August 2025 Community Meeting Recap
Note: Any changes to the minutes should be directed to secretary@upperfellspoint.org.
Hybrid Meeting
Welcome
Leadership introductions
Guest Speaker
Kevin McMarshall discussed the black-crowned night herons that are nesting at Thames St. Park. Email TSPHerons@gmail.com if you’re interested in volunteering or for more information.
This year only about 57 total chicks survived because of the cold weather in May. They will be in the nests through about the end of August if you want to see them! They may also be around the Harbor until November.
Nesting: The males arrive late March and in April-May the males construct nests, lure females - if the nest is good enough, the female will accept. Males continue to bring sticks for the nest, female adds to it.
Breeding: they lay three-five eggs, incubate 24-26 days. Parents switch off incubating.
May-July: hatchlings and chicks pop up. Takes a few weeks to grow large enough and grow out their feathers. Chicks can fall out of the nest while fighting for food.
Around five-six weeks: they start to leave their nests and explore. They may get injured - there are people who care for them and rescue them. They will start to fly around, or walk around looking for fish scraps.
About eight weeks: about the size of their parents, and will leave juveniles to figure out how to fend for themselves.
Planned event in the park: there is a strip of gravel under an area they nest in to make it more hospitable. Have a grant from the City - gardening in either October or the spring.
Discussion
Stephen Porter, UFPIA Streets Committee Chair, discussed the results of the parking survey and their new Transportation Guide. He stated that the “Traffic & Parking” Committee was renamed “Streets” to be more inclusive of all issues. Issues that were discussed:
Add more parking/ better use of existing parking?
-Can park about 1,325 total cars (street spots and private spots) within UFP.
-Census data: address listings include 1,402 housing units, 85% of which are occupied. There are 1,215 newsletters distributed every month. From density and area of the Census: about 2,400 people.
-Other data: 12% of households don’t use cars, another 10-15% are minors.
-There is about 1 parking space for every 1 dwelling unit, or for every two people there’s about 1 parking space.
-Most prohibited parking areas are there to maintain turn clearance, sightlines for pedestrians and drivers. A few opportunities to add spaces, particularly at the intersections of one-way streets. Perhaps up to 20 spaces in the neighborhood to be legalized this way - but people are parking there anyway, they’re just getting ticketed now for doing it.
Restrict for whom/ when street parking is permitted? AKA RPP (Residential Permit Parking)
-Received about 500 submissions to the survey during different times to show occupancy. What does the survey show? Parking is consistently above 80% occupancy during the day; in the evening you’re at 95% or higher.
-Reported a lot of illegal parking - everywhere, all times of day - blocking crosswalks, blocking bus stops, parking in striped areas. Survey takers showed cars that hadn’t moved for more than 48 hours - City code says that’s illegal, but it’s understandable with how work styles have changed over the last few years. It’s difficult to trend as we didn’t ask for details in the survey.
-For: bordered to north and south by permit areas, redevelopment of Perkins may not have sufficient parking spaces for residents.
-Against: opposed to paying for parking, RPP would force most people to register in Maryland.
-Process: long - requires letters of support, assent via petition by 60% of every block involved, parking study, physical implementation of signage across the neighborhood. Not guaranteed to improve parking situation. Depends on enforcement, does not cap the number of permits issued (no relationship b/w capacity of neighborhood and number of permits).
-From the survey: may be useful if implemented 6pm-6am (RPP default is 7am-7pm) - 85% occupancy threshold easily met, 25% non-resident occupancy is difficult to prove who is a resident and who is not when there is no permit situation in place.
-List of questions to ask the City parking authority - hope to do so soon and get answers to understand the landscape, invite a representative to discuss further details.
Use other forms of transportation?
-Lots of transportation options but understanding them can be difficult.
-UFPIA now has UFP Transportation Guide & Map - looking to make the guide attractive with design and distribute to the neighborhood residents and businesses
-Transit App: route planning and real-time tracking for public transportation
-MTA offers premium subscription to residents for free
Takeaways? Most likely all three need to happen, along with enforcement from the City, which matters for all three options. Hoping to get information from the City on enforcement operations - but continue to use 311 to show that we’re watching and we care.
Other business:
-Street reconstruction for DPW starting in Canton, BGE still doing work in our area that will delay street reconstructions.
-Many thanks for the work that went into the discussion and presentation.
-Better utilize back-angle parking for bigger cars? Can we reserve or encourage trucks to use back-angled parking? Use what we have more efficiently to open spots on the parallel side?
-RPP for guests visiting? Don’t have that information. Conflicting information on guest passes on the system from attendees with different experiences.
-Suggestion to ask other neighborhoods who have RPP and can discuss their pros/ cons and experiences.
-Councilman Glover’s Office: RPP can be customized with support from city council. That means # of cars per house, times, visitors passes etc.
-Questions around students/ exceptions for registering in Maryland.
-Possibilities given for additional spots.
-Long-term spots possible for people who don’t use their car every day but don’t want to give it up.
-Discussion on enforcement/ lack thereof - interested to see the data on it and the reports to 311/ the outcomes of it.
-Suggestions to encourage people to use alternative modes of transportation and find community.
-Scooters illegally left on the street preventing people from parking - data to be collected?
-Reminder from Councilman Glover’s office: Report these to 311 - Once reported Lime or Spin must correct the issue within 6 hours and the companies have 24 hours to make the issue as resolved within 311.
Officer Reports
Treasurer’s report was given.
Committee Reports
Beautification
Mallory Kuehn - beautification@upperfellspoint.org
Cleanup/pizza social on August 19th at 6pm
Tree pit mulching - has been very successful. May do another round, please reach out if you’re interested.
Fall: four maple trees to plant, possibly another round of mulching.
Reminder: water the trees on your streets! They’re stressed right now due to lack of rain (25 gallons/wk per tree is needed but any amount is helpful).
Community Garden
Jan Mooney - communitygarden@upperfellspoint.org
Honey Happy Hour on Aug. 16th from 4-6pm - stop by! Light snacks and beverages and a raffle. Guest speaker is a local beekeeper who will discuss the importance of pollinators and how to help and we will have honey for sale and may have a kids craft table.
EDUCATION
Holly Gonzales - education@upperfellspoint.org
City schools reopen on Aug. 25th.
FUND-RAISING
Amy Zemanick - fundraising@upperfellspoint.org
Planning on the annual progressive dinner for early to mid-November (exact date TBD).
Committee meeting on August 20th at 7pm at Adee’s Coffee Roasters
LADY DAY WAY
Beth Russo - ladydayway@upperfellspoint.org
In the process of obtaining approval for art and traffic calming from the homeowners of the block. Hope to have that completed soon.
243 S. Durham garage mural: reached out to three artists to send conceptual designs.
LAND-USE
Mark Hoffmann - landuse@upperfellspoint.org
No news
Safety (sub-committee)
Dan Harrison - safety@upperfellspoint.org
National Night Out was our biggest one yet - thanks to everyone who attended.
Good music and food - fire and police and legislative staff in attendance too
Last month’s vote: the third amendment failed so may bring that motion back for further discussion/clarification/modification next month.
MEDIA
Jan Mooney - newsletter@upperfellspoint.org
Fells Point Corner Theater: 10x10x10 is cancelled.
New sponsor in the newsletter: Southpaw Cocktail Bar. They’re on Bond Street but the owner lives in Upper Fells.
Newsletter deadline for Sept. is August 25th at 5pm.
STREETS
Stephen Porter - trafficparking@upperfellspoint.org
A Transportation Guide is posted on our website - Resources — Upper Fell's Point Improvement Association
NEW BUSINESS
Showed Liz Bement’s National Night Out recap video - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T-6JSY6H8J36Cg818NRVFfbXYh1SGyBA/view?usp=sharing
If you want any info on how to support our immigrant/ non-citizen neighbors info was available or contact Suzanne
Trash on the streets - especially mattresses on Lady Day Way. To call for a bulk trash pickup - the next available pickup is November 10. You cannot put the item out until the night before. If it’s out on the street for more than 24 hours it becomes illegal dumping. Please call 311 for pickup and don’t leave your junk on the sidewalk or street.
Dumpster Days - Change in the City policy of “neighborhoods” (includes us + Fells Prospect) to four per year - we reached our limit between the two neighborhoods. Have contacted Councilman Glover’s office.
Composting: thanks to the highlight in the Aug. newsletter (can compost at Patterson Park or at the Baltimore Farmers’ Market - you can also sign up for the Baltimore Compost Collective for compost pickup.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned. Social at Spirits.
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.
