Mayor Rawlings-Blake Announces Initiative to Engage Residents in Vacant Lot Revitalization

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Ryan O’Doherty

(410)818-4269

ryan.odoherty@baltimorecity.gov 

Mayor Rawlings-Blake Announces Initiative to Engage Residents in Vacant Lot Revitalization

BALTIMORE, MD. (August 6, 2011) – Today, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake was joined by residents and community leaders to announce details about one part of her stepUP! Baltimore initiative, called “Power in Dirt.” The Power in Dirt initiative reduces systemic barriers that prevent residents and organizations from revitalizing vacant lots, creates new incentives, and provides support to them through the entire process. Power in Dirt is an important complement to the Mayor’s Vacants to Value initiative.

“The people of Baltimore are the greatest agents of change that we have, and now more than ever we need to tap those rich volunteer resources,” said Mayor Rawlings-Blake. “We need to help them by clearing the government red tape and bureaucracy that discourages them from turning vacant lots into green spaces that chase away blight and crime. By doing so, we will encourage more people to give back and volunteer to make our city better, safer, and stronger.”

Power in Dirt is the City’s first comprehensive plan to specifically address vacant lots by engaging residents and organizations in their sustainable revitalization. Power in Dirt recognizes and builds from existing, successful efforts in the city to revitalize vacant lots. Currently, there are over 150 registered community-managed open spaces in Baltimore. The community-managed open spaces are the home for public art, gardening, or neighborhood parks.

Power in Dirt’s strength comes from it being a robust public-private partnership. Partner organizations include: Historic East Baltimore Community Action Coalition, Bon Secours Foundation, Park Heights Renaissance, Parks and People Foundation, Blue Water Baltimore, Civic Works, and Baltimore Green Space. These organizations are supported by a number of city agencies: The Department of Housing and Community Development, Department of Public Works, Department of Recreation and Parks, and the Planning Department.

After speaking with people frustrated with the bureaucracy that impeded their efforts to revitalize blighted vacant lots, Mayor Rawlings-Blake made a series of changes as part of the Power in Dirt initiative: 

1. Making the list of all the city-owned vacant lots and where they are located publicly available. Residents can find this list of vacant lots, neighborhoods in which they’re located, and their specific addresses at the Department of Housing and Community Development’s website: http://www.baltimorehousing.org/vtov_adopt.
   
    
2. Streamlining and simplifying the process for applying to adopt-a-lot, and the terms of the contract, so that it is much more user friendly. Now, residents can choose the lots they wish to revitalize, apply for right-of-entry and to adopt the lot on the same Housing and Community Development website, or by placing a phone call.
   
    
3. Creating comprehensive and coherent policy and procedures to help people access water more easily and more cheaply. Now, residents can apply to a new water access program at the Department of Housing and Community Development’s website, or call in their application. If there is a live meter vault within 50 feet of the vacant lot, the City will install a garden-setter for residents who have adopted the vacant lot. Residents can then hook a hose up to the garden setter and access water. The City will waive the cost of the garden setter, as well as installation and water turn-on fees. Residents who have adopted lots can now pay a flat-rate fee of $120 for water usage.
   
    
4. Providing support to vacant lot revitalization by contributing available resources such as heavy machinery, materials, and supplies. The Departments of Public Works and Recreation and Parks will provide (when available) earth moving and hauling machinery and trucks, mulch, compost, wood chips, and other special request items. This will help cover some of the most expensive and hard-to-come by items needed for vacant lot revitalization.
   
   
5. Employing four full-time AmeriCorps VISTA members to help residents and organizations in the community to identify lots they want to commit to revitalize, adopt the lot, access water, connect to City and other existing resources available to them, and help them plan and implement their revitalization.

Power in Dirt is part of Mayor Rawlings-Blake’s stepUP! Baltimore initiative. stepUP! was developed with support from a Cities of Service Leadership Grant. Baltimore is one of only twenty cities across the country to be awarded the grant. The new volunteer plan will be implemented during the summer.

Residents interested in taking part in stepUP! Baltimore can visit stepup.baltimorecity.gov. Individuals can view and download the full stepUP! Baltimore plan, learn more about its volunteer initiatives—which will launch in the summer—and find additional volunteer opportunities around the city.

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