A Message from Chris Ryer, Director

This year, the Department of Planning is preparing to launch the Comprehensive Plan for the City of Baltimore - Our Baltimore - in response to the 2020 Census data release. The Comprehensive Plan was last updated and adopted in 2006 and was intended to guide urban planning and development for ten years - so our upcoming process will take into consideration the many shifts in Baltimore's landscape since then. The plan and process is called Our Baltimore to reflect our commitment to incorporating the voices, ideas and recommendations from Baltimore residents across our many neighborhoods. We need you, our community in Baltimore, to lead this process. There are several opportunities to get involved in a leadership role, all of which will be compensated, outlined in the newsletter below.  Chris Ryer, Director

Seeking Engagement Partners: Baltimore's Comprehensive Plan Launch Planned for Spring

Lead Engagement for the Comprehensive Plan

In advance of our public launch, we are looking for engagement partners. We are prioritizing compensating all partners for their time and expertise. We have a range of opportunities - for community-led organizations, residents who want to organize alongside their neighbors, and people who may be interested in exploring urban planning as a career path. Learn more about all these opportunities via this link.

Office of Sustainability Announces Grantees

Environmental Offset Grant Recipients Announced

Each year the Office of Sustainability awards grants for environmental projects using some of the funds collected as mitigation for development projects with environmental requirements.  For 2021, funds were awarded from both the Critical Area Management Program fund and the Forest Conservation fund.  This grant opportunity is intended to encourage existing and prospective grantees to develop exciting ideas for projects that will restore and expand our tree canopy and urban forests, improve the quality of our waterways, and improve quality of life and in Baltimore. The following 11 projects were funded:

• Creating a Green, Outdoor Education Space in an Urban Setting - Baltimore Community Tool Bank
• Engagement, Edge Management, & Equity through Urban Forest Restoration - Baltimore Green Space
• 21st Century Green School Campuses Initiative - Baltimore Tree Trust
• Baltimore Harbor Water Quality Monitoring Program - Blue Water Baltimore
• Tale of Two Gardens (Tree and Pollinator Gardens Enhancement) - Charm City Land Trusts, Inc.
• Masonville Cove Environmental Education Programming  - Living Classrooms Foundation
• Johnston Square Environmental Clean and Green Apprenticeship - Rebuild Johnston Square Neighborhood Organization
• Tench Tilghman Environmental Restoration Project - Southeast Community Development Corporation
• The Stillmeadow Peace Park - Stillmeadow Community Projects, Inc.
• Broadway East Greening Initiative - The 6th Branch
• The Great Baltimore Oyster Partnership - Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore

New Staff Join CP&R and Sustainability

More new staff have joined the Department of Planning. In each newsletter, we will introduce you to them.

Jaffa Batya Weiss is an INSPIRE Planner for the Community Planning and Revitalization (CP&R) Division. Jaffa graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Environmental Studies from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. She went on to get a Master of Public Administration from Clark University and a Master in City and Regional Planning from Morgan State University. Prior to joining the CPR team, Jaffa worked as a Project Manager for the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. She got her start in Baltimore over a decade ago as an AmeriCorps member. Jaffa lives in Baltimore City with her family and in her free time enjoys exploring new cities, improving her cooking skills, and has a dream of producing an urbanist podcast one day.

Joanna Birch is the new Floodplain Manager for the Office of Sustainability. She is Maryland born and raised. She's originally from St. Mary's County and grew up surrounded by water! She has more than a decade of experience working in data-driven mapping and environmental compliance in both public and private sectors. Joanna holds a BS in Environmental Science from the University of Maryland, a Master of Arts in Teaching from Goucher College, and a Master's Certificate in Geographic Information Science from Penn State University. Her interests and hobbies include gardening and houseplants, spending time on the water, anything crafty, and making maps.

Recycling Updates

Department of Public Works (DPW) Recycling Program Changes 

The onslaught of COVID-19 cases has substantially impacted solid waste operations. Over the past two years, DPW prioritized routine trash collection over recycling and made that decision because timely trash collections are extremely important for public health.

Until staffing levels stabilize, recycling will be collected on a modified schedule. These modifications are essential to stabilize operations and ensure consistent, predictable, and sustainable services for residents.

DPW has created a user-friendly map for residents to find their collection day and cycle, and will continue to provide collection updates on its website. 

Green Network Pilot Project Progress

In the midst of the snow, Racheal Wilson Memorial Park's playground installation began in early January.  Racheal Wilson Memorial Park is located in SW Baltimore at 145 S. Calverton Road, and it is part of a pilot project of the Baltimore Green Network - a project of the Department of Planning in partnership with the Concerned Citizens of Boyd-Booth and the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks. We would also like to thank our key community partner, Bon Secours Community Works for their help with the project.

A Loss for the Department of Planning and CHAP

Long time Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP) employee Louella White recently passed away from complications due to Covid-19. 

Louella worked for CHAP from 1976 to 2004, and then for the Department of Planning until her retirement in 2006. She was the Executive Assistant and Office Manager for CHAP. With kind words and a cheerful smile, she greeted everyone who visited CHAP. She made everyone feel welcome. 

During her tenure, she counseled, trained and helped dozens of CHAP staffers become proficient in their jobs, many of which rose to high level positions in historic preservation. She was the sage counselor for sleepless staff beginning their journey in parenting and a shoulder to cry on when things got tough. She brought joy into our lives and will be sorely missed. 

She is survived by two wonderful daughters, grandchildren, and numerous nephews and nieces.  She will be greatly missed by us and those in her Pimilco community, where she spent her retirement years.

Pratt Library Distributing COVID-19 Test Kits on Saturdays

The Enoch Pratt Free Library will partner with the Baltimore City Health Department to distribute rapid COVID-19 home test kits at all locations on Saturdays in January.   All of Pratt’s 22 locations will give out kits, one per person, starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday until noon or when supplies run out. Regular library services will resume at noon.

What We're Reading (& Watching)

Quick links to interesting reports, articles and opportunities that are on our radar.

• The Baltimore Sun describes how Baltimore is recycling its trees to make usable wood products, particularly lumber. "Once a dump, Baltimore’s ‘magical’ Camp Small transforms street trees into lumber"

• Founder Kimberly Raikes, who created Whitelock Community Farm, discusses urban agriculture and how other city farmers can get started.
• Long commutes for Baltimore City students, despite changes to transit in recent years.
• The history behind the Sphinx nightclub, which was founded in 1946 by Charles R. Tilghman on the 2100 block of Pennsylvania Avenue - and remained open until 1992.

Upcoming Commission Meetings.

1/19/2021 Sustainability Commission

The Commission on Sustainability is a 21-member body, overseeing the implementation of the Baltimore Sustainability Plan. 

Meetings are held monthly, currently via WebEx, and open to the public. Meeting agendas can be found here. The January meeting covered the Climate Action Plan update - more info here!

1/20/22 - UDAAP 

The Urban Design and Architecture Advisory Panel’s role is to provide the Planning Commission and the Department of Planning design review expertise in the areas of urban design, architecture, and landscape design.

The agenda, meeting notes, and presentations for UDAAP meetings are made available here.

2/8/2022 - Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP)

Since 1964, CHAP has enhanced and promoted the culture and economy of Baltimore through the preservation of buildings, sites and neighborhoods. CHAP meets on the second Tuesday of each month. 

Information and an agenda for the meeting will be available here.

2/10/2022  - Planning Commission 

If you are unable to participate, you may submit written testimony to eric.tiso@baltimorecity.gov