@ 7pm via Zoom

Welcome

• Meeting began at 7:04pm

Presentation by Seema Shah-Nelson (George Washington Elementary Community School Organizer on improving the school’s grounds) 

• A community school provides opportunities for a whole community to be successful

• What is currently being done

  • Writing a grant to improve school grounds around the school. Consensus seems to be an outdoor classroom space. Concept images will be developed

  • Planning what holidays might look like 

  • Addressing barriers to getting kids online

  • School supplies drive (August)

Committee reports

[note: a formalized, specific location for the content of the committee reports did not occur due to the nature of the discussions that occurred during the meeting. 

1. Parking – Ab

2. SWGP – Bill

3. Beautification – Megan

4. ARC – Paul

5. By laws – Paul 

733 W. Pratt and 207 S. Fremont Development

• Al: We plan to use this time to simply provide folks information on where we can find the materials and any additional items that the ARC committee did not cover in their committee report. 

• Three reps spoke (Al Barry, Avi Zahler, Arjun Hosakere)

  • Under construction now

  • Buildings next to the site might be worth salvaging and resorting and complimenting

  • Vary narrow time window. The property is under contract

  • Hopes to have project under construction while the crews are already there

  • Met with CHAP and ARC. Gave CHAP a preliminary plan. Chap has a preliminary hearing next Tuesday (scale and massing). If it is approved with conditions, by maybe December might get design approval.

  • The units are “micro-units” geared to folks in town for a short period of time (i.e. 6 months to a year)

  • Coming from a place [mindset] of wanting to recreate, not to hurt the neighborhood or anybody in any way

  • Bit of a process with the seller, who is difficult to get a hold of, and getting something to work

  • Lots of issues next door, but motivated to get this done

  • All is being doing with an effort to show respect your neighborhood

• Questions

  • About parking – where is everyone going to go? 

    • Zahlco has promised off-street parking in the past. 

  • What is the status of obtaining off street parking?

    • Allotted parking in 725 (20 spaces)

    • None for new site, but spoke with Sail Cloth Factory about 20 maybe more spaces possible

    • Trying to do the best we can. 

    • Parking might be less of an issue due to the potential demographic of the residents

  • Are you planning on putting in loading zones and RPP parking spaces on 200 block of Fremont?

    • Entrance will be on Pratt not Fremont

  • Potential for retail space on 1st floor?

    • Working with university to see what faculty and students might want

    • We are open as much retail as possible. Bottom of 725 Pratt is open for that

  • Retail at 733 Pratt?

    • Yes, it is a possibility

  • Courtyard area plan (parking)?

    • No room for parking there

  • Air B & B?

    • There is no Air B & B model

    • Eric Costello chimed in said it is not permitted in a new apartment in Baltimore anymore thanks to new legislation that he championed.

  • Can we reach a consensus as a community as to whether we support this (To submit a letter to be presented at the upcoming CHAP meeting)? With the two sites on Fremont, because they are part of the neighborhood, parking comes part of the property. Those folks will park in the neighborhood causing a problem on the north side. Is there anything we can do to prevent them from getting parking?

    • Not allowed to get them parking passes (Baltimore city law)

    • It is a city enforcement issue

  • The ratio of tenant to cars in current Portland apartments?

    • Will try to find out

    • The program is a little different…re: short-term tenants

  • Is there a commitment to not take parking spaces on S Fremont?

    • Yes…firm commitment (and we legally cannot anyway)

  • How can you have access off of Pratt when you could not for the old design? Why force retail…couldn’t it be something for the tenants especially if the space doesn’t get leased?

    • Have had success [with retail] in the past due to nature of the property

    • When you get a smaller size retail [space/presence], you can load from the front

  • What about a loading dock? Trash? Laundry?

    • Trash is kept within the building in a trash compacter and will be wheeled out the backdoor on Dover and onto the truck (as with the current development)

    • Retailers will have their own trash dealing

    • Passenger loading will be at the front

  • Fremont and Dover…any disruption to the streets?

    • Only one unit that will have exclusive access on the Fremont side. Everything else will be off of Pratt

    • Doubtful there will be cranes

  • From the drawing it is a 5-story project except from one view it looks like six. (We will like to see a full representation of the Fremont facade.)

    • It is only going to be five stories

    • Fremont facade is in the plan. We are waiting for feedback from CHAP…it will not be neglected

  • Security on side or lobby attendants?

    • All secure access to the property and video surveillance but not security personnel

  • [Referencing the fire that occurred at the Portland apartments because people were getting into basement of that building]: What can be done to assure people cannot get in off the street?

    • Was not aware of that incident. Will be happy to follow up.

• Community discussion

  • Five options were presented regarding community response

    • Pure opposition

    • Opposed as presented but open if certain things were corrected

    • Qualified support if they can solve parking issues

    • Pure support

    • Defer to ARC committee

  • Straw vote (note: one could vote for more than one option)

    • Pure opposition - 6

    • Opposed as presented but open if certain things were corrected - 6

    • Qualified support if they can solve parking issues - 14

    • Pure support - 12

    • Defer to ARC committee– 0

• Motion: Al draft a letter that the community is support with reservations

  • Seconded by Al

  • Chad offered an amendment to two letters: (1) community letter with the qualifications and (2) ARC letter with historic concerns

  • Al asked for the qualification to be sent to him and he will send it out by Tuesday morning. 

  • Motion passes

• Should ARC draft the letter or should the community voice be separate from the ARC voice?

• Motion was made to table the rest of the agenda and focus on questions

New Business

• A motion was made, given the virtual format for the meeting, the length of the agenda, and consideration of people’s time, the board kindly asked folks who would like to discuss items not covered in the agenda wait to do so at this point in the meeting.

• Any additional new business was tabled