September 2020 Community Meeting Recap

Over 30 people joined in for our fourth virtual community meeting (via Zoom).

If you missed the meeting, you can watch it here.

Guest Speaker

MD State Delegate Robbyn Lewis spoke about Baltimore's Livable Streets Coalition (a coalition of community members and organizations that want to make Baltimore's streets slower, safer, and more “livable.”). Concentration is on slowing down traffic and increasing pedestrian safety as well as adding more trees and widening sidewalks; it will not interfere with parking availability. More at https://www.livablestreetsbaltimore.com/ or contact Del. Lewis at robbyn.lewis@house.state.md.us.

Committee reports

Beautification

Discussion on Recycling; Wheelabrator and We Can BMore is setting up a conversation with the recycling center in Howard County where recycling is sent.
Second online auction will be October 18th-25th; stay tuned!
$10,500 Tree Pit Adornment grant; there will be 18 tree beds with large mosaic medallions for each bed; need 4 more people or small groups to create medallions and adopt a tree pit. If interested, contact Lisa at beautification@upperfellspoint.org.

Community Garden

Tickets are now on sale for the Virtual Garden Ramble Tour with optional Mixology Class! Click here for all the details.

Newsletters are back in print!
We need a volunteer for route delivery to Mt. Pleasant (all) and 100 block of Regester (30 newsletters). It takes about 20 minutes to deliver. If interested, contact Jan at newsletter@upperfellspoint.org.

Education

This year’s Teacher’s Wish List project will be for the Wofle Street Academy art teacher, Ms. Bevacqua. So far we have raised $870 of a targeted goal of $1,200 in supplies.
Discussing collaboration with Greedy Reads and Wolfe St Academy.

Land Use

1709 Bank update - Zoning appeal approved on 9/18
The Land Use Guidelines update project is ongoing. To ensure community input is maximized, looking for assistance from professional facilitators. Meeting with the Neighborhood Design Center to find out whether they can help with this effort.
City Council Bill 20-0561, entitled “Fossil Fuel Infrastructures” was introduced by councilman Ryan Dorsey and co-sponsored by councilwoman Shannon Sneed in July. The stated purpose of the bill is to reduce and discourage reliance on fossil fuels in three ways:
1. by prohibiting the construction, creation, establishment, addition, or use of any new off-street parking space or facility in an Open-Space Zoning District, (i.e., building parking lots in parks);
2. prohibiting the construction, creation, or establishment of any new gas station in any Zoning District; and
3. repealing requirements for providing a minimum number of off-street parking spaces for various use types.
Within Upper Fell’s Point, the requirements to add off-street parking to receive approval to convert a single family home into a multi-dwelling unit building would be repealed. Off-street parking requirements are frequently cited when neighborhoods oppose conversions of single family homes within their community, such as the project proposed for 236 S Ann that was discussed at the August meeting.
UFPIA has invited Councilman Ryan Dorsey to the October meeting to speak about the bill. The bill can be found at: https://baltimore.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=8655088&GUID=0DEF1F62-7C88-44B2-9D58-FDB48028A1F4.

Safety

National Night Out is set for Tuesday, October 6. It will include virtual, socially distanced stoop sits, and masks for sale. There are three neighborhood locations so far: 1800 Gough/S Ann, 1900 Bank/S Chapel, and 300/400 S Durham.
Street liaison program kicked off .

Traffic & Parking

Requested an update from DOT on the feasibility study for S Washington & S Wolfe traffic corridor. We have yet to receive a response.
An application has been submitted for an art bump out at Gough and S Wolfe using high visibility paint for temporary bump out.