It’s been a favorite raft-up spot for decades on the Magothy River, its sandbar perfect for a dip off the back of a boat. For the first time, someone will have the opportunity to buy Dobbins Island with a new, no-expenses-spared, 4,000-square-foot home perched on its north end. Will the new owner embrace the island’s status as a party anchorage? That remains to be seen. After a years-long legal battle over public use of Dobbins, boaters keep flocking there in summer, but must stay below the mean high water line.
Dobbins Island was officially listed for sale Monday for $2.7 million. The property includes the 7.2-acre island, a dock with boat lift, and the home, which was built in 2019 but never lived in. “The stickers are still on the appliances,” says the listing agent, TTR Sotheby’s International Realty Executive Vice President Brad Kappel.
The three-bedroom, three-bath house boasts high-end finishes, Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances, and of course, 360-degree views of the Magothy River. Its rooftop deck has space for seating and will allow the buyer to gaze well beyond the river out to the Bay Bridge.
Why has the modern coastal home, with its 10-foot-high ceilings and expansive windows, remained vacant since it was finished? Kappel says the current owner, David Clickner, bought the island 20 years ago with dreams of using it as a vacation spot later in life. After the house was completed in 2019, another island came up for sale: St. Helena Island, in Little Round Bay on the Severn River. The owner decided St. Helena would suit him better, and purchased half of it to live on, according to Kappel. When no other members of Clickner’s family wanted to take over Dobbins Island, he decided to list it for sale.
Dobbins Island’s documented history goes way back to 1608, when Captain John Smith explored the Magothy River while looking for the Northwest Passage. Later, the island was referred to as Dutchship Island because of rumors that a Dutch ship had wrecked there in the 1700s. People reported finding Dutch coins on the river bottom long after. It gets the name Dobbins Island from owner George Dobbins, a prominent judge who bought it in the 1850s. The island was unoccupied for decades in the 20th century, allowing boaters to climb the island and explore. Until the Clickners built their new house, there was nothing manmade on the island but ruins from long-ago structures.
The thought of moving onto a residential island that hasn’t been occupied in generations brings up some logistical questions:
How do you get there? There is an optional 2.5-acre parcel on the mainland that is for sale for $700,000 in the Pasadena community of North Shore. The island has an easement for the parking and boat ramp dock to use to get back and forth to the island on that parcel. It was also previously permitted for a small house and garage to be built. Kappel says the owner had intended to use such a house as a staging area for the island, and a retreat to wait out a weather window if conditions were too rough to take the 10-minute boat ride to Dobbins.
How do you power the home? The current owners had planned to power it primarily with a solar array, and installed a large, 60kw generator to charge the battery bank system when solar power is running low. The solar system has not been installed yet. Kappel notes the property isn’t intended to be a year-round residence.
Will the popular sandbar at the island cause conflict between the new residents and summertime boaters? The owner’s initial attempt to protect his property with a piling fence and No Trespassing signs ruffled feathers on the Magothy in the 2000s, because boaters felt they had rights to some of the beach above the mean high water line. The conflict escalated to a legal fight between the Clickners and the Magothy River Association along with some local individuals. (The Magothy River Association declined to comment on this current sales listing). Ultimately, Clickner was allowed to keep his pilings and boaters generally accept that they should stay below the mean high water line when they come to swim, dig in the sand, picnic, and sunbathe at the island.
However, there isn’t currently regular enforcement of the no trespassing rule. Kappel says it wouldn’t be surprising to see renewed enforcement in the form of new signs, cameras, or a short-term security patrol, when the house is finally occupied.
Kappel believes that any conflict between the new owner and visiting boaters can be mitigated. He points out that the Dobbins sandbar is a hot spot between mid-May and late August, but is exclusive and private the other nine months of the year, a haven for bald eagles and ospreys. “The rest of the time you have 100 percent serenity,” Kappel tells us. He also points out that the house sits at the northeast end of the island, where you can’t see or hear the anchored revelers.
The island’s reputation as a party spot doesn’t seem to be dampening buyer interest. Kappel says even before the listing went live, his team already had prospective buyers with proof of funds for the $2.7 million asking price. So who would the ideal buyer be? He imagines it could be someone based in the Baltimore or D.C. area, looking for a getaway. Someone who already has a waterfront home on the Magothy or in Gibson Island could use it as a quiet spot for spring and fall. The property would also be a good fit for an older owner, since the Clickners designed the home and dock to allow for easy hauling of gear and provisions. A barge could accommodate an ATV or golf cart, raised on the boat lift and driven right up the dock to the home. From there, the elevator would run to every floor including the rooftop deck.
Kappel says of the listing, “It’s going to attract somebody who loves the identity of being the person who owns Dobbins Island.” With water in all directions, the island boasts several different settings, with a wooded trail winding down to the leeward side where sand is filling in and steep cliffs on the windward side.
Potential buyers can go see the property using one of the Clickners’ two boats, a pontoon or an enclosed boat on chillier days. It’s a 10-15-minute ride out to the island. The buyer would need to provide proof of funds ahead of time. See the full listing here.
