Baltimore City Department of Planning e-News - May 2022

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the compass - city of baltimore department of planning

Baltimore City Department of Planning eNewsletter  - May 2022

A Message from Chris Ryer, Director

Ryer2

This past month, we began the public engagement work for the Our Baltimore Comprehensive Plan with a fun kick off at Plantation Park Heights Urban Farm - this event featured delicious food, good music and great company. See images below!

Then, on May 12, we hosted our first Open House at the beautiful and recently renovated Cherry Hill Elementary School. At this event, we spoke with families and others about the proposed topics for the plan, and gathered input on what topics were of most importance to residents as well as what was missing from our "to-do" list. We enjoyed jumpstarting the conversation about this planning process, and met many neighborhood leaders who were interested in facilitating a future conversation with their community.

Speaking of that, we are developing a meeting in a box (or tote-bag) toolkit for interested groups that want to bring the conversation to their neighborhood. This tool will contain everything you need to host a meeting about Our Baltimore. If you are interested in accessing this tool, please sign up here.

Please continue to share our Open House events, pass along our online survey and consider joining our storytelling engagement project - many opportunities to get involved this year!.

Chris Ryer, Director

Our Baltimore Kicks Off at Park Heights Urban Farm

OurBaltimorekickoff

On April 28, Planning Commissioners and DOP staff, as well as members of our Advisory Council and Community Engagement Leadership Team were hosted for a kick off event at Plantation Park Heights Urban Farm.

The farm is also a member of the Community Engagement Leadership team. Over the coming months, farm leadership will engage young people in the NW community and area schools on topics related to the Comprehensive Plan, amplifying voices of neighbors.


Seeking Storytellers - Training on June 9th!

PassMic

We all have a story to share. 

The Storytelling Ambassadors will engage their neighbors, family and friends in conversation about their experience living in their Baltimore neighborhood. 

We are looking for Ambassadors to amplify the voices of their own communities, particularly communities most impacted by disinvestment historically and today. 

Join us a Storytelling Ambassador for Our Baltimore via this link. Ambassadors will be invited to participate in a FREE training hosted by storyteller Dr. David Fakunle at the Enoch Pratt Central Library, and will be compensated via honorarium for their time ($250). Storytellers are asked to convene their friends, neighbors and family in a storytelling space focused on neighborhood life in Baltimore.

DFakunle

An image of Dr. David Fakunle at work, hosting a storytelling workshop for Baltimore.


Our Baltimore: Open Houses Coming Up in May and June

The Department of Planning is hosting two more in-person and one online open house this Spring. Join us at Forest Park Sr High School and the Hoen building in East Baltimore!

Open House

This spring, we are hosting a series of open house events across town. At these events, neighbors can learn about the Our Baltimore Comprehensive Plan process - why are we doing this plan? What are the goals? What is the focus? What is the timeline? All these questions will be addressed through conversations and activities at the Open House.

In addition, at the Open House events we are soliciting public input on the topics that should be included in the plan. We are also sharing a series of vision statements associated with each plan theme, and looking for input on this.

Join us as we begin to shape the content of the plan! RSVP via this link.


First Open House Hosted by Cherry Hill Elementary School Community

Cherry Hill OH

Our team hosted the first public event in more than two years this May at Cherry Hill Elementary School. We loved seeing and talking to South Baltimore neighbors who joined us to learn more about the Our Baltimore planning process!


B'More Summer Information Hub is LIVE!

Have you heard about the B’More Summer Information Hub? The Mayor’s Office of Children and Family Success (MOCFS) partnered with Baltimore’s Promise, Baltimore City Public Schools, Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore City Recreation and Parks, and other government agencies, nonprofit organizations and philanthropic leaders to organize the city’s summer resources for young people and their families in one location! With just a few clicks you can access information to help you plan your summer fun. Use the searchable map to find programs, activities and events near you or visit the teen zone to find out what’s happening in the city just for teens! The site will be updated throughout the summer with new exciting events and resources for young people and their families, so check back often to keep track of all of the summer fun happening in Baltimore City!

Visit: www.bmorechildren.com/bmoresummer to see what’s happening near you! #bmoresummerinfohub #bmorelitsummerseries #bmorechildren

Information Hub - Summer Kids

Food Policy and Planning ARPA Proposal Approved!

The Food Policy and Planning team is excited to announce we have received approval for the ARPA proposal. Our quarterly Food PAC meeting is scheduled for June 9th and will be focus on explaining the different pillars of the proposal and getting feedback.

Food Policy

Sustainability Open House at Shake & Bake on June 8

SustOH

Date: Wednesday, June 8th 

Time: 4:00 - 7:00 PM 

Location: Shake & Bake, 1601 Penn. Ave. 

The city's annual Sustainability Open House will feature interactive sustainability displays, free giveaways, free food and much, much more! The theme of this year's event is The Art of Climate Action. Come learn how Baltimore is becoming more sustainable, more resilient and more equitable. You won't want to miss this FREE event full of fun, educational and engaging activities for all ages. Register to attend by clicking here 


Planning Academy visits Arlington Elementary School and surrounding neighborhood

Each Planning Academy cohort visits a different part of Baltimore to talk about development in our city. This May, our current cohort visited Park Heights and the neighborhood adjacent to Arlington Elementary School. Our colleagues at DHCD provided a great overview of the City receivership, acquisition and development process!

Planning Academy

CHAP Loses Founder and Former Director

Recently, we lost one of the Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation’s (CHAP) founders, Romaine Sommerville.  She was 91 years old.  She took over as Executive Director in 1966 and established five local historic districts. She then went on to become the first woman director of the Maryland Historical Society (now known as the Maryland Center for History and Culture).  She went on to head the Society for the Preservation of Federal Hill and Fell’s Point Inc., and later in life she helped found the Peale Center and helped raise funds for the 5.5 million dollar restoration.  Although, she moved on from CHAP in the mid-1970s, she was a frequent visitor in the office, lending her expertise and wisdom to the CHAP staff.  She will be sorely missed by all in Baltimore’s preservation community.

Links We've Been Reading

Historic preservation has been all over the news this month, with stories across different media outlets. Here are a few that caught our eye:

CHAP Taking Public Comment on Proposed Updates to the Historic Preservation Design Guidelines

The public comment period will last from Friday, May 13, 2022 until Tuesday, June 14, 2022. The full text of the proposed Design Guidelines can be found online here.

The public may submit comments by emailing to CHAPGuidelineUpdates@baltimorecity.gov,or by calling 410-396-5933, or by mailing comments to:  

The Baltimore City Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation
Attention: Stacy Montgomery
 417 East Fayette Street, 8th floor
Baltimore, MD 21202

The public may also provide comments at the CHAP hearing on June 14, 2022.

ICYMI: Department of Transportation (DOT) launches a new community led placemaking project. More info here.

Placemaking

Upcoming Commission Meetings.

5/19/22  - Planning Commission 

The Planning Commission is responsible for maintaining land use plans for the City and reviewing all amendments to the Zoning Ordinance. The Planning Commission meets on Thursdays throughout the year. 

Agenda and WebEx information is available via this link.

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

6/2/22 - 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.

6/8/22 - Sustainability Open House

Time: 4:00 - 7:00 PM 

Location: Shake & Bake, 1601 Penn. Ave. 

The city's annual Sustainability Open House will feature interactive sustainability displays, free giveaways, free food and much, much more! The theme of this year's event is The Art of Climate Action. Come learn how Baltimore is becoming more sustainable, more resilient and more equitable. You won't want to miss this FREE event full of fun, educational and engaging activities for all ages. Register to attend by clicking here 

6/14/22 - 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.

BrandonScottupdate

Baltimore City Planning

417 E. Fayette Street, 8th Floor

Baltimore, Maryland 21202

410.396.PLAN

plan@baltimorecity.gov

planning.baltimorecity.gov

department of planning
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