June 2022 Community Meeting

Officer Owens Report:
2 crime incidents - larceny and burglary
He emphasized - don’t leave things visible in your car

The RDA should email Officer Owens if we have any events for BPD to attend

Deb brought up that contractors have been driving the wrong way down 700 block of Dover, also wrong way down Penn - wants officer Owens’ help to get the contractors to follow the traffic laws.

Presentation by Shamir Cole - PABC Baltimore City parking authority
They do not handle parking authority - they have requested citation data from Parking Enforcement. She thanks Ridgely’s for their participation - explanation of wrong tickets. Some are results of enforcement officer error, some putting in wrong code for ticket (11 vs. 15) which has been rectified, will forward data and numbers to parking committee members. She has received more questions about changing hours of parking and confirmed she said willing to go through the process of parking study, etc. if wanted.

• Question from the community about EV parking pilot - parking authority planning team, not Shamir’s dept. They are hiring an EV manager.

• Question about website for visitor registration - have had trouble finding “my dashboard” through the website. There is a mobile app that can be used. There is a link on the website. Shamir will inform vendors of suggested edits/tweaks. Community members can offer suggestions.

• Question about caregiver permits. The paper version was removed bc people didn’t like having the different permit in the window. Shamir said the programmers can add it back in as an option and it’s only available for residents not businesses. Bobby requested it be added.

Presentation by Jazmin Kimble - southern district planner with Dept. of Planning - asked for neighborhood concerns or priorities that should be incorporated into planning initiatives for the neighborhood.

She’s on team for Reimagine Middle Branch - June 6th at 6-7:30 pm is a public meeting it will be a ice cream social pop up at Middle Branch Park - will be in boathouse in case of inclement weather for plan updates. Plan wraps up at the end of June so these will be the final updates.

Will be a block party for all communities involved in the fall at the wrap-up of this planning phase of the project.

Questions about trees that were cut on Washington Blvd for ADA compliance, but stumps are still there. forestry - Deb said she has a contact for forestry. Rachel is actively working on replacing the trees. No tree grates on washington Blvd - in certain cases we have the option to extend tree pit away from buildings, some cannot be replanted, planting of only certain tree species is allowed. 

Rachel is in the process of putting together funding info to be able to replant trees.She welcomes help with this process and will be circulating info on planting info as we will need community volunteers for the actual planting event. This is to speed up the process of replacing trees because the city has a huge backlog since this is happening all over the city. City process is taking super long because there are many different agencies from the City involved.

Karin asked if other streets in the neighborhood might lose trees for ADA compliance. Rachel doesn’t think so because Washington is the major through-way through the neighborhood. For other areas that have non-compliant tree pits only an active complaint would cause this.

Leslie asked for clarification - Rachel is applying for a grant through the gateway partnership. Leslie wants to coordinate the RDA’s grant efforts through gateway partnership.

Jazmin’s contact info is jazmin.kimble@baltimorecity.gov

Quorum established.

Minutes from last week approved.

ARC - one pending paint application. Paul asked for status of Pratt st projects - no new information of status. Deb says check notices of violations, both are supposed to be proceeding - inspectors are dissatisfied with progress of both projects. Work has really slowed down.

Paul asked if Jazmin knows anything on status of projects? Jazmin can follow-up.

May recap

• newsletter is hybrid - next print copy is July
• first friday HH June 3rd at 5:30 at Suspended
• cleanup and dumpster on 6/11/2022
• Paul McCartney - 6/12/2022 show starts at 8 pm, informal gathering to listen at Cool Breeze Park
• Board meeting 6/8 at 7 pm
• hybrid format for meetings - watch facebook and website for updates
• next community meeting July 6th at 7 pm

Cool breeze park is on the 600 block of Warner along Russell St

Kate asked about community cleanup plans. Clean Streets committee - at the next RDA meeting will be a big update. Committee meeting with south bmore gateway partnership to discuss funding options to engage My Father’s Plan - update will be next month.

Kate asked why the cleanup from last month didn’t happen. Julie contacted two community members to offer that the board is working on getting funding and asked if they wanted to wait for that or not. They said they would wait for funding.

Christine asked about street sweeping and street cleaners - street sweeping still suspended indefinitely by the city, cleaners for downtown Baltimore are funded specifically for the inner harbor Pratt st area.

No new business

Meeting adjourned at 7:50 pm.