood. No cable, no cable ferry. This fact, I think helps explain a lot. White’s Ferry didn’t cease operations immediately after the court decision – which was near the end of November. They kept on running ferry for more than a month until the flood closed them down around Christmas. I’m kinda thinking that someone over at White’s Ferry got the bright idea of blaming their neighbor for the shutdown instead of coping to a broke cable. That’s why their announcement of closing a couple of days after the flood took everyone by surprise, and I have to think that they’re trying to play the victim here. If you can’t win fairly, try again unfairly. The owner of White’s Ferry is worth hundreds of millions of dollars and is living in Florida. I don’t think they care about who’s affected by the shutdown, it’s just business, they care about winning.
Frank, I agree. I guess the owner didn’t even care enough to make a public statement explaining why they wouldn’t even discuss options with Rockland, or explaining their side of the story.
Of course it’s totally fine if the owner just wants to stop running the ferry, that’s their business. But they could have sold to Rockland at least, if they cared at all.
that’s what is needed ~ get a couple of the politburo with their hands out to solve the problem ~ already know how this will get resolved
Interesting all of sudden leaders in Maryland and Virginia are interested in reviving a crossing over the Potomac. When in 2018 tanker truck overturned on American Legion Bridge (495 Beltway) forcing people to drive extra 20 miles to cross the River, elected MoCo, Loudoun and Fairfax politicians still opposed any new bridge, all knowing population and traffic will continue to INCREASE, never decrease nor stand still. Stupidity and shortsightedness must run in these officials veins
How do we get a bridge over the river please?!
If it were to close permanently, I have been wondering what would become of the vessel itself. To a well-heeled buyer, it would make one hell of a party boat on a lake –
The ferry is a nice novelty, but it is time to build a bridge.
thought thecabel was repaired not the first time it broke rockland wants a bridge to make property worth more who is paying taxes on that land where the road is
Politicians should leave this economics to fix. With a less than 0.20 mile crossing over a river, if the demand is there it will be reopened soon.
Regardless of the motivation of any parties involved the citizens of a community, all ready struggling must now cope with additional drive times to live ordinary life.
Simply not fair.
Where is the boat now? And if the cable is broke, what if it slips its mooring…