On the evening of Thursday, September 17, the Annapolis Planning Commission gave conditional approval to the Market at Tyler and Forest. The project would redevelop the corner that held the Annapolis Seafood Market for 44 years. The approval comes with two conditions that pull against each other. The commission made the fresh-food market a binding part of the plan. It also voted 4 to 3 to cut the gas station to six pumps. At the hearing, the developer had said eight was the fewest it could make work.
The developer had also told the city that gas sales were non-negotiable. That means the grocery and the fuel are one project. Most speakers at the hearing wanted the grocery, and the fuel is what pays for it. If you live on Annapolis Neck, this changes what to watch for. The project is approved. What hasn't been decided is whether Two Farms, the Baltimore-based parent company of Royal Farms, will build it on the city's terms.
Forty-Four Years, Then a Vacant Corner
Annapolis Patch reported that the Annapolis Seafood Market opened at 1300 Forest Drive in 1978. It sold crab cakes and stuffed shrimp, among other things, and closed after its last weekend in May 2022. According to the city, the owners closed it when they retired.
The 2.38-acre site has been empty since then. The City of Annapolis update on the project describes the buildings as deteriorating. It also says the site has no modern stormwater infrastructure, so all of the runoff flows untreated into local outfalls. The city calls the corner "a major gateway to the City" and says leaving it "abandoned and crumbling is not an option."
What Two Farms Put on the Table
The plan would use the old Seafood Market lot and two adjacent residential parcels. The Banner described a 5,700-square-foot fresh market with groceries, produce, coffee and prepared foods, including sushi and salads. The concept plans also show the fried chicken Royal Farms customers know. Two more retail spaces would come with it. One is about 1,500 square feet and attached to the market. The other is a 2,700-square-foot building across the parking lot that could be divided among several tenants.
Eye On Annapolis reported that the developer estimated the investment at $10 million to $15 million.
The published figures don't agree. The city's update says the fresh market is 7,200 square feet, with indoor and outdoor cafe seating, and lists 12 EV charging stations. The Banner and Eye On Annapolis both reported 5,700 square feet and eight EV chargers. The final size will show up in the detailed drawings filed during permitting.
Three Numbers for the Pumps
All three reports agree on the fuel numbers. Each pump serves two fueling positions.
| Stage | Pumps | Fueling positions |
|---|---|---|
| Two Farms' original request | 10 | 20 |
| What the Two Farms representative said would be feasible at the hearing | 8 | 16 |
| What the commission approved by a 4 to 3 vote | 6 | 12 |
The gap is two pumps. The Banner reported the next day that it was not immediately clear whether six pumps would be financially viable for the developer, and that Alan Hyatt, the attorney representing Two Farms, could not be reached that Friday morning. Eye On Annapolis described the same uncertainty about whether the project will go ahead with six.
The Hearing Favored the Market and Questioned the Pumps
The city says "scores of residents" came to testify. The Banner reported that the testimony mostly favored the market or grocery concept and opposed the gas station, or at least its size. Many speakers agreed the property had been a "blight" for years.
Anastasia Hopkins, president of the Annapolis Neck Peninsula Federation, said residents were worried about the site running 24 hours a day and about added traffic, light and noise, according to The Banner. Her summary of the evening was brief.
"The big issue here is the gas station. The food's OK. I like fried chicken."
Other speakers made the same split. According to The Banner, one nearby resident described the intersection as "very congested" at morning and evening rush hours and said 20 pumps would be "very harmful." The same speaker said the market and the other retail "would be a boon." A speaker from Annapolis Overlook supported the project and said no one else had come up with a serious business plan for the site.
The commissioners had traffic questions of their own. The plan includes a traffic study the city has approved, but some commissioners said they wanted more information about traffic safety, especially along Forest Drive. Alderman Rob Savidge chairs the City Council's Environmental Matters Committee. He couldn't attend, so he sent written comments saying the plan "runs against commitments the City has already made," The Banner reported.
Why the Commission Couldn't Simply Say No
The city's update explains the limits the commission was working within. The property is zoned B2, Community Business District. Gas stations are a legally permitted use there under the City Code, so according to the city, the commission had no legal grounds to block a use the zoning already allows.
The city also lists what it wanted that this project doesn't include. Mayor Jared Littmann had said he wanted a mixed-use development with some housing. According to the city, developers found that apartments weren't economically viable on that commercial corner. The city also says a major fuel station runs against the goals of its Climate Action Plan.
The commission couldn't remove the gas station, but it could shape the rest of the project. It set the number of pumps, made the fresh market binding, and required every tree removed during construction to be replaced at a 3-to-1 ratio.
The Binding Market Clause Works Both Ways
The market condition is what keeps the plan from being only a gas station. Eye On Annapolis reported that any substantial change that drops the market's fresh food and produce would need another city review. If Two Farms builds, the grocery comes with it. Without the market, there is no approved project.
The same condition connects the grocery to the developer's math. Two Farms said fuel sales were what made the investment viable, and the commission approved two fewer pumps than the company called feasible. The market that speakers supported is now tied to fuel revenue the company said was at the low end of workable.
What Has to Happen Before Anything Gets Built
The city's September 24 update sets out the order of events.
- Two Farms decides. It can accept the conditions, appeal the decision, or change its plans and come back to the Planning Commission. The city's update lists all three options as open.
- Technical permitting. If the company goes ahead under the approved conditions, it submits detailed drawings covering traffic and the intersection, water and sewer, and stormwater.
- Grading and building permits. Once those specifications are approved, the developer can apply for grading and commercial building permits.
Neither the city nor the news reports give a construction date, and nothing has been announced about when the market would open. The first public sign of movement would be the company's answer at step one. An appeal or a revised plan would bring the project back before a public body.
The Same Corner on the Bikeway Map
Forest and Tyler is also part of a separate city plan aimed at Bay Ridge. In February 2026, the City of Annapolis issued a request for proposals for 30% design of the Bay Ridge Avenue Bikeway. The request also covers a feasibility study for a neighborhood trail linking that corridor to Tyler Avenue and Hilltop Lane along the former Bay Ridge–Annapolis Railroad right-of-way. The solicitation closed April 24. At its July 15 meeting, the regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Group noted that Annapolis was still selecting a consultant.
Forest Drive is already changing nearby. Eye On Annapolis reported that the speed limit between Bywater Road and Arundel on the Bay Road dropped from 40 to 35 mph starting July 27. A redevelopment that adds a fresh market, two retail buildings and 12 fueling positions at Tyler Avenue would sit on that same stretch. The traffic and intersection drawings Two Farms would file during permitting are where those plans would be worked out in detail.
On Annapolis Neck, a vacant corner and a grocery that depends on how many gas pumps the developer accepts both affect how buyers see the homes nearby. Liz Dooner follows these changes block by block. If you own nearby and want to know how the plans for Forest and Tyler could affect what your home is worth, request a complimentary home valuation.
