Thursday, May 9, 2013

Reservoir Hill Garden & Home Tour


Historic Reservoir Hill Garden and Home Tour

The 19th annual Reservoir Hill Garden and Home Tour will take place Saturday June 8th and Sunday June 9th, 2013, 11:00am - 4:00pm (gardens and homes open until 5:00 p.m.).  Tickets ($15) available at the information booth at the Intersection of Park Avenue and Reservoir Street on tour days.

Have you noticed flowering trees and lush vines poking over an alley fence and wondered what else is growing on the other side?  Are you curious about what’s behind the brick facade and stately wooden trim of a historic row house?  Follow a self-guided tour through some of the colorful gardens and restored homes of Reservoir Hill to learn about gardening in the city and the fascinating history of this vibrant Baltimore neighborhood.

Historic maps and pictures of the neighborhood will be on display and visitors will have a chance to meet author Kelly Dale Terrill at a book signing for Reservoir Hill, his newly published book on the area.  

The Garden and Home tour is sponsored by neighborhood associations: Bolton Park Neighbors, 501(c)(3) and the Historic Mt. Royal Terrace Association  501(c)(3) with additional support from Healthy Neighborhoods. For more information: email - HistoricResHillTour@gmail.com, phone - 443-424-2276 or 410-383-8535.

Monday, May 6, 2013

TOMORROW: Mayor Rawlings-Blake to Attend the Reservoir Hill Community Meeting




You are invited to the

Reservoir Hill Improvement Council
May 2013 Community Meeting

Tuesday, 7 May 2013, 7:00 pm
John Eager Howard Recreation Center, 2100 Brookfield Avenue

Pizza provided by Joe Squared
Beverages provided by Baltimore City Police Department’s Central District


We will be joined by
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake
who will speak about her
10-year financial plan for Baltimore City


Display tables on projects and initiatives – provide your feedback
l Tree Mapping – See how our tree canopy has grown
l South Lots Project (Whitelock Street)
l Linden-Brooks Vacant Lot Rehab
l Planning for Development on Druid Park Lake Drive
l Whitelock Community Farm’s 2013 Plans
Come see the new Mobile Market!
l Changes at John Eager Howard Recreation Center
l Re-thinking the Jordan Alley Park
l What’s New at John Eager Howard School?

Celebrating the John Eager Howard School’s Maryland Green School Status
Preparing for the Re-development of John Eager Howard School: Come hear what is in the works for our neighborhood school and how you can be part of the process



Do you have a topic you would like to see addressed at a monthly Community Meeting?
If you have any questions or would like to suggest a topic for a Community Meeting, please call the RHIC office at (410) 225-7547, or write to Rick Gwynallen at rgwynallen@reservoirhill.net


Friday, April 19, 2013

Spring Clean-Up TOMORROW

Hey Reservoir Hill residents and friends,


Spring into Action tomorrow in Reservoir Hill for the Spring CleanUp. Spend a day with your neighbors (and meet some new ones)!

For more information: Spring Into Action!

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Three NSP-2 Homes Available for Sale in Reservoir Hill

There are three great new homes rehabbed through the Neighborhood Stabilization Program available for sale in Reservoir Hill.  Check them out: Click Here

Friday, March 29, 2013

Updated Street & Sidewalk Improvements for Reservoir Hill

DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS
Street & Sidewalk Improvements in Reservoir Hill
The following priorities were initially developed from Housing & Development Team and School & Recreation Team discussions and a tour of the community with Department of Transportation personnel on 7 June 2012.  The outline was further developed at a March 2013 Reservoir Hill Community Meeting.  This is a working document and we encourage everyone to provide feedback on these suggestions. In addition, we would like to participate in meetings of Reservoir Hill’s neighborhood associations in April and May 2013 to further refine the document.

Please send comments to Rick Gwynallen at rgwynallen@reservoirhill.net

Park Avenue & Reservoir Street
  • Poor alignment of roads and sidewalks.
  • Community members would like DOT to consider installing crosswalks at all intersections at this location. Community representatives site heavy pedestrian traffic, and the presence of a nearby pre-school.
Mt. Royal Terrace
  •  Presence of the 83 South on ramp makes this neighborhood street feel like a highway.  Community made recommendations for a Green buffer/road diet/bike lane. Reduce number of travel lanes, maintain parking on both sides of streets, green right of way in order to slow traffic, improve livability and encourage property sales.
  • Remove the designation of Mt Royal Terrace as an on-ramp, and re-direct the traffic from Druid Park Lake Drive to wrap around to 29th Street via 28th Street and Sisson Street.   Once this is done, you can close Mt Royal off from DPLD traffic, or put a stop sign up, or narrow the road, etc.  But step one would be to remove the on-ramp designation.
  • Stop signs or speed bumps can be placed on Mt Royal Terrace until the on ramp designation is removed.  Should be closed off on north end so sidewalk is continuous to 28th Street.
Lennox & Brookfield Ave
  • Irregular alignment of streets and sidewalks.
  • Community members are pleased with recent Art in the Public Right of Way Installation
  • Busy intersection with pedestrian foot traffic, and the presence of the neighborhood recreational center. Community members would like to see new crosswalks added. Adapt crosswalks to the ways residents use the intersection. There is considerable diagonal crossings. Include pedestrian paddles with crosswalks.
  • Lane markings (Mr. Habib from Traffic communicated that intersection could use pavement markings. He noted that there are no markings currently present at this intersection)
  • Shorten the distance people have to cross. Mark communicated that planted medians for traffic calming could be researched for feasibility.

Linden & Lennox
  • Located on south side of John Eager Howard School. Buses load and unload just north of this intersection. Speeding cars have been a long standing problem
  • There are no crosswalks at this intersection though crossing here is significant.
  • The Community would like an east-west crosswalk painted here across Linden.  The community would also like a pedestrian island considered for this location.
Ducatel/ Linden Ave
  • Community members cite heavy traffic at this intersection. Would like DOT to consider options for slowing traffic and creating a pedestrian friendly street. Possibilities discussed were cutting off Ducatel northbound with a green strip, green pedestrian islands at Linden and Brookfield and Linden and Ducatel, and bump outs.. John Eager Elementary School is located in extremely close proximity to the intersection.  The school proposes creating a bus loop once a modular building bordering Linden is removed.
Linden & Whitelock Ave
  • Community members would like Pedestrian paddles added at this intersection (Traffic)
  • Is it is a viable option to convert the 2400 Blk of Linden from one way to two way conversion? ( Traffic)
Linden & Brooks
  • 4-way stop
  • Speed bump on Brooks Lane between the alley on Brooks Lane and Linden Avenue.

Brooks Lane
  • Improved lighting on Brooks Lane
Whitelock Street
  • Community would like DOT to investigate all intersections for potential traffic calming treatments to make the area safer for pedestrians and children ( Traffic)
  • This might call for a traffic calming study for Whitelock Street from Park Avenue west to Madison Avenue.
  • Whitelock is a broad street. Shorten the distance people have to cross Whitelock, which could include pedestrian islands or bump outs.


Whitelock & Brookfield
  • Community would like to see crosswalks installed at the intersection, and the presence of pedestrian paddles.  ( Traffic)
  • Sidewalk/curb repair is needed on the south side of Whitlock Street, including the Westside of the block of Brookfield immediately south of Whitelock Street. ( TEC)
  • In addition to repairing the sidewalk along the south side of Whitelock and east side of Brookfield, the community requests assistance with its plan to rehabilitate the vacant lots along the south side of the 900 block of Whitelock into a resident-built community park. Neighbors designed a site plan in which the portion of the sidewalk nearest the intersection with Brookfield would be converted into a bio-retention area for storm water runoff coming down Whitelock. As a result, the community requests DOT assistance with approving the design and assisting with the sidewalk re-route through the future park site.
 900 Blk of Chauncey
  • Sidewalks and footways in need of repair.
  • Would like two crosswalks added at the 2400 Blk of Linden in front of the Linden Market on Linden Avenue north and south of Chauncey.
Chauncey Avenue
  • Improved lighting on Chauncey Avenue
Linden & Druid Park Lake Drive
  • This is an important entrance to the community, and an important crossing for residents accessing Druid Hill Park.
  • Would like DOT to consider making this Intersection safer for pedestrians, and make the area more comfortable to improve access to Druid Hill Park.
  • This might call for a traffic calming study for Druid Park Lake Drive from Madison Avenue east to Brookfield Avenue.
  •  Improve appearance of existing cross walk.
  • Extend pedestrian crossing time. It’s only 18 seconds. ( Traffic)
  • Would like DOT to consider Planting/widening the median on Druid Park Lake Drive
  • 825- 900 Blks of Druid Park Lake Drive ( sidewalks and footways in need of repair). These are many vacant properties along this stretch. ( TEC)
Newington Avenue
  • Improved lighting on all Newington Avenue blocks, particularly on the even side near Brookfield Avenue.
2400 Block of Callow Avenue
  • Existing speed bumps too high.
Madison Avenue
  • Speed of buses is significant issue
  • DOT Speed test needed
  • Temporary police officer placement with speed camera
Make North Avenue More Pedestrian Friendly
North Avenue is too wide to be pedestrian friendly. There is no reason it needs to be six lanes (three in each direction) in front of our neighborhood.  At a previous Team meeting the suggestion was made to narrowing it to two lanes in each direction.  This would make the intersections to cross North Avenue to Bolton Hill safer, and encourage more cross-neighborhood walking traffic to Bolton Hill, MICA, and the rest of downtown.

North Ave needs to be narrowed on the sides rather than expanding median, to connect Bolton Hill and Reservoir Hill. Widened median won't lessen psychological barrier.  Also, that was the original configuration, and would make more land available possibly on the north and south sides.  Really, it could be two lanes in rush hour and one driving plus one parking lane on off hours. There isn't enough traffic to justify it, and I think traffic studies will back that up.  Westbound North Avenue lanes would have two leftmost lanes as right turn only, or else make an island so pedestrians can cross eastern side of Mt Royal across North without fear of death.

4 April Druid Park Lake Drive Community Work Session




What Do You Want to See Built on the Vacant Lots
on Druid Park Lake Drive?

What Should Our Community’s
Northern Boundary Look Like?

We need you on the 4th of April
as we work together to answer these questions.


For years Reservoir Hill residents have wanted development on the vacant lots on Druid Park Lake Drive – something that would define Reservoir Hill and make our northern boundary vibrant.  The Baltimore City Department of Planning and Baltimore Housing are partnering with RHIC’s Housing & Development Team to hold a community visioning session for those empty sites. The best decision for the community often comes from the creative thinking of residents combined with experts in the field.  That’s the combination we’ll be working with at this session.


Join us on Thursday, 4 April

5:30 pm – 6:30 pm: Tour of the vacant lot sites on Druid Park Lake Drive
Meet at Linden & Druid Park Lake Drive

6:30 pm – 8:30 pm: Design Session – Facilitated by Department of Planning
Beth Am Synagogue, 2501 Eutaw Place (enter by Chauncey Avenue)
Food will be served

Monday, July 2, 2012

Draft Street & Sidewalk Improvements


DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS
Street & Sidewalk Improvements in Reservoir Hill
   
     The following notes were developed from a Housing & Development Team
discussion and a tour of the community with Department of Transportation personnel
on 7 June 2012.

These have not been formally proposed.
We encourage everyone to provide feedback on these suggestions.

                 Please send comments to Rick Gwynallen at rgwynallen@reservoirhill.net

l         Park Avenue & Reservoir Street
-     Poor alignment of roads and sidewalks.
-     Community members would like DOT to consider installing crosswalks at all intersections at this location. Community representatives site heavy pedestrian traffic, and the presence of a nearby pre-school.
l         Mt. Royal Terrace
-          Presence of the 83 South on ramp makes this neighborhood street feel like a highway.  Community made recommendations for a Green buffer/road diet/bike lane. Reduce number of travel lanes, maintain parking on both sides of streets, green right of way in order to slow traffic, improve livability and encourage property sales.
-          Remove the designation of Mt Royal Terrace as an on-ramp, and re-direct the traffic from Druid Park Lake Drive to wrap around to 29th Street via 28th Street and Sisson Street.   Once this is done, you can close Mt Royal off from DPLD traffic, or put a stop sign up, or narrow the road, etc.  But step one would be to remove the on-ramp designation.
-         Stop signs or speed bumps can be placed on Mt Royal Terrace until the on ramp designation is removed.  Should be closed off on north end so sidewalk is continuous to 28th Street.
l         Lennox & Brookfield Ave
-      Irregular alignment of streets and sidewalks.
-      Community members are pleased with recent Art in the Public Right of Way Installation
-     Busy intersection with pedestrian foot traffic, and the presence of the neighborhood recreational center. Community members would like to see new crosswalks added. Adapt crosswalks to the ways residents use the intersection. There is considerable diagonal crossings. Include pedestrian paddles with crosswalks.
-     Lane markings ( Mr. Habib from Traffic communicated that intersection could use pavement markings, he noted that there are no markings currently present at this intersection)
-        Shorten the distance people have to cross. Mark communicated that planted medians for traffic calming could be researched for feasibility.
l                     Linden & Lennox
-         Located on south side of John Eager Howard School. Buses load and unload just north of this intersection. Speeding cars have been a long standing problem.
-         There are no crosswalks at this intersection though crossing here is significant.
-        The Community would like an east-west crosswalk painted here across Linden. The community would also like a pedestrian island considered for this location.
l         Ducatel/ Linden Ave
-     Community members cite heavy traffic at this intersection. Would like DOT to consider options for slowing traffic and creating a pedestrian friendly street. Possibilities discussed were cutting off Ducatel northbound with a green strip, green pedestrian islands at Linden and Brookfield and Linden and Ducatel, and bump outs.. John Eager Elementary School is located in extremely close proximity to the intersection.  The school proposes creating a bus loop once a modular building bordering Linden is removed this summer.
l         Linden & Whitelock Ave
-     Community members would like Pedestrian paddles added at this intersection (Traffic)
-    The community is interested in knowing whether or not it is a viable option to convert the 2400 Blk of Linden from one way to two way conversion possible ( Traffic)
l         Whitelock Street
-        Community would like DOT to investigate all intersections for potential traffic calming treatments to make the area safer for pedestrians and children ( Traffic)
-        This might call for a traffic calming study for Whitelock Street from Park Avenue west to Madison Avenue.
-        Whitelock is a broad street. The community wants to shorten the distance people have to cross Whitelock, which could include pedestrian islands or bump outs.
    Whitelock & Brookfield
-    Community would like to see crosswalks installed at the intersection, and the presence of pedestrian paddles.  ( Traffic)
-         Sidewalk/curb repair is needed on the south side of Whitlock Street, including the Westside of the block of Brookfield immediately south of Whitelock Street. ( TEC)
-         In addition to repairing the sidewalk along the south side of Whitelock and east side of Brookfield, the community requests assistance with its plan to rehabilitate the vacant lots along the south side of the 900 block of Whitelock into a resident-built community park. Neighbors designed a site plan in which the portion of the sidewalk nearest the intersection with Brookfield would be converted into a bioretention area for storm water runoff coming down Whitelock. As a result, the community requests DOT assistance with approving the design and assisting with the sidewalk re-route through the future park site.
 l         900 Blk of Chauncey
-     Sidewalks and footways in need of repair.
-     Would like two crosswalks added at the 2400 Blk of Linden in front of the Linden Market on Linden  Avenue north and south of Chauncey.
l         Linden & Druid Park Lake Drive
-        This is an important entrance to the community, and an important crossing for residents accessing Druid Hill Park.
-        Would like DOT to consider making this Intersection safer for pedestrians, and make the area more comfortable to improve access to Druid Hill Park.
-        This might call for a traffic calming study for Druid Park Lake Drive from Madison Avenue east to Brookfield Avenue.
-        Improve appearance of existing cross walk.
-    Extend pedestrian crossing time. It’s only 18 seconds. ( Traffic)
-    Would like DOT to consider Planting/widening the median on Druid Park Lake Drive
-    825- 900 Blks of Druid Park Lake Drive ( sidewalks and footways in need of repair). These are many vacant properties along this stretch. ( TEC)
Make North Avenue More Pedestrian Friendly
North Avenue is too wide to be pedestrian friendly. There is no reason it needs to be six lanes (three in each direction) in front of our neighborhood.  At a previous Team meeting the suggestion was made to narrowing it to two lanes in each direction.  This would make the intersections to cross North Avenue to Bolton Hill safer, and encourage more cross-neighborhood walking traffic to Bolton Hill, MICA, and the rest of downtown.

North Ave needs to be narrowed on the sides rather than expanding median, to connect Bolton Hill and Reservoir Hill. Widened median won't lessen psychological barrier.  Also, that was the original configuration, and would make more land available possibly on the north and south sides.  Really, it could be two lanes in rush hour and one driving plus one parking lane on off hours. There isn't enough traffic to justify it, and I think traffic studies will back that up.  Westbound North Avenue lanes would have two leftmost lanes as right turn only, or else make an island so pedestrians can cross eastern side of Mt Royal across North without fear of death.