April 2026 Community Meeting Recap
Note: Any changes to the minutes should be directed to secretary@upperfellspoint.org.
Hybrid Meeting
Welcome
Leadership introductions
Membership dues
Reminder: if you pay your dues via the PayPal giving fund, please email a copy of your receipt to treasurer@upperfellspoint.org.
Guest Speaker
Nan Nawrocki, Executive Director, Sail Baltimore, discussed the upcoming Sail250.
The event includes 30+ tall ships/navy vessels, fly overs/airshows (by the US Navy’s Blue Angels, Patrouille de France and Britain’s Royal Air Force Red Arrows), and educational events (last one was in 2017).
Starts in New Orleans (May 28 - June1); then Norfolk in mid-June with a fleet exercise in the Atlantic Ocean (June 19-24), Baltimore (June 24-30), New York (July 4th) and ends in Boston
Flyovers in Baltimore on Thursday for reconnaissance - Friday/ Saturday/ Sunday airshows (Sunday will be impacted by the Orioles game)
U.S. Navy ships - Robert Hampton Gray from Canada will be in Fells Point
All ships will be open and free. Visiting hours will be 11am-5pm but some may change depending on the day.
Sail250MD.org - download the app for up-to-date information (and will be updated closer to the event). Baltimore is the only city with an app.
Sites: Inner Harbor (main area of the festival), Fells Point (music and military bands), Baltimore Peninsula/UA (Navy Ships, smaller tall ships, festival), Martin State Airport (Saturday-Sunday to see the planes and jets)
STEM Education: Northrop Grumman is a big sponsor
Majority in the Pratt St. Pavilion - adapting close to a full-size submarine, 40 different teams doing things for kids
Great space and will have air-conditioning
Anticipating $63M in economic impact with over 150,000 visitors
Safety & Security: Baltimore City Sheriff on hand in the Inner Harbor, city and state agencies are all involved in addition to federal where needed.
Baltimore does not do a parade of sail since our harbor is narrow and difficult for ships to turn around so is not safe.
Baltimore does an ‘organized arrival’ which will take place over a couple of days. All ships are leaving Norfolk around the same time (about 160 miles to Baltimore, about 15-18 hours up the Bay), and they need extra staff to navigate and time to rest. We’ll have about a three-day evolution of ships coming in, and the same going out.
Where they come in depends on where they’ll be placed and timing/availability from Norfolk.
Marine tracker - apps to track all large ships if you’re looking for a specific.
There will be restrictions on what you can wear/bring. No open-toed shoes or Crocs. U.S. Navy ships have restrictions, but most foreign vessels don’t so check the app for details. A good rule of thumb is to bring what you might bring to an Orioles/ Ravens game. Be prepared for long lines, wait times, and hot temps. There are hydration stations to refill water bottles.
General times - Some may open earlier and stay open later; but most will be open during the general hours of 11am-5pm.
Boaters: be aware of closures and restrictions during the air shows.
Best viewing areas from the airshow: Ft. McHenry (reminder - Fort Ave is one way in/out) and Baltimore Peninsula.
Water taxis and tour boats will be running. Some special charters will be running - vessels are vetted and flagged, special area to go in to watch the airshow on the water.
Practice airshow: Not clear on Thursday’s schedule. Friday is full practice, then Saturday/ Sunday for shows. You’ll hear them before you see them!
May be a drone show instead of fireworks
Other Updates
Chapel & Lombard Mural Update
Project selected by MD State Arts Council (MSAC)
UFPIA to receive $2,000 sponsorship fee
Muralist Jaz Erenberg to start on 6/8 and complete it by 6/20 (depending on weather)
Her design highlights small neighborhood moments
Documenting the mural with a local filmographer with neighborhood moments
Email abiy@sabamedia.co if you’d like to participate
Updates from City Hall: Shea from Councilman Glover’s office
Distributed Councilman’s April Newsletter
Code enforcement protection reporting
13 for 13 monthly event (go out for 13 minutes on the 13th to cleanup, start a mural project, join your community association, etc.)
Two illegal dumpers were caught during a cleanup on Broadway (businesses were not disposing of trash appropriately)
Most businesses did not have trash cans! Working to address and follow up with code enforcement and special investigations
Doing a lot of research on trash, and a capstone project with Univ. of Baltimore: are public trash cans actually helpful? 101 S. Broadway might be a pilot to see if removing the trash can stops dumping
Corner of Wolfe & Eastern - can removed, illegal dumping stopped
Dumping: more of an issue with nearby homes and businesses, but the public does need incidental trash receptacles
Looking into ‘Disney Model’: trash can every 30 feet to get quantity away? Or like Downtown Partnership cans that are more covered for smaller/ incidental trash and doesn’t allow small items to fly away
Citations for violations - From research - combination of consequences, education, and normalizing behavior/ social pressure
Corner of Gough & Broadway issues
Smoke Shops: had a hearing - smokeshop final report
There is one part-time enforcement agent for tobacco enforcement but over 1,300 tobacco retailers (vs. 46 grocery stores, 10 performance spaces, 53 museums, 1,200 liquor licenses)
Will be addressing this issue hopefully in the MD General Assembly in the next session: licensure caps
City Council legislation: introducing a bill with Council President Cohen at the April 27 meeting - expansion of padlock law. Right now cannabis is a Schedule I controlled dangerous substance (EO in 2025 to make it a Schedule III but it hasn’t happened yet). Padlock expansion: two seizures of cannabis and firearms - where there’s a higher density of tobacco retailers, there is higher crime and higher violence. Over 50% of compliance checks for underage selling failed.
Will now hire two agents for the enforcement and working on advertising restrictions/compliance.
QR code for the smoke shop report. We’re leading in the amount of retailers per square mile at 16 - the second closest is PG county which is two.
Scan the QR code to BMORE Beautiful!
Legacy Homeowner Pilot Program: helping older adults under a certain income threshold stay in their home and avoid homes going into tax sale.
Thank you to Congressman Glover’s office for a $2,500 grant to the UFPIA! May be used for a dumpster day, pizza for some events, etc.
Natasha Neal from BMORE Beautiful may be able to help UFP get more than two community dumpsters.
Officer Reports
Treasurer’s summary report was given.
Committee Reports
Beautification
Mallory Kuehn - beautification@upperfellspoint.org
Next monthly evening clean up on 4/14 at 6pm at 1931 E Pratt (corner of Pratt & Washington by red garage doors on S Washington side). Come join us!
Sidewalk planters project: have many shrubs and a few trees. Almost all trees are planted.
Interest in hosting a shrub? Email Mallory at beautification@upperfellspoint.org
Plant Swap event on 4/26 at the Community Garden - will have a bicycle tour and annual plant swap fundraiser. Bring as many plants as you want, take some home! Indoor/ outdoor plants, seeds, etc.
COMMUNITY GARDEN
Jan Mooney - communitygarden@upperfellspoint.org
Total of four new gardeners this year, wait list is down to five
Come out for the bicycle tour and/or plant swap on 4/26 - If you have a plant, cutting, seeds, etc., bring it but not required.
EDUCATION
Eliza Poffenberger - education@upperfellspoint.org
Wolfe St Academy’s Wolfest is coming on 5/2 - need volunteers for the UFPIA table for arts & crafts, especially bilingual volunteers
Can’t show up in person? Have sources of books for elementary school? Organizing book donations
Tutor opportunities: starting a pilot program for the fall
Food security fundraiser: Donate at https://gofund.me/b06603aea
Next committee meeting on 4/23, email education@upperfellspoint.org for the location
Current projects:
School donations - http://tinyurl.com/DonateWSA
Looking into a community fridge network
Stay tuned for summer meeting schedule
FUND-RAISING
Amy Zemanick and Wendy Bozel - fundraising@upperfellspoint.org
Bingo on 4/19 from 3-6pm at Tandav Indian Cuisine
Tandav donating space to UFPIA with a buffet
$20 for a ticket, kids $10
Space is limited to 50p
Cash bingo with prizes but also need donations of items in new or good shape for prizes
Volunteers needed
Stoop event party on 6/8 before the UFPIA monthly meeting
Need block captains, organize a casual stoop gathering at 6pm
Walk together as a group to the UFPIA meeting at Wolfe St. Academy for a pizza party
Aim: to gather new neighbors and new participants in the UFPIA
LADY DAY WAY
Beth Russo - ladydayway@upperfellspoint.org
Lady Day Way has been re-paved thanks to Shea & Councilman Glover’s office!
Was expedited in record time while preserving the diamond blocks
Is ready for the installation of our art project in late/June-mid-July (weather permitting)
LAND-USE
Mark Hoffmann - landuse@upperfellspoint.org
Next meeting on 5/4 at the Julie Community Center
Effective July 1, a new property tax for vacant properties will go into effect: three-fold increase for the first year, four-fold increase for the next year
Contact land use if there are properties you think are vacant - we’re looking into a few already
Safety (sub-committee)
Dan Harrison - safety@upperfellspoint.org
Continue to make repairs and install lights (funded by residents directly).
Free dawn-to-dusk bulbs available; contact Dan.
Block captain program for every block is on Facebook
Plan to have another COP walk
Sour Mash will be providing the music at UFPIA’s upcoming National Night Out event on 8/4
MEDIA
Jan Mooney - newsletter@upperfellspoint.org
Deadline for the May newsletter is 4/26 at 5pm.
STREETS
Stephen Porter - trafficparking@upperfellspoint.org
Bike Repair & Skills Event on 4/25 from 10am-1pm at the UFP Community Garden with Bikemore. Bikemore also will do a skills clinic for confidence-building; bring your own bike & helmet is required for that.
Volunteers needed for social media advertising (those handy with chalk or paint) to advertise outside the garden on the day of the event
Permit Parking
Step one - visit from the City at March’s UFP meeting (see notes in the last e-blast and on our website).
Step two - group of neighbors putting together a proposal for parameters of a program (number of visitor permits available, hours enforced, etc.). That’s the beginning of a big effort - if it’s going to go anywhere, it requires people who want to work on it. Email streets@upperfellspoint.org to get involved
New Business
Local business closing - Vintage Vine
Ride for the Feast: fundraising bike ride benefiting Moveable Feast, their biggest event every year
May 9 on the Eastern Shore
Route choices: 25, 42, 66, 101 miles - not a race, a ride
All ages and abilities welcome
$500 fundraising minimum for first-time riders, $60 registration fee
2025: Moveable Feast delivered 427,731 meals to Baltimore City & surrounding area, meal prep is all done with volunteer support, almost 2,500 clients
Clients are people generally suffering from chronic and life-threatning issues, this is a lifeline for them
If you want to join Brian’s team (bmegali@gmail.com) - Team Wheel Powered by Constellation - company kicks in additional funds. (Have raised $30,000 just by Brian’s team on an annual basis.)
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.
To vote on issues at a meeting, you must have paid your current dues (based on calendar year beginning in January), attended 2 of the preceding 11 meetings, live in our boundaries and be age 18 and/or attended UFPIA sponsored events/activities per our Meeting & Voting Regulations.
