BCC/Keswick Land Sale Ad Hoc Committees'

Bulletin Board

The Roland Park preservationist community has formed itself into a number of committees, each concerned with a different facet of the BCC/Keswick matter. Not all the committees are listed here, but those that have special requests to make of, or messages to impart to, Roland Park residents are.

Communications Committee. The Communications Committee concerns itself with the development of the preservationist message and the best means to broadcast it, along with the organization of volunteers. To contact this committee, e-mail volunteer@rolandpark.org.

8/18/08: Last week was another great week! Summary of last week’s accomplishments:

1. Mayor Sheila Dixon and most of her cabinet came to visit north Baltimore for one of her series of “Neighborhood Conversations” this past Tuesday, August 12. The mayor asked a handful of Roland Park residents to talk about their reactions to the BCC proposal to sell the 17 acres of undeveloped land to Keswick Multi-Care. According to the Baltimore Messenger’s Adam Bednar, “…most of the 275 people who attended the meeting were Roland Park residents opposed to development of the green space” (full article here). It was a great chance for individuals in the community to express to the mayor how important this land is to our community and to ask her to protect the character of our neighborhood. Many thanks to the mayor for coming to northern Baltimore and listening to our concerns. Also thanks to all from Roland Park who represented our community and also to those from surrounding communities who spoke on our behalf.

2. Our own amazing Roland Park artists have done it again. Check out the new beautiful t-shirts with an original design by our own Greg Otto. They were first seen at the mayor’s Neighborhood Conversation. Funds go towards our advocacy effort. T-shirts are available at Schneider’s Hardware on Wyndhurst or e-mail volunteer@rolandpark.org.

3. Civic League President Phil Spevak had a “letter to the editor” in the August 16 Baltimore Sun this week. Dr. Spevak was responding to a previous letter by Libby Bowerman, the head of Keswick. In his letter, he points out that Keswick’s intended use is not allowed under current zoning. He also helped us to visualize this project by stating, “The footprint of the Keswick development would be approximately twice that of the buildings at the Rotunda Shopping Center.” Phil’s Sun letter is here.

To do list this week (week of Aug. 18):

1. Write, e-mail or call the mayor’s office to ask for her support and share your own story about why we should keep the residential single-family zoning in Roland Park. Mayor Dixon’s e-mail address is mayor@baltimorecity.gov and her address is: Mayor Sheila Dixon, City Hall, Room 250, 100 N. Holliday St., Baltimore, MD 21202.

2. Write, e-mail or call our city councilwoman Sharon Green Middleton to thank her for her 100 percent support of the community in our battle against a change in the zoning from single family residential zoning. Councilwoman Green’s e-mail address is sharon.middleton@baltimorecity.gov and her address is: City Hall, Room 516, 100 N. Holliday St., Baltimore, MD 21202. 

3. Take a sign to a neighbor. E-mail signs@rolandpark.org to find out how to get one.

Plan Development Committee. The Plan Development Committee (PDC) is charged with developing Roland Park's use of the land if the BCC/Keswick rezoning request is turned down by the city. If the request is rejected, Keswick is released of its purchase obligations and will walk away from the deal, at which point the land will presumably be offered for sale again, allowing Roland Park to put in another offer. (It has already put in three, all ignored.) Write plandevelopment@rolandpark.org to find out more.

8/3/08: The PDC would like to request that people send photos of what they value about the BCC property and images of the ways that they use it now and how it has been used by their family during the past 100 years. If you have electronic images, please send these to plandevelopment@rolandpark.org. If you only have hardcopy photos, please mail these to the Roland Park Office, attn: Plan Development Committee, P.O. Box 643, Riderwood, MD 21139.

Sign Committee. The Sign Committee coordinates the production and distribution of preservationist signs in Roland Park and the surrounding neighborhoods. Contact signs@rolandpark.org for more.

8/3/08: We are beginning new phase of our campaign to increase the display of signs across our community expressing our strong opposition to the BCC/Keswick proposal. We have heard clearly from many other communities that have succeeded in similar land disputes that a key success factor is for community members to make their views loud and clear by placing signs all over the community and keeping them up until the dispute is resolved. To that end, if you don’t have a sign yet and are interested in getting one, starting today yard signs will be available at these locations/times: (a) Schneider’s Hardware, Wyndhurst Ave. (normal business hours 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday-Friday; (b) McQuestion house at 214 Ridgewood; and (c) Heller/Inglesby house at 9 Beechdale (preferably between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. or 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. to avoid dog waking up 2-year-old). Feel free to pick up as many signs as you feel you (and your neighbors) can make good use of.

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