Reservoir Hill A Baltimore Eco District University of Pennsylvania School of Design 2016 City Planning Studio
2
Introduction
Table of Contents Introduction 4 Existing Conditions 12 Goals and Vision 48 Interventions 52 Building Guidelines 54 Neighborhood Solar 66 Alley Network Interventions 76 Redefining Madison Park North 90 Druid Park Lake Drive 108 Madison-Whitelock Park 128 Whitelock Street 136 Community-Driven Implementation 148 Conclusion 164
Introduction Executive Summary & Scope Eco-District Protocol Geographic Context History
Executive Summary Reservoir Hill is a historic, residential neighborhood in centralwest Baltimore. It was initially developed as a gateway to Druid Hill Park, an important and large park in Baltimore. Over time, the neighborhood’s historic estates developed into smaller rowhomes and apartment complexes giving the neighborhood a unique fabric. Although Reservoir Hill lost neighborhood retail during the 1960 riots in Baltimore and a large portion of its population as well, there has been recent effort in reinvigorating its commerce and rehabbing the historic homes. The demolition of a large public housing project, development of two parcels along Druid Hill Park and resident engagement in its housing, economy and environmental efforts make Reservoir Hill an ideal place to focus redevelopment energy.
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neighborhood in Baltimore. Finally, a model of communitydriven implementation is developed to ensure community groups are invested in the development of Reservoir Hill and the residents benefit from its growth.
“RESERVOIR HILL REPRESENTS THE STANDARD FOR ENGAGING CITIZENS IN THE INTEGRATION OF LOCAL COMMUNITY, ECONOMIC, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS”
Through a combination of off-site research and site visits, this studio understood the facets of the neighborhood and created a proposal for its development. Reservoir Hill’s strategic location with respect to regional amenities but weak connections to its neighbors possess a unique opportunity to rethink the role of site boundaries in planning. Reservoir Hill’s physical and social transition between neighborhoods on either side lend it a distinctive character of multiple strengths and weaknesses. The neighborhood’s history of resident engagement and communityled efforts make it poised for collaboration between community groups and with external organisations. Lastly, Reservoir Hill’s location in the larger ecosystem of Baltimore and existing energy efforts make it a distinctive neighborhood to incorporate sustainability into the planning process.
Proposals are developed under three main topics: neighborhood wide strategies, revitalising Reservoir Hill’s barriers and strengthening its core. The neighborhood wide strategies include the preparation of design guidelines, promoting energy efficiency through solar and greening and fostering community activity in the alley network. The design guidelines are meant to connect residents with resources to rehab historic homes while incorporating energy efficiency and passive house standards. Solar strategies aim to reduce carbon emissions and cut utility costs through a neighborhood solarize campaign and developing community solar on the elementary school and new developments. The proposal for alleys demarcates three alleys for beautification, programming and capturing storm-water run-off as a model to include environmental sustainability in the neighborhood fabric.
The eco-district protocol is used as the basis of understanding environmental, economic and social sustainability. Goals are developed for the eight components of the eco-district protocol that include a range of interventions from community identity to water and mobility. Using the eco-district protocol, metrics are developed to measure the impact of the proposal on the neighborhood and its growth towards becoming a model
Revitalising Reservoir Hill’s barriers includes two proposals for Madison Park North, a public housing project slated for demolition, and Druid Park Lake Drive, the road and parcels that connect Reservoir Hill to Druid Hill Park. The proposal for Madison Park North aims to redevelop without displacement while transforming the barrier of North Avenue into a gathering
Introduction
point and integrate affordable and environmental sustainability to the redevelopment process. The proposal is visualised as a model for the redevelopment of urban renewal public housing projects that maintain affordable housing stock while reconnecting to the surrounding neighborhood fabric. The Druid Park Lake Drive project proposes to activate the northern barrier of Reservoir Hill through strengthened connections to Druid Hill Park, enhanced pedestrian and bicyclist safety, expanded market-rate housing and arts and design focused economic development. The proposal calls for the reconfiguration of the road to fewer vehicular lanes and more pedestrian and bike routes with a new gateway to Druid Hill Park. The proposal also enhances opportunities for youth and adult education through a joint project with MICA and calls for a community owned restaurant and provision of office space for community groups. Both Madison Park North and Druid Park Lake Drive incorporate sustainable practices of managing demolition waste and water run-off. Strengthening Reservoir Hill’s core includes strategies for the redevelopment of the town center into a food production and community oriented hub and the reconstruction of MadisonWhitelock Park to model sustainable land care practices and provide a space for resident engagement. The food productions site and town center aims to use creative placemaking that harnesses existing physical and organizational resources to form an integrated food system supporting Reservoir Hill’s economy, environment, capacity, health, equity, and identity. It provides an innovative model for reimagining the identity of a neighborhood center while also addressing the economic requirements of the neighborhood. The Madison-Whitelock Park takes the sustainable land care practices incorporated into all the projects and makes a showcase to educate visitors and connect them to valuable resources. It also creates a safe and welcoming recreation space in the center of the town that can bridge
divisions between various parts of the neighborhood. All of the neighborhood interventions are proposed to be developed with community support and input. There are numerous community groups that operate in Reservoir Hill that engage residents, carry out community fairs, promote redevelopment and perform duties that speak to the concerns of the residents of Reservoir Hill. The aim of community driven implementation is to ensure that the residents, through community groups and programs are involved in the development of Reservoir Hill through building coalitions between community groups, filling gaps in existing services and leveraging city efforts that align with community goals. The coalition builds on individual strengths for the collective good and spreads the required increased capacity required evenly across community groups operating in Reservoir Hill. The programs are used put the residents of Reservoir Hill in direct contact with site projects such that they are involved in their implementation and are able to reap their benefits. With the addition of the proposed projects, Reservoir Hill will represent a model of housing, economic and environmental systems. Through community-driven implementation, community groups in Reservoir Hill will form a robust mechanism to integrate the projects into the fabric of the neighborhood while engaging the residents in the site projects. Reservoir Hill will not only model housing, economic and environmental systems but also group interaction and community engagement.
Eco-District Protocol
Client
Introduction An EcoDistrict employs “high impact, district-scale sustainable projects that drive experimentation and innovation� (Portland Sustainability Institute). An EcoDistrict seeks to: improve environmental performance, deploy emerging technologies, improve community participation, encourage new patterns of behavior, promote local economic development and create jobs. EcoDistricts target eight different performance areas. These performance areas are: equity, health and well-being, community identity, access and mobility, energy, habitat and ecosystems, water quality, and materials management.
The Reservoir Hill Improvement Council
Carl Cleary
In practice, an EcoDistrict seeks to target and promote sustainability for all aspects of the built and living environment by addressing those eight categories. Scope of This Studio The purpose of this project is to work with the Reservoir Hill neighborhood to identify EcoDistrict principles that may help guide planning in the community and to develop an overall plan. As a dynamic neighborhood in transition, Reservoir Hill presents the opportunity to channel social, economic and environmental sustainability into future development.
Develop Policies Economic Development Housing Energy
Advisors
Water Health Mobility
Studio Instructors
Scott Page Jamie Granger
Create Connections Neighbors Green Spaces
Studio
Institutions
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Introduction
PennDesign City Planning
Shruthi Arvind Jack Byerly Phylicia Coleman Devon DelVecchio Catherine Droser Lexa Edsall Thomas Gilbertson Adija Manley Kirsten Weismantle William Wellington Chuhan Zheng
Jobs
Develop Strategies Implementation Equitable Growth Sites
Framework Health Promote human health and community well being by providing access to safe and functional local recreation, to natural areas and to healthy, local, affordable food
Energy Achieve net zero energy usage annually, conserve energy use by minimizing demand and maximizing conservation, optimize infrastructure performance at all scales, use renewable energy
Equity Promote equity and opportunity by protecting affordability and promoting the fair distribution of the benefits and burdens of investment and development.
Water Meet both human and natural needs through reliable and affordable water management, reduce water consumption through conservation, reuse and recycle water resources, manage stormwater
Community Identity Support a cohesive neighborhood identity through the built environment, protect and create beautiful, accessible and safe places that enable interaction and access
Habitat + Ecosystems Achieve healthy urban ecosystems that protect and regenerate habitat and ecosystem function. protect and enhance local watersheds, prioritize native species and vegetation,
Access + Mobility Provide access to clean and affordable transportation options, reduce vehicle miles traveled, prioritize active transportation
Materials Management Support ptimized materials management, eliminate practices that produce waste wherever possible, minimize use of virgin materials and toxic chemicals in new products, encourage use of regionally manufactured products or parts
Source: EcoDistrict Protocol
Geographic Context Regional Context Reservoir Hill is located in the northwestern part of Baltimore, roughly a mile and a half from the Inner Harbor and close to a number of major highways and rail lines. The neighborhood is centrally sited among 5 of Baltimore’s major universities, all of which have played a role in the city’s resurgence and will help shape the neighborhood’s future. Reservoir HIll is close to Amtrak’s Penn Station, a major stop along the Northeast corridor, and adjacent to two light rail stops, giving residents easy access to most major destinations in the city. An important feature of the neighborhood is its proximity to Druid Hill Park, the largest public park in Baltimore. Neighborhood Context For this plan, the neighborhood boundaries of Reservoir Hill are defined as I-83 to the east, Druid Park Lake Drive and North Ave to the north and south, and McCulloh Street to the west. Druid Park Lake Drive and North Ave are major roads, while McCulloh Street is a smaller interior road. Notably, three of the neighborhood’s four sides are hard physical boundaries, there is only one east-west through-street (Whitelock Street) and many of the north-south Streets meet the city grid at an angle. These features isolate the neighborhood from many of its surrounding amenities, while at the same time creating an intimate, internalfacing character.
Maryland
Baltimore City
Reservoir Hill
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Introduction
Existing Conditions People Community & Economic Development Infrastructure & Natural Systems Transit & Mobility
People Demographics Reservoir Hill’s total population was 5,300 in 2010. The graph below shows its percent population change since 1970, along with the same data for surrounding neighborhoods and the city of Baltimore. The population of Reservoir Hill has followed a trend similar to that of Baltimore, with a consistently declining population. Between 2000 and 2010, the rate of population decline lessened. Bolton Hill, located to the south of Reservoir Hill is the only surrounding neighborhood whose population grew between1970 - 2010. Race Reservoir Hill is at a geographic edge of racial neighborhood patterns. The map below (right) shows the percentage of African-American population according to the 2010 census. To
Bolton Hill
−25 Baltimore Reservoir Hill Penn North
−50
Druid Heights 1970
14
1980
Existing Conditions
1990
2000
2010
Income The spatial pattern of Reservoir Hill as a transitional area is also evident with respect to income, as shown in the map on the facing page. There is a ‘column of economic strength’ directly to the east of the neighborhood, which extends to the Inner Harbor, encompassing higher wealth neighborhoods such as Mount Vernon.
Percentage African-American Population 2010
Percent Change in Population 1970-2010
0
the east of Reservoir Hill, there are a number of neighborhoods, including Midtown and Remington, with larger white populations and to the west there are neighborhoods that are almost entirely African-American, including Penn North and SandtownWinchester.
U.S. Census Bureau
Fig. # Percent Change in Violent Crime 2011 - 2015 +10% 0%
Balt
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Crime Reservoir Hill has a relatively strong profile with respect to crime. While hotspots are located on either side of the neighborhood, it is relatively safe within Reservoir Hill. The chart to the right shows the percent change in crime from 2011 to 2015, reveailing a steady decline in Reservoir Hill. Some residents believe that the closure of Madison Park North lessened crime, while others think renewed interest and increased investment in the neighborhood have produced the change.
-50% 2011
Median Income 2010
2012
2013
Violent Crime 2014 - 2016
2014
2015
Community and Economic Development Land Use & Zoning Reservoir Hill’s interior is primarily zoned for residential use. North Avenue is zoned for commercial use, as are some parcels on Whitelock Street, where the Whitelock Community Farm is currently located. Education The chart below shows the highest level of education attained by residents 25 years and older. Compared to Baltimore, residents in Reservoir Hill have slightly lower levels of educational attainment. This disparity is most prominent with respect to graduate degrees.
Health Indicators 2014
Highest Fig. # Highest Education Levelfor ofResidents Education25+ for 2010 25+ 30%
Health Residents in Reservoir Hill also lag behind city averages in health. As shown in the chart below, Reservoir Hill residents have lower life expectancies compared to the city average. They also have a much higher percentage of avertable deaths -deaths that could have been avoided if residents were given full access to the health opportunities of the wealthiest parts of the city. The neighborhood also has higher levels of children with lead poisoning.
29% 5%
17%
18%
Did not Graduate High School
16
Existing Conditions
7%
High School Degree
Bachelor’s Degree
Graduate Degree
Baltimore
Baltimore
Reservoir Hill
12%
68 Penn North/Reservoir Hill
72
23% 22%
Life Expectancy at Birth
57%
36%
% Avertable Deaths
3%
% Children with Elevated Lead in Blood
Druid Lake & Reservoir Hill in 1939
Fig. # Reservoir Hill Zoning Map
Fig # Reservoir Hill Land Use Map
Residential
Industrial
Residential
Exempt Commercial
Business
Manufacturing
Condos
Commercial Exempt
Apartments
Industrial
Office/ Residential
Commercial
Reservoir Hill’s Community Identity `
Reservoir Hill has multiple subneighborhoods defined by architectural fabric, as illustrated on the facing page. The southeastern portion of the neighborhood, along North Avenue, is the site of major demolition and reconstruction. The Madison Park North Site sits vacant and the John Eager Howard Elementary School is currently undergoing demolition. Directly to the west of that area, there are relatively small single family homes djacent to an area of large single family homes and mid-rise apartments with wellmaintained porches and street trees. The area to the north has multiple high-rise apartments followed by an area of vacancy. There has been a redevelopment effort in this area in recent years. Along Park Avenue, there are single family homes and mid-rise apartments in a unique architectural style. This style changes directly to the south of the area and towards the southeastern corner of Reservoir Hill, which has the oldest homes in the neighborhood.
id Park Lake Dr Dru Callow Ave
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Engaged Neighbors During our time in Baltimore, we saw first-hand that many Reservoir Hill residents are engaged in the support and development of their neighborhood. Residents are involved in numerous capacities, demonstrated by the diverse groups that operate in Reservoir Hill.
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Existing Conditions
Community Groups Many community groups operate in Reservoir Hill, advancing community activity, housing and economic development, and youth engagement. The diagram on the facing page identifies each community organization by size and highlights its key focus. Of the groups, Reservoir Hill Improvement Council (RHIC) is prominent and supports with most of the neighborhood programs. The Mount Royal CDC, which works in the larger region of Mount Royal, advances economic development. In For Of, Inc. and St. Francis Neighborhood Center are both expanding their Reservior Hill operations in the next 5 years.
RE JEH CREA T
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Youth development Arts and media
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Youth development Education programs Community clean-ups
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School youth and adult activities
Advocacy Leadership development
NO Y Y GR IT MENT COU E V O S NC R IL IMP R L IL N
Environmental action Housing development
YA
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Innovation District
OMMUN C F IT O
DC C L
Affiliated to Synagogue Reservoir Hill Resource Fair
Vacant site redevelopment B&P tunnel organizing
Community beautification Vacant site redevelopment Community organizing
Housing Burden Although the neighborhood has a sizable affordable housing stock, many residents face housing and rent burden. 52% of renters and 36% of homeowners spend more than 30% of their monthly incomes on housing expenses (Census Bureau 2014). This burden is a concern, as home values continue to rise, while median incomes stagnate. RHIC has expressed a desire to create more home-ownership opportunities for families and individuals who are renting within the neighborhood, especially for households of 40%-80% AMI ($26,000-$53,000 for a family of two). The median household income for renters, $25,200, is low compared to the median household income for homeowners, $80,400. At the same time, more than 40% of renting households have incomes above $35,000. Currently, there are opportunities
Fig. # Number Highest Level of Units of Education Per Structure for 2 20
+U
ni
9% 15%
$10,000 - $14,999
14% 4%
$15,000 - $19,999
7%
$20,000 - $24,999
10%
$25,000 - $34,999 $35,000 - $49,999
18% 13%
9 5-
its
Un
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$50,000 - $74,999
2U
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10-19
lti-Fam u il M
Fig. # Renter HighestHousehold Level of Education Incomes $5,000 - $9,999
28% 72%
Reservoir Hill is a microcosm of Baltimore in its housing stock, offering a wealth of options for single and multi-family homes along a wide range of incomes.
< $5,000
mily Fa
y
Sing le
for those renters to become homeowners within the neighborhood. A looming concern, however, is that as housing values continue to rise, homes prices may exceed what is affordable for the population of current renters.
3%
$75,000 - $99,999
7%
$100,000 - $149,999 > $150,000
3-4 Units Units 3-4 Source: US Census Bureau 2014 22
Existing Conditions
0%
5%
10%
15%
Source: US Census Bureau 2014
20%
Reservoir Hillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Housing Stock Housing Stock Overview Encompassing a national historic district and two local historic districts, Reservoir Hill is unique in its rich abundance of historic residential buildings. The neighborhoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rowhomes are larger on average (2,400 sq. ft.) than rowhomes throughout the city (average 1,600 sq. ft.). Reservoir Hill has a high proportion of renters. Only 21% of homes are owner occupied, compared to 47% in the city overall (Census Bureau 2014). Home values have gone up significantly in recent years, doubling since 2000, with a current average listing price of approximately $200,000. Median rent within Reservoir Hill is $820. Overall, Reservoir Hill resembles a microcosm of Baltimore in its housing stock, offering a wealth of options for single and multi-family homes along wide range of incomes.
Income Restricted Housing Stock Approximately 25% of Reservoir Hillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s housing units are income restricted. Reservoir Hill has an abundance of affordable housing opportunities for a diverse array of households, ranging from the mixed senior and disabled housing of Lakeview Towers in the northeast, to the family units in Renaissance Plaza in the northwest, to the Penrose apartments scattered throughout the neighborhood. In recent years, the number of Low Income Restricted Housing units within the neighborhood has remained relatively steady. The closure of Madison Park North, however,has resulted in the loss of about one fifth of Reservoir Hillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s income-restricted housing stock (202 units). It remains in question whether these low-income will be replaced through the inclusionary zoning that could potentially be enforced upon the future development site. Our proposal, detailed below, advocates their replacement.
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Existing Conditions
Cooperative Housing The Reservoir Hill Mutual Homes Limited Equity Housing Co-Op is a unique affordable housing asset within the neighborhood. Mutual Homes owns more than 150 housing units, including a complete block of Callow Avenue, and has other properties scattered among 3 other blocks of the neighborhood. The homes began operating in 1977 and paid off all of mortgages by 1992 without any federal assistance. This third-sector housing organization offers individuals the opportunity to secure wellmaintained, affordable housing. Each tenant buys into the co-op for $2,000 and is recognized as a share-holder. Mutual Homes offers a wide range of housing options, from one-bedroom apartments at $625 a month to 4-bedroom apartments at $900 a month. Although the co-op has not collaborated with other organizations in the past in expanding its operations, it has expressed a willingness to share best practices and perhaps form partnerships should an appropriate and advantageous opportunity arise.
Vacancy There are numerous vacant buildings and lots scattered across the neighborhood. Currently, the neighborhood has 13.7 acres of vacant buildings and 4.7 acres of vacant lots. Overall 14% of Reservoir Hill consists of vacant parcels. There are heavier concentrations of vacancy along Lakeview Ave in the centralnorthern area of the neighborhood as well as along the western edge. As seen below, Reservoir Hill does not have nearly as many vacant buildings as Penn North to the west or Upton to the south. The map below (right) shows which properties are publicly or privately owned. The neighborhood has numerous large publicly owned vacant lots, which have the potential to be maintained as preserved open space for residents or to provide opportunities for new development. The abundance of privately owned vacant buildings and lots poses a challenge to acquisition and to redeveloping the blighted structures that dot the neighborhood, especially along Lakeview Ave and throughout the western side of the neighborhood.
Capacity Housing in Reservoir Hill has benefited greatly from the advocacy of RHIC, which works to revitalize housing through partnerships with organizations including Pennrose and Healthy Neighborhoods. Healthy Neighborhoods is a non-profit that receives federal funding from the Neighborhood Stabilization Program and focuses on revitalizing market-rate growth in strong, but undervalued, Baltimore neighborhoods. Healthy Neighborhoods has selected Reservoir Hill as one of its target areas and has invested $15 million in the neighborhood. In one of its most significant projects, undertaken in collaboration with RHIC and Druid Heights CDC, Healthy Neighborhoods has renovated and sold 16 properties on the 2200 and 2300 blocks of Callow Avenue. Each of these houses is Energy Star Qualified, and the collaborators worked closely with CHAP to ensure that the buildings followed historic preservation guidelines.
VacancyLots Level vs. Buildings Fig. # Highest of Educ
Vacancy - Public vs. of Private Fig. # Highest Level Educ
Building
Building
Lot Lot
Public Private
Economy The Business Environment Reservoir Hill has a limited number of businesses within its boundary, with only one café/restaurant – Dovecote. Reservoir Hill’s southern border, North Avenue, maintains business zoning and holds commerical properties, but they are not presently neighborhood-serviing, instead including automotive services outlets and liquor stores. In addition, Whitelock Street includes business zoning, as does Pennsylvania Avenue immediately to the west of Reservoir Hill.
Business Potential The largest current opportunity for a transformational economic development project within Reservoir Hill is found at the former Madison Park North site located along West North Avenue. (A proposal for this area is detailed in a subsequent section.) This large site offers the opportunity for a mixed-use development with strong connectivity into the local streets crossing Reservoir Hill. Residents hope that this project will make connections both within Reservoir Hill and with the adjacent Bolton Hill Neighborhood.
W es
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Fig. # Businesses within Reservoir Hill (Circa 2016)
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Brookfield Ave
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Cafe/Restaurant
Vacant
Automotive
Food & Services
Daycare
Other Business
Existing Conditions
Above: Andy’s Food Mart on Madison Avenue
Employment Labor Force & Innovation As detailed in the figure on the right, Reservoir Hill’s labor force participation rate is significantly lower than both the State of Maryland’s and that of Baltimore. The chart below (right) shows that Reservoir Hill workers are concentrated among occupations related to services, production, transportation, and material moving. By contrast, Reservoir Hill workers are significantly less likely than those throughout Maryland and Baltimore to work in management, business, science & arts, natural resources, construction, and maintenance. As an instrumental part of Reservoir Hill’s economic development efforts, West Baltimore’s Innovation District (below) presents a considerable opportunity for local workforce training along with creating linkages for residents to job prospects and ultimately careers. Formed recently by the Mt. Royal CDC, the Innovation District focuses on harnessing the resources of local investors, institutions,
businesses, and government to generate job-training, workplace, and business investment opportunities for residents.
Fig. # Labor Force Participation & Employment
Maryland
Baltimore Reservoir Hill
70%
55%
62%
Fig. # West Baltimore’s Innovation District Mgmt., Business, Science, & Arts 16%
Service
Penn North
Reservoir Hill Druid Bolton Heights Hill
Sales & Office 9% 7% 1% 8%
28%
43%
32%
24% 24% 25%
Druid Lake
Parkview
22%
36%
Natural Resources, Construction, & Maintenance 11%
Production, Transportation, & Material 12% Moving
10%
20%
30%
40%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2015
Parks & Green Spaces
Parks & Green Spaces Reservoir Hill includes an abundance of green space. Within the neighborhood, there are 9 acres of formally maintained spaces including parks and road medians, as well as 3 acres of vacant green parcels. Druid Hill Park borders the neighborhood to the north and contains 745 acres of open park space. Druid Hill Park offers extensive amenities, including a walking trail, a zoo, a conservatory and a reservoir. While the park is used by residents, there are only two crosswalks on Druid Park Lake Drive from which residents can access the park. There are also many parks and maintained public green spaces within the neighborhood. Neighborhood commitment to the maintenance of green spaces appears to be a priority,
28
Existing Conditions
and residents report that having access to a variety of public green spaces is one of the most appealing aspects of the neighborhood. While there is investment in a variety of green spaces within the neighborhood, there are also many vacant lots that are not maintained. These lots provide potential opportunity for the expansion of the park system within the neighborhood. Whitelock Farm occupies core parcels of open space and is a central asset to the community. The farm grows produce and provides extensive community programming, including a mobile market, a Saturday farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; market, community supported agriculture and a school training program called Youth Works. Whitelock Farm leases its land from the City of Baltimore and has recently renewed that lease for another five years.
Whitelock Farm
Triangle Park
Another key green space in Reservoir Hill is German Park playground, located behind Whitelock Farm. Funded by the Baltimore Ravens, the playground equipment matches the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s colors. While it is well maintained, it is reported to be underused.
German Park
Many green spaces are also hidden throughout the neighborhood. Walking through the neighborhood, it is common to stumble across one of these plots, such as Triangle Park between Newington Avenue and Reservoir Street, or Mount Royal Terrace Park between Mount Royal Terrace and I-83.
Water In Reservoir Hill
ne
Fig. # Watersheds
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Watersheds + Water Bodies All of the water in Baltimore flows into the Cheasepeake Bay. Within the city are distinct watersheds that capture stormwater and transport it to the bay. The Reservoir Hill neighborhood is located in the Jones Falls Watershed. The Jones Falls runs immediately to the east of the neighborhood,. This waterway is channelized and flows beneath the Jones Falls Expressway just south of Reservoir Hill. Druid Lake is located at the northern boundary of Reservoir Hill. It serves as a reservoir and was built in 1863 to manage the growing
cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s drinking water demand. The earthen dam located at the far eastern portion of the lake was the largest earthen dam in the country upon its completion. That dam was designated a national historic landmark in 1971. With new concerns regarding water quality and national security, the EPA has mandated that all drinking water sources be contained and secured. With this has come a proposal to bury the reservoirâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water supply under its western side. This change would open the lake to recreation and create a new lawn and public space.
Fig. # Druid Lake Timeline 1863 Funding Secured for Construction
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Existing Conditions
1871
1971
2013
Earthen dam completed
Designation as a National Engineering Historic Landmark
Plans to build underground tanks
Timeline of Baltimore City’s Water History
1863
1904
1983
2010
First Recorded Storm Water Main on Druid Hill Ave
Seperated Sewer System
EPA Designation “Most Contaminated”
Blue Water Baltimore Created
Baltimore, much like other cities of its age and size, has a complicated history and relationship with managing waste and stormwater. Despite challenges, Baltimore has a legacy of progressive water infrastructure projects, ranging trom the first recorded storm water main on Druid Hill Avenue in 1863, to its systems of reservoirs, separated sewer system, and its current push to remediate its water quality issues. Most coastal cities along the mid-Atlantic and northeast have combined sewer systems. These systems were designed to transport raw sewage as well as stormwater to treatment facilities through the same network of pipes and mains. After the Great Baltimore Fire of 1904, the city embarked on a progressive infrastructure improvement project to seperate their sewage system. The resulting network of disconnected stormwater and sewage pipes helped to mitigate contamination, and reduce sewage overflows during heavy rain events. Today the same system is still active in transporting wastewater. Unfortunately
the infrastructure faces problems associated with its centenarian age, and costly maintanence is required to prevent stormwater leaking into sewage pipes and overwhelming the system. As with many coastal cities, Baltimore’s runoff leads directly to the harbor and ultimately Cheasepeake Bay. In 1983 the EPA designated the runoff in Baltimore as the most contaminated in the country. Most recently the city and its organizations have been active in helping to reduce pollution and to increase the quality of Baltimore’s water systems. Integral to these efforts has been the regional cooperation between the city and county of Baltimore. The Baltimore Watershed Agreement of 2002 streamlined funding and coordination to clean up waterways. Organizations such as Blue Water Baltimore have also been active in creating cohesion between waterhed management organizations to work more efficiently at improving the system and environment.
Baltimore’s Water Infrastructure Natural features + Topography The map on the facing page illustrates Reservoir Hill’s topography. Its elevation is highest at the northwestern corner of the neighborhood and gently slopes down toward the southeast. The Jones Falls captures most of the surface runoff from the neighborhood and the adjacent Jones Falls Expressway. The water in the Jones Falls leads directly to the Baltimore Inner Harbor. Thus, any waste, trash, or pollutants from the area will find their way to the harbor. Water quality monitoring from Blue Water Baltimore has shown this waterway to be consistently highly polluted. Reservoir Hill is situated as the last point of contact for stormwater runoff before water enter the Jones Falls and ultimately the Inner Harbor. Given the natural togpography and the nature of the watershed, implementing measure to manage, clean, and retain stormwater are extremely important in this neighborhood. The city and organizations such as Blue Water Baltimore have already done some work in the neighborhood dealing with upgrading stormwater infrastructure, installing new tree pits, etc. With the upcoming modifications to Druid Lake there is a new opportunity to include best pratices for water management in Reservoir Hill.
Case Study: Blue Water Baltimore
Blue Water Baltimore Jones Falls
Gwynns Falls
Herring Run
Baltimore
Baltimore
Watershed
Watershed
Watershed
Harbor
Harbor Water
Association
Association
Association
Watershed
Keeper
Blue Water Baltimore has been a key player in working to clean and enhance the city’s waterways. Joining together once disparate groups has allowed for more concerted efforts across the city. Blue Water Baltimore has focused primarily on waterway cleanup, increasing permeable surfaces, and managing runoff throughout the city and in Baltimore Harbor. Source: bluewaterbaltimore.org
32
Existing Conditions
Topography Map of Reservoir Hill
Energy Baltimore Energy Portfolio
Source: BGE 2015 Baseline The majority of electricity in Maryland is powered by fossil fuels, and about one third of its electricity is powered by nuclear, as shown in the figure above. Less than 4% is currently powered by renewables (BGE 2015). Expanding Solar Capacity Nonetheless, the number of solar installations in Baltimore has been growing over recent years (Permits & Inspections 2016). The map above (right) shows that most of the recent solar installations have occurred in the northeast area of Baltimore. There are only 11 solar installations in Reservoir Hill. Seven of those were added as part of a townhome redevelopment in the 1970s. A resident of one of these townhomes shared that the arrays are no longer functional. 34
Existing Conditions
Solar Installations in Baltimore, 2011-2016
Source: Permits & Inspections 2016 Solar remains financially inaccessible to most Reservoir Hill residents. 79% of neighborhood residents are renters and cannot make improvements to their buildings. 41% live below the poverty line, so likely lack the savings and credit score required to invest in solar and benefit from the savings (Census Bureau 2015). Potential Energy Savings Energy efficiency retrofits provide another untapped resource to address the environmental impacts and cost burden of electricity consumption. The Baltimore Energy Challenge educates residents about ways to save energy and invites them to make the “Energy Challenge Pledge” to reduce their energy use through behavior changes (Baltimore Energy Challenge 2016). There are thirteen “Energy Captains” in Reservoir Hill
Reservoir Hill Solar Installation
Source: Permits & Inspections 2016 who have volunteered to promote the Energy Challenge in the neighborhood. Baltimore Energy Challenge also offers residents energy and water conservation tools, such as LED light bulbs and power strips. Any Baltimore resident can sign up to receive these benefits free of charge. Households with incomes less than 200% of the federal poverty line can receive more significant energy upgrades, such as insulation, caulking and heating system repair through the federal Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). The Baltimore Department of Housing and Community Development delivers those benefits locally with the support of Retrofit Baltimore, a non-profit that provides eligible residents with an Energy Advisor. Only a limited number of households in the 21217 zip code (which contains Reservoir Hill) have participated in these programs (Baltimore Energy Challenge 2016).
Resident Feature Helen Williams
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Solar power will take the anxiety out of your utility bills.â&#x20AC;? - Helen Williams Helen Williams is a Reservoir Hill home owner who recently installed solar on her roof and is offsetting nearly all of her electricity use, see the figure at left. Installing solar makes sense for long-term homeowners like Helen, because of the time needed to recoup the large upfront cost. Going solar on an average Reservoir Hill home costs about $30,000. Federal and state incentives cut that cost in half to $15,000. Despite that daunting figure, going solar can provide thousands of dollars in savings over the course of 20 years. For a resident who is currently paying $150 per month for electricity (the average in Maryland), 20-year savings range from $7,000 to $25,000 depending on the financing approach.
Energy Fig. # Contrasting sodium vapor and LED lights
Street Lighting Reservoir Hill residents have expressed concern that the neighborhood is not well-illuminated at night, particularly in the alleys. The municipal government is in the process of upgrading the existing street lighting infrastructure throughout the city. The Baltimore Department of Public Works is converting the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 80,000 street lights from sodium vapor bulbs to light emitting diodes (LEDs) (Reutter 2012). LEDs improve visibility and are more energy efficient. The upper right photo shows a Reservoir Hill street at night. A yellowish sodium vapor light appears alongside an LED, evidence that the conversion remains incomplete in Reservoir Hill.
Fig. # A newly installed LED streetlight
36
Existing Conditions
Fig. # Program Participation in Zip Code 21217, 2013-2016 Number of Households
Percent of Households
Free to all Baltimore Education about residents behavior changes
806
5%
Baltimore Energy Challenge, Baltimore Community Foundation, Baltimore Office of Sustainability
LED light bulbs, Free to all Baltimore power strips, hot residents water heater wrap
759
5%
Retrofit Baltimore, Baltimore Department of Housing and Community Development, US Department of Energy
Household income less than 200% of federal poverty line
47
1%
Program
Delivered by
Cost and Eligibility
Energy Challenge Pledge
Baltimore Energy Challenge
Energy Efficiency Program
Weatherization Assistance Program
Details
insulation, caulking, heating system repair
Source: Baltimore Energy Challenge 2016
Overview Reservoir Hill has 3.7 miles of alleys with a combined area of 9 acres. These alleys are generally between 15 and 20 feet wide. Part of the city’s street system, they provide access to residents’ driveways and for garbage and recycling collection.. The city sweeps Reservoir Hill’s alleys weekly to keep them clean. However, property owners are responsible for keeping the alley near their property clean. Baltimore City Code Art. 26 § 8-1.
W es
t2
9t
h
Reservoir Hill Alley Network
Druid Lake Callow Ave
t nS
a rd Jo
ris
or M St
ve kA
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St
Reservoir St
Du
Existing Conditions
ue
n ve aA
ni
Lennox St
W North Avenue
ue
t nS
Newington Ave
en Av rk Pa
o as M
re St
l
te hi
ue
St
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is
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id
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German Alley
Lakeview Ave
w ta Eu
Chauncey Ave
Brookfield Ave
Hendler Ln Brooks Ln
W
db
va yl ns
n Pe
38
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8t
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id Park Lake Dr Dru
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Alleys are constructed of concrete, and they channel water to the city’s stormwater drains, often using the neighborhood’s topography to direct the flow. This poses a challenge to the city’s waterways, as pollution and trash from the alleys and adjacent properties are carried to the city’s sewer system and eventually find their way into natural bodies of water such as Baltimore Harbor.
St
Alley Network
Alley Typology We have identified three distinct types of alleys within the neighborhood’s network.
Mason Alley - A Community Alley
1) Community Alleys, which are alleys within smaller blocks. The backyards abutting these alleys are less likely to be gated than elsewhere 2) Connector Alleys, which provide a connection through the neighborhood. These alleys tend to be longer and wider than others. 3) Public Space Alleys, which connect to a public space such as Triangle Park.
Back Yard 20’ Alley
Morris Alley - A Connector Alley
Stormwater Drainage Pipe
Triangle Park Alley - A Public Space Alley
No Parkin in Alley Anytime
Trash
20’ Alley
Stormwater Drainage Pipe
4’ Planter
20’ Park
15’ Alley
Stormwater Drainage Pipe
Mobility
Among Baltimore Top 10 Accident Intersections
North Ave. and Fulton
40
Existing Conditions
ns
Bike lanes are located on Eutaw Place and Madison Avenue, traversing north-south through the neighborhood. These lanes are faded. Park Avenue and Whitelock Street are recognized as part of a route bicyclists use, designated by signs along these streets.
Fig. # Bike Infrastructure in Reservoir Hill n Pe
Pedestrian Experience Walking within Reservoir Hill is comfortable. The neighborhood’s sidewalks are in good condition, its tree canopy provides shade, and many historic homes and vacant spaces are cared for. Additionally, most of the streets within Reservoir Hill are local and calm. Its calm character is perhaps due in part to the few streets that span the length or width of the neighborhood and continue into the rest of the city. This road structure contributes to Reservoir Hill’s “hidden gem” quality.
W es t
29 th
St
Average Daily Traffic Counts
Druid Lake
t
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t hS
t 28
id Park Lake Dr Dru
M or ris
E ls al sF
Terrace
ay w ss re xp
ue
en Av
St
Reservoir St
I-83
5,302 Mount Royal ue
ll
Hi
l te ca
n ve kA
t hS
id
Newington Ave
oc
l te
hi
W
Whitelock St.
et
tre kS
k
n Pe
o ro
db
oo W
t sS
ci
an Fr
Eutaw.
1,692
r Pa
lo
ul cC
ve nA
iso
ad
M
u Dr
4,341
130,530
ne Jo
M
St
Chauncey Ave
Callow Ave
Brooks Ln
Lakeview Ave
Hendler Ln
e Av
va yl ns
Du
ue
n ve aA
ni
Lennox St
23,261
W North Avenue
W. North Ave
Data Source: Baltimore Metropolitan Council
Mobility Barriers Although the interior of Reservoir Hill is safe and walkable, vast busy streets located at the neighborhood’s edges are less comfortable and safe for pedestrians to walk on. Reservoir Hill is bordered by 3 thoroughfares: West North Avenue (Route 1), Druid Park Lake Drive and Interstate 83. Route 1 is the longest north-south road in the United States running from Key West, Florida to North Kent, Maine at the Canadian border. Interstate 83 travels to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Interstate acts as a hard eastern border for the neighborhood. To travel east, residents are limited to traveling on West North Avenue and Druid Lake Park Drive. These thoroughfares have a higher incidence of traffic accidents than those within the neighborhood. No accidents involving pedestrians took place within the neighborhood in 2015. However, incidents involving pedestrians occurred right outside
Vehicle Crashes in 2015
of the neighborhood at the intersections of West North Avenue & Pennsylvania Avenue and West North Avenue & Druid Hill Avenue (Maryland State Police, 2016). West North Avenue is a 95’ wide multi-lane thoroughfare that serves as the southern border of the neighborhood. With a narrow sidewalk and inactive pedestrian streetscape, much of the corridor bordering the southern portion of Reservoir Hill is not a pleasant pedestrian environment. A gated community and commercial buildings, especially those further east, face away from the Avenue. Vacancy also contributes to a subdued pedestrian environment. The vacant Madison Park North Apartments are located on West North Avenue. West of Reservoir Hill, the incidence of vacant storefronts and lots increases along the streetscape. The corner of Mt. Royal Terrace & West North Avenue is a large, busy, automobile-oriented intersection uncomfortable for pedestrians to walk through. Traffic entering and exiting Interstate 83 moves through this intersection, contributing to the volume of automobile activity at this location. Just east of this intersection is a poorly lit underpass for Interstate 83. Reservoir Hill residents must travel through that intersection and underpass to reach the light rail station. Druid Park Lake Drive is Reservoir Hill’s northern border, separating the neighborhood from Druid Hill Park. This is a busy roadway with only two crosswalks, both of which are in the western half of Reservoir Hill.
42
Existing Conditions
Mt. Royal Terrace
Druid Park Lake Drive
West North Avenue
Mt Royal Terrace & West North Avenue
Mobility Public Transportation Reservoir Hill residents have three bus, subway and light rail access within or just outside of their neighborhood. With these resources, people are able to travel to downtown Baltimore, BWI Airport, and several business parks.
Travel Times on Different Modes
Despite this access, residents have highlighted that Baltimoreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public transportation system is not comprehensive or efficient. People report it is relatively easy to travel between Reservoir Hill and downtown Baltimore, but traveling to major shopping and employment centers is more challenging and time-consuming, and in some cases not possible (Cummings, 2016). The closest subway and light rail stops are inconveniently located for some residents. The freeway bordering the neighborhood discourages pedestrian or bicycle travel to the light rail station, and Penn North Metro Station is located at an intersection with a higher rate of car accidents, vacancy and crime.
How People Commute To Work How People Commute to Work
Travel Times on Different Modes
60% 40%
SETON BUSINESS PARK
20%
25 min
14-28 min
SETON BUSINESS PARK JOHN HOPKINS
Al C o Tr arp ne an oo sp le or d ta Ta W tion xi al ,M ke ot d or Bi W cyc cyc or le l ke , O e d th At er H om e
DOWNTOWN
ro ve
15 min
27-30 min
9 -18 min
15 min
27-31 min
DOWNTOWN
8-12 min
20-24 min
GREYHOUND/S. BALTIMORE 25 min
49-59 min
14-25 min
´
44
Existing Conditions
7-10 min
U OF BALTIMORE
Pu
bl
ic
D
49-59 min
JOHN HOPKINS
5-12 min
Public Transit
Data Source: Maryland Transit
Mobility City Initiatives There are a number of initiatives to improve public transportation and the pedestrian and bicyclist environment in the city. TowardZERO One of Baltimoreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plans to address pedestrian fatalities in the city and its response to the Vision Zero Initiative, which embraces a commitment to bring the number of people who die in traffic accidents to zero. (Baltimore City DOT, 2016). Safe Routes to School A national program to enouarge young people to walk. Green footprints identify routes students can take to walk to school, and events have been held to promote walking to school. John Eager Howard Elementary has participated in the program (City of Baltimore DOT).
BaltimoreLink A plan to redesign the public transportation system in Baltimore to make it work better for the people of Baltimore, focusing on the bus network. The primary focus is improving accessibility to jobs (Maryland Transit Administration). Last Mile Connectors Part of the Baltimore Link Plan, the city is investing in last mile connectors such as bike and car share. The city recently debuted the Bike Share program. Penn Station and Druid Hill Park are home to bike share stations (MTA). BikeBaltimore n 2015, the city updated its Bike Master Plan, envisioning a more comprehensive bicycle network (Baltimore City Department of Transportation, 2015). 46
Existing Conditions
Exising and Proposed Bicycle Routes Near Reservoir Hill
Goals and Vision Goals Metrics Neighborhood Strategies
Goals and Metrics
Water
Energy
Mobility
Health
Conserve water resources and reduce stormwater runoff to minimize pollution, improve water quality and decrease the burden on city infrastructure.
Model sustainable and affordable energy practices to reduce carbon emissions and cut utility costs
Enhance the pedestrian experience to encourage walkability, reduce autodependency and connect people to public transit
Improve health by activating public greenspace and build social capital
Managing storm-water through green storm water infrastructure
Build all new developments to passive house standards
Improve pedestrian environment around Reservoir Hill
Improve access to healthy food
Promoting green alleys program in all alleys
Incorporate energy conservation measures into rehabilitations of existing buildings
Activate the edges of Reservoir HIll
Encourage Walkability Encourage health home standards in rehab and new construction
Expand renewable energy when cost-effective
Retain first inch of rainfall within the neighborhood for new development Convert 30% of impervious surfaces to pervious surfaces Improve all alleys with pervious paving 50
Section Title
Achieve 80% energy savings for all new construction. Achieve 15% energy savings for all existing households.
Increase the percentage of residents commuting to work by public transit, bike, or walking to 50%
Support 50% of eligible residents to participate in subsidized energy efficiency programs
Current commutes by public transit, bike, or walking = ~27% (ACS 2010-2014)
Power 25% of households with renewable energy
Ensure â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;local sourcingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; agreements in all neighborhood establishments and school Guarantee all daily essentials within a 0.5 mile walk of dwelling units
Natural Systems
Use greenspace to restore and promote natural systems and habitats
Capacity Building
Encourage collaboration between community groups to build internal capacity and leverage access to resources
Equity
Create opportunities for workforce development and job creation to build wealth for the long term
Materials Management
Improve indoor health, reduce energy usage, and maintain historic character of housing stock
Protect vulnerable residents from displacement Create connections with green infrastructure Rebuild habitats for vulnerable species
Propose coalitional efforts between community groups to implement projects Leverage existing city efforts that align with community goals Implement programs to fill gaps in existing services in community unity, youth engagement and development
Increase functional habitat by 10% through restoring nonfunctional habitat
Create and sustain coalitions for 5 proposals and programs Increase community participation equivalent to racial breakdown to 100% Create and sustain 2 community-owned/controlled businesses
Encouraging cooperative models Incorporate affordability in new development
Encourage rehabilitation to achieve dry, clean, safe, well-ventilated, pest and contaminant-free, energy efficient, and well-maintained housing
Connect residents to Innovation District resources
Maintain 25% of neighborhood housing units as incomerestricted.
Rehabilitate 25% of historic neighborhood homes using the approach of Green and Healthy Homes
Interventions Building Guidelines Neighborhood Solar Alley Network Interventions Redefining Madison Park North Druid Park Lake Drive Madison-Whitelock Park Whitelock Street Community-Driven Implementation
Building Guidelines
Guidelines for Rehabilitation and New Construction How it works
de
Community Groups
pr ov i
de
Design Guideline for New Developments
target
target
Brochure for Rehabilitation and Preservation
The Rehabilitation Brochure targets residents who own historic houses. It provides a brief history of the neighborhood, reviews general rehabilitation rules, and guides residents to rehabilitation resources. The Design Guidelines Brochure targets potential developers who want to build new structures in the neighborhood. It sets up basic guidelines to help community groups review whether new development will harm the historic integrity of the neighborhood. Vision Reservoir Hill residents and developers should preserve and respect the historic fabric of Reservoir Hillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s building stock through efforts of historic rehabilitation and sustainable design. New construction, while fitting into the neighborhood massing and scale, need not replicate historic styles.
i ov pr
Introduction As a National Registered Historic District, Reservoir Hill has a rich historic fabric that deserves preservation. Accompanying this EcoDistrict Planďź&#x152;, there are two brochures that Reservoir Hill community groups can distribute to encourage residents and developers to abide by historic and energy efficient standards: the Rehabilitation Brochure and the Design Guidelines. Both documents are based on the Baltimore City Historic Preservation Procedures and Design Guidelines. In designing these brochures, the EcoDistrict Plan aims to communicate the central ideas of the official standards in a more illustrative manner tied to the Reservoir Hill context.
Residents
Education on History & Rules
Potential Developer
Guidance to Resources
Guiding Developers
Setup Review Standards
Guidelines for Rehabilitation Why is Historic Preservation important to Reservoir Hill? Reservoir Hill is a significant neighborhood because of its historic architecture. The neighborhood was initially developed with scattered country estates and later filled in with dense row homes characteristic of Baltimore in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is also closely associated with the history of the Jewish community in the early 20th century. Today, Reservoir Hill is listed as a National Registered Historic District and holds two local historic districts: Mount Royal Terrace and Eutaw Place/Madison Park. Six buildings in the neighborhood been individually listed under National Register of Historic Places. Why do residents need to implement rehabilitation? First, rehbilitation can save money through tax incentive programs. There are a variety of tax incentive programs at the city, state and federal levels that provide income tax credits equal to up to 20% of the qualified rehabilitation expenditures. Second, rehabilitation helps maintain community character. Rehabilitation could help build a stronger sense of community among neighbors and better recognition within the city. Housing typology in Reservoir Hill The architectural style of houses in Reservoir hill depend largely on the year of construction. Referring to the historic map of the neighborhood, the classic rowhouse is found mostly in the western and southern areas of the neighborhood, while the larger and more decorated rowhouses are in the eastern and northern areas. It should be noted that the buildings of Madison Park North, built during the urban renewal period, are not considered contributing to the National Register Historic District. Buildings within the local register district are encouraged to meet even stricter historic standards.
56
Interventions
Cover of Brochure
A QUICK GUIDE FOR
PRESERVATION & REHABILITATION in
RESERVOIR HILL
St h 29 t W es t
Druid Lake The figures below show the four historic housing types in id Park Lake Dr Dru Reservoir Hill, distinguished by their exterior features. PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
1910s-1950s
Callow Ave
w ta Eu
After 1950s National Registered Boundary
ue en Av
Newington Ave
e Av
St
e Av ok ro
St
Reservoir St
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
1900s-1930s: Large Brownstone Rowhouse Tile roofs with distinctive roof line
Bracketed cornices
Conical end roofs and third floor
Flat red brick building walls
1900s-1930s: Porch Front Rowhouse Highly ornamented third floor dormer
Projecting bay windows on first floor
Porches
Ex. 2239 Linden Ave / 2539 Madison Ave / 2200 Linden Ave
BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONA
Ex. 2133 Callow Ave / 2001 Bolton Street / 700 block of Newington Ave
Ex. 2418 Madison Ave / 601 Lennox Street / 2008 Mount Royal Ave
ED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
Marble steps
PRODUCED Rounded, squared and angled projecting bays
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL P
Arched door surrounds and sills Double wood entry doors Stone foundation walls
CHAP Boundary: Eutaw Place/Madison Park
1930s-1950s: Two-story “daylight” Rowhouse
Shorter and wider rowhouse
Enclosed front porches
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
ue
W North Avenue
Housing Typology in Reservoir Hill
L PRODUCT
CHAP Boundary: Mt Royal Terrace
Lennox St
Map showing historic development of Reservoir Hill
1860s-1900s: Classic Baltimore Rowhouse
Non-contributinge buildings to NR Individually listed NR buildings
Du
en Av ia
n va yl ns
n Pe
l te ca
ay sw es pr Ex ls al sF ne Jo
rk Pa
s ci
db oo W
o
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Hil
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uid
Dr
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Pl
Chauncey Ave
1890s-1910s
Lakeview Ave
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
Brooks Ln
1800s-1890s
Brookfield Ave
Hendler Ln
t hS
8t
t2
es W
Ex. 2112 Park Ave / 2134 Mount Royal Terrace
PRODUCED BY EDUCATIONAL AN AUTODESK PRODUCT EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK
UTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
General rehabilitation rules IDENTIFY character-defining features of your house such as roof, porches, doors, openings for windows and unique features before rehabilitation.
Masonry Residents should inspect for signs of cracking, spalling, open joints, movement, discoloration and interior dampness and identify the sources of problems. Residents should not cut new openings or remove substantial portions of masonry walls。. Waterproofing or other surface coatings that prevent masonry materials from breathing should be carefully avoided.
Roof: style, height, materials, roof lines
Cornice：: style, cornice line
Building’s Height & Width
Windows：: style, detailing, size, windows line
Doors：: style, detailing, size Porches：: detailing, depth, materials
UCATIONAL PRODUCT
PRESERVE character-defining features with minimal impacts to historic fabrics. Only replace elements when the original cannot be repaired or is entirely missing. Below area some examples of large alterations that should be avoided:
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDU
Original
58
Interventions
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
Change in window’s height and style
OPENINGS: Don’t change original positions
Wood Residents should inspect non-structural wood elements for peeling paint, open joints, water penetration, rot, fungus and signs of insects or animals. Early detection and action can avoid extensive and costly repairs later on. Try to protect existing structures from deterioration through repairing faulty flashing, leaky gutters and other sources of water penetration.
Change in door’s and porch’s style
Cornice Windows Bay windows Porches
Change in roof’s and dormer’s style
Change in materials of facade
Doors Railings
Sustainable Rehabilitation Residents should consider energy system upgrades when renovating homes. Energy conservation measures, such as caulking, insulation, and white roofing, can make homes cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Rooftop solar provides a local and stable source of clean energy. State and federal subsidies are available to reduce the upfront costs of these interventions. Once installed, energy efficiency projects and solar can save hundreds or thousands of dollars each year. Passive House Standards: Reservoir Hill aims to model sustainable building practices. When part of the historic building is too deteriorated to be fixed, replacements should be considered to include Passive House Standard in order to support Reservoir Hill in becoming an EcoDistrict. This may include installation of rooftop solar, high insulation of wall, high performance windows or air tight enclosure into the upfront cost of the development. This investment can be recouped through reduced utility bills and heightened property value.
Rowhouse with solar panels installed on the roof
Source: RichardPedrantiArchitect Illustration for Passive House
Resources that residents may find helpful for rehabilitation TAX CREDIT PROGRAMS Tax credit programs for historic rehabilitation provide owners of historic house tax credits equal to a certain percentage (usually 20%) of the qualified rehabilitation expenditure, as well as rooftop solar panels installation. For residents of Reservoir Hill, tax credits programs from the city, state and federal levels are available.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION EASEMENTS Contracted through public and private trusts, these easements can reduce taxes for property owners of eligible historic properties. Property owners can formally agree to maintain and preserve forever the architecturally significant features of their propertyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;sexterior in order to be eligible for a reduction in their taxes.
Flow Chart for Rehabilitation Process START Applicant revises for meeting requirement
Submission of application for authorization to CHAP
YES
Is your building within CHAP historic district?
NO
Is your building contributing to national historic district?
NO
YES
NO
Neighborhood association sends comments regarding to application
CHAP reviews for whether application is completed
You may start REHABILITATION followed by guidelines!
YES
CHAP issues authorization to proceed rehabilitation
Applicant applies for tax credits programs to cover 20% of rehabilitation costs
Follow design guidelines for any new development YES
CHAP reviews application for compliance with design guidelines
60
Interventions
CHAP holds hearing and decides whether to prove the project
NO
Applicant revise and resubmit the application
Guidelines for New Construction Introduction These design guidelines are for potential developers in Reservoir Hill. The purpose of these guide is to represent materials from Baltimore City Historic Preservation Procedures and Design Guideline, making these standards easier for developers and residents to understand, apply and regulate.
As show in the diagram below, any new development in Reservoir Hill should respect the existing buildings on the block: with respect to scale, form, and materials. Detailed explanations for each design element can be found on the following pages.
General Rationale for New Development Design Site Design
Form
Scale
Vacant Lot
INFILL
Construction of single-family attached dwellings on a vacant lot that takes up no more than 10% of space of an existing block
LOW-RISE
Adjacent buildings are rowhoumes
INDEPENDENT DEVELOPMENT
Existing Building
Construction of either single-family or multiple-family detached buildings on a vacant lot that takes more than 20% of space of an existing block
1 2 3
Construction of small ancillary structures
Front doors of adjacent buildings are facing same direction
4 5
Materials & Detailing
6 Building Features DIFFERENT ORIENTATION
MIXED ADDITION
SAME ORIENTATION
Adjacent buildings include high-rise buildings
7
Front doors of adjacent buildings are facing different direction
»»
1
New buildings should keep the same site orientation and setback as well as the same scale of adjacent buildings
4
INFILL / LOW-RISE / SAME ORIENTATION
2
INDEPENDENT DEVELOPMENT/ LOW-RISE / SAME ORIENTATION
»»
Vacant lots can be filled with either single-family attached dwellings or multi-family detached houses, as long as the orientation, setback and scale of the buildings are the same with buildings on adjacent block.
Construction of an ancillary structure for an existing building should take place in the back of the existing rows, hidden from main street.
ADDITION / LOW-RISE / SAME ORIENTATION
7
62
Interventions
5
»»
When existing buildings have different orientation on adjacent blocks, construction on vacant lots could be filled with buildings facing either side as long as it is consistent with the adjacent block.
»»
When existing buildings have different orientations, construct the ancillary structure on the side enclosed by the back of existing buildings.
INDEPENDENT DEVELOPMENT / LOW-RISE / DIFFERENT ORIENTATION
6
ADDITION / LOW-RISE / DIFFERENT ORIENTATION
»»
INDEPENDENT DEVELOPMENT / MIXED / DIFFERENT ORIENTATION
When adjacent buildings have a different orientation, new buildings should be consistent with the connected building.
INFILL / LOW-RISE / DIFFERENT ORIENTATION
»»
3
»»
When adjacent blocks have buildings with different forms, scales, or orientations, new development in the vacant lot could follow the features of either side, or a mix of both sides in terms of scale and form. However, the building features and materials should be consistent with adjacent building
Site Design SETBACKS AND PRIMARY DESIGN: Retain established property line patterns, street and alley widths, setbacks, primary and secondary building orientation, and landscape elements. In areas with varied setbacks, the setback for new construction should be within ten percent (10%) of those of adjacent buildings.
INFILL
BUILDING SETUP: The spaces between buildings help define the historic character of the neighborhood. Design new construction to follow the existing pattern of building widths and spacings. Primary buildings should have a similar orientation and relationship to the street as the adjacent buildings. OPEN SPACE: New construction projects should reinforce existing patterns of open space as well as vehicular and pedestrian circulation routes, fences, walls, yards, courtyards, gardens, and landscaping. New construction at corners or abutting public spaces require special consideration in the design of entrances and multiple, publicly visible facades.
Examples of possible implementing blocks: Between Lakeview Ave, Whitelock St., and Brookfield Ave (left); Block between Chauncey Ave and Linden Ave..
INDEPENDENT DEVELOPMENT
Source: Baltimore City Historic Preservation Procedures and Design Guidelines,
Examples of possible implementing blocks: Between Druid Park
Chapter 11.2
Lake Dr., Brooks Ln., And Linden Ave.
ADDITION
Examples of possible implementing blocks: Between Newington Ave, Park Ave and Reservoir Street
Scales and Forms SCALES: The scale of a new buildings is the relative size of the new building in relationship to its neighbors. Within the building design itself, the relative size of major architectural features, such as windows, doors, and roof elements, determines whether the building has a monumental or human scale. FORMS: The form of a new building is shaped by its height, width, massing, proportions, and roof lines. Reservoir Hill is zoned for R-7, R-8, R-9, R-10 and B-2-3, which allows single-family dwellings and multiple-family detached dwellings for maximum 35 ft high with 6.0 FAR and up to 9 buildings in a row. Developers should build new buildings to complement the massing of adjacent buildings, including the proportion of solid surfaces to window and door openings. Respect the characteristic rhythm, such as fenestration, bays, and roof lines of existing buildings. When there is a mixture height of existing buildings on the construction site, new buildings could use either exact heights of existing buildings or heights between high-rise and low-rise. SPECIAL VARIANCES: If there is a special requirement such as wheel chair accessibility, developers should minimize the visual impact of the installation by locating at the back of the building or the end of the row. Source: Baltimore City Historic Preservation Procedures and Design Guidelines, Chapter 11.3
64
Interventions
Building Height & Width W i Lin ndo ws e
Ro of L
ine
Str e
et L
ine
al
on iti s an e Tr cal S
Building Features ENTRANCE Connection: Design building entrances to enhance the connection between the street and the building interior. Pattern: Respect the existing pattern of building entrances when locating new entrances. Storefront: Design new storefront entrances that are compatible with surrounding commercial buildings. Porches and stoops: Design new porches and stoops that are compatible with the form, scale, and detailing of these features on surrounding buildings. In districts where traditional historic porch columns are prevalent, new columns should be constructed to be compatible with historic types.
Materials and Detailing Materials Building Material: Choose building materials that are compatible with the color, size, texture, scale, and quality of building materials used in surrounding buildings. Where a particular material is dominant within an area, utilize that material in the new design. Exterior Wall Cover and finish exterior walls with quality materials that are compatible with surrounding buildings. Traditional materials existing within the historic district, such as wood, brick, and stone, are preferred.
BAY WINDOWS Size & Style: Design new bay windows to be compatible with the length, height, and style of bay windows on surrounding buildings. Do not design new bay windows in areas where there is no historic precedent.
Doors & Windows Design doors and windows to be compatible with the placement, scale, type, and operation of doors and window and their openings in surrounding buildings. Design doors and windows to be compatible with the architectural character of the new facade and the surrounding buildings.
GARAGES Design and place garage entrances and doors to be compatible with surrounding buildings. Do not place garage entrances on the street side.
Passive House Design New buildings should meet passive house standards. Any added construction costs from meeting this standard will be recovered through reduced energy costs.
ROOFS Design new roofs to complement the orientation, pitch, complexity, and scale of the roofs on surrounding buildings. Locate and screen rooftop features to minimize their visibility from the street. Design cornices to be compatible with the height, scale, and articulation of existing cornice lines on surrounding buildings.
Brick Wall
Wood Dormer
Wood Openings
Masonry
Source: Baltimore City Historic Preservation Procedures and Design Guidelines, Chapter 11.4 & 11.5
Neighborhood Solar
66
Interventions
Benefits of Solar
Source: Sungevity Why Solar? In the context of global climate change and volatile energy prices, renewable energy should play an increasing role in the Reservoir Hillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s energy mix. Once installed, solar panels provide a carbon-neutral source of energy over a 25-year period. Only 4 of 1,405 households in Reservoir Hill are currently sourcing their electricity from rooftop solar installations. More residents could take advantage of the savings associated with rooftop solar. There are public programs to subsidize solar. The federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) and Maryland Clean Energy Production Tax Credit subsidize more than one-third of the cost of a solar installation in Maryland. Still, the remaining cost of up to $30,000 for a single house presents a major barrier for 68
Interventions
many (Project Sunroof 2016). In Reservoir Hill, 41% of residents live below the poverty line. Additionally, 79% of neighborhood residents are renters and cannot make improvements to their buildings (U.S. Census Bureau, 2015). A Solarize Campaign, Community Solar, and incorporating solar in new developments will allow Reservoir Hill to model sustainable energy practices and move toward the goal of powering 25% of households with renewable energy by 2030. Reservoir Hill should host a Solarize Campaign for homeowners, develop a Community Solar array on John Eager Howard Elementary School, and incorporate solar into new developments.
Solar for Homeowners Participants in an upstate NY Solarize Campaign
Source: Mason 2015 Reservoir Hill Solarize Campaign A Solarize Campaign is a model for leveraging residents’ collective purchasing power to lower the upfront cost of going solar. A neighborhood organization assembles households who want to go solar and identifies a trusted installer. This aggregation of buyers reduces customer acquisition costs for the installer and allows them to purchase equipment in bulk. The installer offers reduced pricing based on the number of people who sign up to go solar through their company. In past campaigns, installers have reduced costs by up to 35% for Solarize participants (Northwest SEED 2011). The idea of a Solarize Campaign is relatively new. “Solarize Southeast” was developed in Portland, Oregon in 2009, enabling 530 residents to go solar together, with a trusted installer,
Potential Savings from Solar Financing Mechanism
Savings over 20 years
Pay for it upfront
$25,000
Take out a loan
$9,000
Sign a Power Purchase Agreement
$7,000
Source: Project Sunroof 2016 increasing the number of installations in Portland by 400% over just two years (Northwest SEED 2011). The Reservoir Hill Improvement Council should organize a Reservoir Hill Solarize Campaign with a goal of supporting 100 new homeowners to install rooftop solar. Residents would be able to choose from three financing options: paying for the installation upfront, taking out a loan, or signing a Power Purchase Agreement. Taking into account the tax credit subsidies, residents can save between $7,000 and $27,000 from going solar (Project Sunroof 2016). By participating in a Solarize campaign, residents will reap even more significant savings over the lifetime of the panels.
Solar for Low-Income Renters Community Solar in Maryland Community Solar is another model that makes solar energy more accessible. By subscribing to a Community Solar project, participants are granted a credit for solar energy on their electric bill. A recent study found that more than half of Americans cannot install solar on their roofs, either because they cannot afford it, do not own their home, or have a shaded roof (Coughlin 2010). Because solar energy can be cheaper than conventional electricity, subscribers are often able to pay less for this solar energy than they would have otherwise paid for their electricity. Despite the many benefits of Community Solar, it is not legal in many states, including Pennsylvania. In 2015, Maryland passed a Community Solar Pilot legislation. Marylandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s program is unique in that it requires all Community Solar projects to include 30% low and moderate income subscribers. Groundswell is a nonprofit based in Washington, DC that builds support for equitable community solar in states where it is allowed. Groundswell identifies neighborhood-based sites within a low-income community that can host a large array and then recruits local residents to subscribe to it (Groundswell 2016).
The Reservoir Hill Improvement Council should develop a Community Solar in the neighborhood with a goal of providing solar energy to the low-income renter households, since they would not be able to participate in a Solarize Campaign. Subscribers to a Community Solar array in Reservoir Hill would save $200-300 a year on their electricity costs. These savings could increase significantly over time if conventional electricity prices rise, as is predicted. Proposed Site The new John Eager Howard Elementary School is an ideal location for such a Community Solar array. The Baltimore City Public Schools is currently in the process of rebuilding John Eager Howard as a 21st Century School. The new school building will be an innovative and energy efficient facility. Its roof will be new, large, and unshaded, making it a prime location for a solar installation. The proposed roof could host an 800-kilowatt solar array; this array could offset 100% of the electricity consumed by 80 households.
Solar on New John Eager Howard Elementary School
Source: 21st Century Schools 2016 70
Interventions
Solar on New Developments Incorporating Solar in Construction Construction is the optimal time to incorporate solar into a development. The cost of solar can be bundled in and financed as part of the overall development costs. The electrical system can be wired to make the roof solar-ready. Additionally, a new roof is an ideal site for a solar installation, since the roof would not likely require repairs or replacement during the lifespan of the solar array. This EcoDistrict Plan recommends the installation of solar on each of the new developments at Madison Park North, Druid Park Lake Drive, and the Whitelock Town Center. Specific Proposals for Solar Installations The anticipated production of the solar arrays on these sites is included in Figure #. The proposed Madison Park North development could host the largest of these arrays. The arrays proposed for the Madison Park North and Druid Park Lake Drive mixed-use developments would offset more than three-quarters of the electricity these sites are expected to use.
These calculations assume that these developments are built to Passive House standards. It is unreasonable to assume that the Whitelock Vertical Farm would meet Passive House standards because of the energy-intensive nature of a vertical farm. Additionally, the Whitelock Vertical Farmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s roof will be used for food production, so the proposed solar would be built onto the south-facing wall of the building. As a result, the proposed array for the Whitelock Vertical Farm would only offset about 10% of this buildings electricity needs. Savings The payback time-period is about 12 to 14 years for these investments. After the savings have offset the cost of the initial investment, these developments will be producing annual savings ranging from $120,000 at the Whitelock Vertical Farm to $3.2 million at Madison Park North. In addition to delivering significant cost savings, these installations will situate Reservoir Hill as a model of sustainable energy practices.
Solar on New Developments
Madison Park North
Whitelock Food Center
Druid Lake Housing
83%
10%
76%
Annual Savings
$240,000 +
$6,000 +
$45,000 +
Payback Period
10 years
14 years
14 years
Implementation Recruitment RHIC should combine a Reservoir Hill Solarize Campaign with the John Eager Howard Community Solar project to form an inclusive neighborhood-wide solar strategy. RHIC should organize educational events about climate change and solar energy to build interest among residents. RHIC should invite the 17 Energy Captains in Reservoir Hill to help with outreach for this project. RHIC can require that residents adopt energy saving measures in order to qualify for either the Solarize savings or a Community Solar subscription, to incentivize energy savings and help screen interested residents, RHIC should partner with the Baltimore Energy Challenge and Groundswell to canvas every household in Reservoir Hill, inviting them to source their energy from solar. If these two initiatives are successful, the number of households in Reservoir Hill sourcing their electricity from rooftop solar will increase from 4 to 184.
Solar installation creates new green jobs
Source: Baltimore Sun 2015 72
Interventions
To encourage the developers of the Madison Park North, Druid Park Lake Drive, and Whitelock Vertical Farm sites, RHIC should include solar in the language of any Community Benefits Agreements associated with these sites. Employment To ensure that the local economy benefits from these solar installations, RHIC should identify a Baltimore-based solar developer. This developer should hire trainees from Retrofit Baltimoreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s solar installation training program. RHIC could support Reservoir Hill residents to enroll in this training, so that they can join the green economy and help Reservoir Hill go solar. Prioritizing local hiring would create opportunities for workforce development and job creation to build neighborhood wealth for the long term.
Community Solar: How it works
Source: Loetus Creative 2015
RHIC should identify partners to implement this solar strategy
Intervention
Partners
John Eager Howard Community Solar
Baltimore City Public Schools, Groundswell
$1.6 million
Madison Park North Solar
Developer, Retrofit Baltimore
$3.2 million
Druid Park Lake Drive Solar
Developer, Retrofit Baltimore
$710,000
Whitelock Vertical Farm Solar
RHIC, Food Systems Management Entity, Retrofit Baltimore
$104,000
foundation grants and private equity
Reservoir Hill Solarize Campaign
RHIC, MD Solar Energy Industries Association
$20,000
grant from DOE SunShot Initiative
Cost
Funding potential investment by Community Energy investment by developer
investment by developer
From funding acquisition to installation Begin recruitment for Solarize Campaign and Community Solar subscriptions Acquire grant funding for Solarize Campaign, build partnership with Groundswell
Sign lease for John Eager Howard roof space Homeowner site assessments for Solarize Campaign
Homeowners sign contracts with selected installer
Finalize funding for Community Solar installation
Installation completed on John Eager Howard
Installations completed on 100 homes
Summary
This neighborhood-wide solar strategy will increase the number of solar-powered households in Reservoir Hill from 4 to 753. A Reservoir Hill Solarize Campaign would encourage homeowners to install solar on their homes. The Community Solar array on John Eager Howard Elementary School would make solar energy accessible to low-income renters in the neighborhood. Incorporating solar into the Madison Park North, Druid Park Lake Drive, and Whitelock Food Center developments will provide a precedent for other new construction in Reservoir Hill. These strategies will demonstrate that clean and affordable energy is a priority in this neighborhood.
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Interventions
Alley Network Interventions
76
Interventions
Alley Project Introduction Reservoir Hill’s alley network consists of 3.7 miles of impervious surface, which is a major contributor to the Baltmore’s stormwater runoff. There is an opportunity to modify this network in order for the neighborhood to reduce its contribution to the pollution of the Baltimore Harbor overall. Alley Typology The alleys can be categorized into 3 types: Connector Alleys, Community Alleys and Public Space Alleys. Connector Alleys are about 20 feet wide, and traverse the length of the neighborhood. Backyards are generally blocked from view by fences lining the alley. Community Alleys tend to be narrower, around 15 feet. They are are typically block length, and have a more intimate feel than connector alleys. Backyards along these alleys are less likely to be fenced in than those along connector alleys. Public Space Alleys are similar to community alleys in that they are
Goals There are two goals for Reservoir Hill’s alleys.: 1. 2.
Prevent urban storm-water runoff Create a welcoming environment in the alleys through beautification and programming.
The interventions proposed in Reservoir Hill would serve as a model for alley network improvement across the city to assist in improving the health of the city’s waterways and promote development of community. It is suggested that strategies to meet these goals be modeled in three alleys initially, and spread throughout the neighborhood as resources and funding become available. These target alleys were chosen because they are representative of the three types of alleys we identified and are connected to other projects being proposed in this document.
The Three Types of Alleys
W
es t2 9t
h
St
Vacancy and Greenspace Around Alleys
narrower in width and length. They differ from community alleys because they are adjacent to community and open spaces such as parks.
Druid Lake
t hS
8t
t2 es
W
id Park Lake Dr Dru Callow Ave
r Pa
St on t nS
ris or
St
Reservoir St
St
ue
n ve aA
Connector Alleys Community Alleys Public Space Alleys
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Interventions
W North Avenue
ue
as
M
l te ca
Du
n ve kA
M Newington Ave
Lennox St
ni
va yl ns
ve kA
n Pe
o ro db
W
re St
a rd Jo
e
nu ve lA
oo W
St
ck
lo
te hi
ay sw es pr Ex ls al sF ne Jo
e ac
Pl
ve nA
Hil
cis
an Fr
et
t hS
llo
uid Dr
Cu Mc
iso
d Ma
German Alley
Lakeview Ave
w ta Eu
Chauncey Ave
Brookfield Ave
Hendler Ln
Brooks Ln
Target Alleys Morris Street Alley: This alley is a connector alley that is 20 feet wide north of Whitelock Street, and 23 feet wide south of Whitelock Street. The alley slopes south toward North Avenue. MadisonWhitelock Park, which is proposed to become a space to learn about sustainability in gardening, is located along Morris Street Alley. The alley has the potential to strengthen the neighborhoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s connection from Druid Hill Park in the North of the neighborhood to North Avenue in the south.
Mason Alley
Mason Alley: This alley is a community alley situated between John Eager Howard School and the Town Center. This alley was chosen as a target alley due to its location. Mason alley has the potential to connect residents to these key neighborhood locations Triangle Alley: This alley is a public space alley. Within Triangle Alley is Triangle Park. While Triangle Park is a hidden gem in the neighborhood, most of the space is covered with impermeable pavement. In Triangle Alley there is an opportunity to improve the siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to retain water and improve the public realm.
Morris Street Alley
Triangle Park Alley
Green Stormwater Infrastructure
Case Study: Chicago’s Green Alleys
Introduction To address the first goal we propose the implementation of green stormwater infrastructure and interventions in the alleys. Installing pervious pavement, rain gardens and natural habitat plantings that retain water would reduce the amount of pollution making its way into the water system. This would not be the first project to target alleys to improve water quality. One project completed in 2014 is Blue Water Baltimore’s Blue Alley Program, a pilot project in two Baltimore neighborhoods. As a sustainably focused, transforming neighborhood, Reservoir Hill is an ideal place to expand the efforts of the Blue Alley Program. Permeable Pavement All of Reservoir Hill’s alleys should be installed with pervious pavement. In addition to reducing pollution runoff, it allows for the recharge of groundwater (Philadelphia Water Department). Pervious pavement can also filter rainwater as it makes its way through the pavement and into soil (Permeable Pavement Fact Sheet). Depending on the type of pervious pavement used, installing pervious pavement can reduce the amount of maintenance needed for pavement during winter months (Ballestero & Roseen, 2012). Permeable pavement and impervious pavements can be comparable in cost to regular pavement (PWD).
Pervious Cross Section
The Chicago
Green Alley
Handbook
An Action Guide to Create a Greener, Environmentally Sustainable Chicago
Printed on recycled paper, 30% post-consumer waste
Richard M. Daley, Mayor City of Chicago Thomas G. Byrne, Commissioner Department of Transportation
Green Alley Leader Chicago is a national leader in the adoption of Green Alleys. Since 2006, Chicago’s Department of Transportation (CDOT) has been upgrading the city’s alleys, installing permeable pavement to address issues of flooding within them. In completing their retrofits, CDOT also saw an opportunity to reduce the impact of the urban heat island effect by installing pavement that would reflect rather than absorb heat (City of Chicago Department of Transportation)(US EPA). As part of their effort to be more sustainable, they also used recycled materials in their projects and have installed lighting in alleys that emit less light pollution (City of Chicago).
Source: Minnessota Pollution Control 80
Interventions
Rain Garden
Source: Rain Gardens Across Land Rain Gardens & Natural Habitat Rain gardens developed with native plant species would assist in the sustainable absorption of water in Baltimore’s alleys. Open spaces are ideal locations for the installation of rain gardens and alleys should be lined with rain gardens where feasible. Residents would also be encouraged to install rain gardens on their property to receive runoff from their property and potentially from the alleys. This plan also encourages rain gardens designed as natural habitats for pollinators and native animals. This would contribute to the National Wildlife Federation’s work toward natural habitat restoration in Baltimore and Reservoir Hill, which is one of their priority neighborhoods (Baltimore: A City for the Birds). Reservoir Hill is home to several gardens certified as Natural Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation already. One of the aims of the project is to improve biodiversity in Baltimore (Baltimore: A City for the Birds). To complement this work, programming to teach residents about sustainable gardening practices would be encouraged. Residents should be encouraged to learn about gardening at MadisonWhitelock Park which we propose become a demonstration site for sustainable gardening and yard care practices.
Maintenance Rain gardens in the alleys need to be maintained and cared for. To promote residents developing rain gardens on their property and maintaining rain gardens in the alleys, it is proposed they receive credit toward the stormwater fee of their water bill. The city’s Department of Public Works credits people for participating in Stormwater Participation Events registered with the city. We would like to expand upon this opportunity to establish a standardized credit system associated with this project. Reservoir Hill Improvement Council should work with the city’s Department of Public Works to set up an attractive program that would allow residents to earn credit toward their stormwater fee for maintaining the alley’s rain gardens and developing rain gardens on their property.
Programming
picture (example)
Source: Asian Arts Initiative Introduction In Reservoir Hill there is opportunity to change how people view and utilize the alley network. Rather than being an afterthought, this is another space the community can gather in, and view as an option for traveling through. While the green storm-water infrastructure projects are community-wide, these projects are specific to the alleys in which the programming would take place. Safe Routes to School Mason Alley directly connects John Eager Howard School and the town center. The goald would be to encourage students to walk through Mason Alley to reach these spaces. Using initiatives from the federal Safe Routes to School Program, which John Eager Howard Elementary School has already been engaged in would be a way to promote students walking to school through this alley. A signed cross-walk would be installed at either end of Mason Alley for students, as well as footprints leading the path from the town center to the school. Walk to school days focused around the utilization of Mason Alley would be planned and programmed.
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Interventions
Pop-Up Programming In community, public and connector alleys alike, pop-up community events such as alley parties, potlucks and move nights hosted by residents or block groups can take place. These events should be held periodically. The initial events would be key to changing residentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perceptions of alleys. The proposed Community Coalition would encourage groups organized around blocks to hold pop-up events and provide logistical and financial support. The Coalitionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eventual role will be to be to provide support when residents begin to initiate events themselves. As an example, in Philadelphia, various actors have been working toward activating Pearl Street Alley. Part of their strategy has been programming the alley with pop-up programming events such as crafts activities, creating a temporary alley museum, and hosting a Community Feast, which is depicted on the following page, and other events that have attracted people from throughout the city (Asian Arts Initiative).
Mason Alley Location town center + whitelock farms
John Eager Howard School Source: Google Earth
Source: Asian Arts Initiative
Art Installations in Alleys To create a sense of place and beautify alleys, the plan proposes the installation of public art pieces in the alleys. To accomplish this, RHIC should engage an Artist in Residence with MICAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Community Art Collaborative to work with community members to create and install artwork. One of the alleys this would be ideal in is Morris Street Alley as part of the effort to strengthen the neighborhoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s connection to Druid Hill Park and the MICA Warehouse.
Phasing of the Alley Project
Establish Partnerships
Detailed Analysis of Alleys
Phase 1
Community Events & Informing Residents
Permitting & Gathering Funding
Installing GSI Interventiosn in the Alleys
Phase 2
Maintenance of GSI & Continued Community Programming
Phase 3 Image Source:: XXXXXX
Triangle Alley After Triangle Alley Now
Triangle Alley With Interventions
No Parkin in Alley Anytime
No Parkin in Alley Anytime
Triangle Park
Brick Sand Aggregate Base Subgrade
4’ Planter
20’ Park
15’ Alley
Stormwater Drainage Pipe
24’ Park
15’ Alley
Stormwater Drainage Pipe
Overview With the proposed interventions, Triangle Alley would offer a more welcoming space with increased vegetation. Rain gardens and natural habitat would improve and beautify the space. Neighborhood wayfinding signs identify and direct people to Triangle Alley. Pop-up events attract people to the space and signal it is there for them to enjoy. Water from rain events and other sources would be captured by rain gardens and pervious pavement.
84
Interventions
Interventions Applied to Triangle Alley
Morris Alley After Morris Street Alley Now
Morris Street Alley With Interventions
Morris Alley
Undisturbed Soil Subgrade
24’ Alley
Stormwater Drainage Pipe
Brick Sand Aggregate Base
5’ Rain Garden
16’ Permeable Pavement
Stormwater Drainage Pipe
Subgrade
3’ Public Art Installation
Overview The alley would have natural habitats and rain gardens along the edge. In lots with open space there would be rain gardens and natural habitat. Artwork in the alley would contribute to the beautification of the space and sense of place..
86
Interventions
Interventions Applied to Morris Street Alley
Mason Alley After Mason Alley Now
Mason Alley With Interventions
Mason Alley
Brick Sand
Back Yard 20â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Alley
Stormwater Drainage Pipe
Aggregate Base
20â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Alley
Stormwater Drainage Pipe
Subgrade
Back Yard with Native Plantings
Overview The alley would have natural habitats and rain gardens along the edge. The alley itself could have foot prints designating it as a Safe Route to School. Pop-up events, along with collaborative public art projects, would bring people living along the alley and the greater community together.
88
Interventions
Interventions Applied to Mason Alley
Redefining Madison Park North
90
Interventions
Existing Conditions History Madison Park North (MPN) is a large parcel in the southeast of Reservoir Hill along West North Avenue that is slated for demolition and redevelopment The site typifies the challenges surrounding “twice cleared communities” common in so many cities with a history of urban renewal. In the 1960s the site’s traditional rowhomes were deemed to be blighted. They were demolished and replaced with a privately owned and operated affordable housing complex. The site’s new buildings were inwardly-facing and low density. They entirely erased the existing urban fabric and turned their backs to W. North Ave. After years of disinvestment and mismanagement, Madison Park North fell into disrepair and became a key site for the drug trade
Current Building Conditions 92
Interventions
in Baltimore. It was known citywide as the ‘Murder Mall’ The city has once again deemed the area blighted and the existing buildings are slated for demolition. Location Struggling businesses, such as a day care, a liquor store and a fast food restaurant, line W. North Ave. to the east and west of Madison Park North. To the south, Madison Park South was a sister affordable housing site. It was demolished in the 1990s and replaced with a gated community of market-rate townhomes. These uses make W. North Ave. a barrier, physically and symbolically, and reinforce the disconnection between Reservoir Hill and its immediate neighbors.
Site Edges
Site Entry on North Ave
Existing Development Plan Madison Park is in a position to leverage the area’s strengths. It is located between two major transit stops and adjacent to a new MICA dorm. To the north of Madison Park North are pockets of great strength in Reservoir Hill: the Mutual Homes, the Reservior Hill Park and the John Eager Howard Elementary School. The challenge of the Madison Park site is to not only to activate W. North Ave. but also to weave in these elements of strength from the community.
MCB Development has purchased the site and is in the early stages of site design and has been engaging the community for input. An initial proposed site design calls for a primarily autooriented retail center along W. North Ave. The developer has proposed an Innovation Center, an incubator space that will serve as the physical headquarters of the proposed Innovation Village. The plan also calls for a large-footprint grocery store and is working with MICA to serve as tenant for some of the ground floor spaces and as a partner for the Innovation Center. SITE PLAN - NORTH AVE STREET LEVEL 27
60’ - 0”
- 0”
BUILDING C
[RETAIL - 14,200 sf]
130 + SPACES MARKET PARKING
12
14
10
310’ - 0”
4
BUILDING B [MARKET - 25,000 sf] 6
4
100’ - 0”
LOADING AREA
30
80’ - 0”
265’ - 0”
0’
- 0”
160’ - 0”
12
30
120’ - 0”
11
0’
10
BUILDING D
[RETAIL - 8,000 sf]
E
AC
PL
170’ - 0”
CALLOW AVENUE
E
NU
E AV
W TA
EU [RETAIL - 7,100 sf]
11
7
30
60’ - 0”
N
DE
ST
BUILDING A
[INNOVATION CENTER]
PARK AVENUE
ET
RE
OX
NN
LE
HOUSING LOBBY
LIN
RY TA N EN IO EM DIT EL AD D D AN WAR N HO TIO VA GER O EA REN HN sf JO ,000 90
[RETAIL - 10,200 sf] 180’ - 0”
208’ - 0”
NORTH AVENUE 05/05/16
Source: MCB Development
MADISON PARK NORTH - NORTH AVENUE SITE PLAN
N
0’
25’
50’
100’
Madison Park North Existing Conditions Bolton St
Mt. Royal Terrace Park
Lennox St
Madison Park North
Park Ave
e Av
Penn North Subway Stop
Reservoir Hill Mutual Homes
Callow Ave
en
nd
Li
John Eager Howard Elementary School
North Ave Light Rail Stop
North Ave MICA Dorms Former Madison Park South Site Currently Gated Townhomes Existing Office Health Center Tech Office
Existing Commercial Fast Food Liquor Store Laundromat
No south-side Street Frontage
Existing Commercial Daycare Center
Penn Station
Plan Overview MCB’s plan for Madison Park North does not use the site to its full potential. This Plan proposes an alternative design that seeks to better integrate the fabric of Reservoir Hill into the site and incorporate social and environmental sustainability. Working from some of the ideas proposed in MCB’s plan, this alternative proposal carries three major themes throughout the site: bringing back density, reintegrating Madison Park North with Reservoir Hill and W. North Ave., and creating green connections. Bringing Back Density The graph at right shows built density over time at Madison Park North. Our alternative proposal incorporates greater built density than the current site or the MCB proposal, but does not come close to the original density of the site. This proposal also aims to integrate mixed uses and mixed income residents, while maintaining the site’s 202 income-restricted units. In many cases when an urban renewal site has been redeveloped, it has been reconstructed with fewer affordable units. This plan for Madison Park North proposes redevelopment with affordability. The figure below shows that this plan increases the number of affordable units, and maintains the same unit break-down. One of the challenges of building in Reservoir Hill is that the local rental market is quite weak in comparison to the greater Baltimore market. This tension is reflected in the allowable rents in affordable housing programs, such as Section 8 and Low-Income Tax Housing Credits. As the graph at right shows, the allowable Section 8 rents and LITHC cutoff are higher than the market rents in Reservoir Hill at certain unit sizes. Accordingly, building with LITHC at 80% or even 60% AMI will not be affordable to most Reservoir Hill residents, and building with projectbased Section 8 vouchers could actually make the project more profitable.
Madison Park Built Density
Residential
Commercial
Institutional
Source: MCB Development, City of Baltimore
Madison Park Affordable Rents
Madison Park Affordable Rents
94
Existing
Proposed
202 Affordable Units 48 Two bedroom 102 Three bedroom
204 Affordable Units 50 Two bedroom 102 Three bedroom
Interventions
Reservoir Hill Market Rent
LITHC Eligible Rent (80% AMI)
HUD Fair Market Rent
Source: Trulia, HUD
Reintegrating with Reservoir Hill and W. North Ave. This alternative proposal develops the site with two orientations: neighborhood-facing and city-facing. The frontage along W. North Ave. aims to engage neighbors, like MICA and Bolton Hill and transform W. North Ave. from a barrier into a connecting point. The northern edge aims to integrate Reservoir Hill and draw down the energy from the neighborhood to W. North Ave. Stacked-flat rowhomes along the north side of the project are built to the scale of the existing neighborhood fabric and act as a bridge to the higher-density buildings on W. North Ave. Outwardly facing uses are sited along W. North Ave., including the Innovation Center, a commercial space, a grocery store, and a MICA dorm.
Creating Green Connections Green spaces would help to connect Reservoir Hill with W. North Ave. The existing Reservoir Hill Park should be extended into the site. This alternative proposal reconnects Bolton Street and Linden Avenue. This would involve rebuilding these streets through the Madison Park North site and replacing the cul-de-sacs within Bolton Hillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s market-rate townhomes redevelopment.
Themes of the Madison Park North
Connecting Through Habitat
Connecting to Existing Green Spaces
Neighborhood Facing
City Facing
Pushing Development Energy Further
Rebuilding
West
the Street Grid
Re-
Connecting
connecting to
to MICA
Bolton Hill
Madison Park North Proposed Site Plan
16 Spots
21 Spots
8 Spots 41 Spots
Continuation of Alley Park 76,180 sq ft of green space
28 Spots
Dorms 189 Units Grocery 20,000 Sq Ft
Complete Streets Plan North Ave
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Commercial 9,250 Sq Ft
Stacked Flat Row Homes 204 Units
23 Spots
23 Spots
64 Spots
Innovation Center + Market Rate Residential 60,000 sq ft office 60 units
Street Extensions Linden Ave & Bolton St
Building Programming Innovation Center Mt. Royal CDC launched the Innovation Village in 2015 seeks to spur economic development in West Baltimore by connecting residents to entrepreneurship and job opportunities. The effort currently lacks a physical headquarters and is in conversation with the MCB about building an Innovation Center on the site. This alternative plan incorporates the Innovation Center as a duel incubation and coworking space for entrepreneurs and a one-stop-shop for residents looking to connect with workforce development opportunities. In this way the space will seek to integrate two disparate forms of economic development: business development and workforce development. The Innovation Center should include cooperative economy initiatives as an integral part of its programming as a way
to insert wealth claims into the newly formed businesses., The Innovation Center should partner with existing cooperative business support networks, like Baltimore Activating Solidarity Economies (BASE) and the Baltimore Roundtable for Economic Democracy (BRED).
Innovation Center Building Programming
Solar Array
Market Rate Housing Co-Working Space
Nor t
Workforce Development Space & Communal Amenities hA ve
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rk Pa
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MICA Dorms The Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) is located near Reservoir Hill. MICA has been accepting more students in recent years. MICA still has a large gap between the number of dorm beds and its number of students. Madison Park North would be an ideal location to construct an additional dorm building. There is already a MICA dorm directly across the street from the site and, the MICA shuttle bus already circulates on W. North Ave. Integrating students into the Madison park North site could help with attracting viable retail and increase the financial feasibility of the site. There are also potential synergies with the Innovation Center.
MICA Enrollment and Dorm Beds 1993-2015
W. North Ave. Interventions In addition to the proposed development plans for Madison Park North, this alternative plan also calls for significant improvements along W. North Ave. as a way to complete the site and make it more accessible. Building off the West North Ave Streetscape Conceptual Plan. The street should be redesigned as a complete street to make W. North Ave. more pedestrian-friendly and environmentally sustainable. Removing Left Turn Lanes Left turn lanes are sporadic throughout the street and add to the streetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s confusion for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists. In line with existing plans for the street, this plan suggests removing all left turn lanes and replacing them with left turn arrows. Protected bike lanes with the removal of the left turn lanes comes additional street width, creating space for dedicated bike lanes. These bike lanes should
Madison Park North Site Circulation
Pedestrian Bicycle Auto 100
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be located on the inside of the parking lane for an added buffer of protection. Green Medians, curb cuts and bump outs There is an opportunity to build in green storm water infrastructure (GSI) to the medians, curb cuts and bump outs. Bio swales should be used to naturally filter and contain storm water runoff, which will reduce the flow to Jones Falls. The medians are currently 20 feet wide and are raised up to 4 feet high in certain areas. The existing trees should be preserved. The width and height of the medians make them an ideal location for sensitive habitat reconstruction efforts. This space should be used for habitats for pollinators, like butterflies and bees, who play a necessary role in neighborhoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ecological system. Research shows that proximity to traffic is not a concern for either butterflies or bees (Munguira and Thomas 1992, Hopwood 2008).
Before
After
Sustainability in Action
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1. Green Storm-water Infrastructure Green storm-water infrastructure (GSI) in dead spaces in site parking lots will capture run-off from the impermeable parking surfaces. GSI as a separator between foot traffic and bike lanes will capture and filter runoff from the roads and sidewalks.
4. Reusing Trees The site has a number of old growth trees that should be saved and replanted in the new green spaces.
2. Medians The width and height of the medians make them an ideal location for sensitive habitat reconstruction efforts. We propose building in habitats for pollinators, like butterflies and bees, who play a necessary role in neighborhoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ecological system
6. Passive House Standards All buildings on the site should be built to Passive House standards, this will include high-quality insulation, well-sealed doors and windows, and efficient ventilation system.
3. Recycling Concrete Existing concrete on the site should be reused as pavers in the new design.
7. Solar All buildings on the site should be built to Passive House standards, this will include high-quality insulation, well-sealed doors and windows, and efficient ventilation system.
Interventions
Sustainability at Madison Park North
1
6
4 1
5
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Implementation & Financing Because the Madison Park North site is so large and the redevelopment plan involves a number of different players, the financing of the project is quite complex. The table at right that outlines estimated costs for each piece of the project and potential financing sources and partners. Passive House as a Financing Mechanism This Plan recommends that all new development in Reservoir Hill be built to Passive House standards. There is evidence that building to passive house standards is essentially cost neutral, especially in larger projects (McDonald 2016). Below is a chart outlining the potential annual savings in utility costs for a number of the buildings in Madison Park North. Annual Cost Savings from Passive House Design Row Homes Market Rate & Innovation Dorms & Commercial
$489,000 $224,000 $362,000
Whole Project $1,076,000
Financing Chart Intervention
Partners
Cost
Funding
Affordable Rowhomes
Mt Royal CDC, MCB Developement, Baltimore Housing
$36,000,000
Project Based Section 8 Vouchers
Innovation Canter & Market Rate Housing
Mt Royal CDC, MCB Development, Beehive Baltimore
$18,000,000
New Markets Tax Credits
$31,000,000
Private Financing
New Markets Tax Credits, Other Reinvesment Fund Products
Dorms & Commercial MICA, MCB Development Grocery
Mt Royal CDC, MCB Development, Reinvestment Fund
$4,000,000
Green Space
Baltimore Parks Department, MCB Development
$1,000,000
Baltimore DOT
$5,000,000
TIGER Grants, State and Federal Transportation Funds
$96,000,000
Tax Increment Financing
North Ave & Street Extensions Whole Project
Foundation Money, City Park Funding
Passive Housing Saving Utility Costs
The beneficiary of the Passive House savings depends on ownership structures and who pays utilities. In project-based Section 8 voucher projects, it is common for the developer to retain control of the utilities and pay for them using a monthly utility allowance. It is common for developers to keep any excess utility allowance, so there is a strong incentive to build as efficiently as possible. This set up may be slightly different for the market-rate units, but savings could be retained by the developer in the form of increased rents. The Innovation Center tenants will likely pay a flat rate that includes utilities, in this situation, the savings will again be passed onto the developer. Similar situations arise in the dorms, and potentially for the commercial tenants.
Source: Curbed NYC 104
Interventions
Phasing Due to the likelihood of both funding and market based restraints the redevelopment of Madison Park North should occur in three phases. Phase 1: Rowhomes, Innovation Center and Basic Infrastructure The eastern rowhomes and the Innovation Center, should be the first built, since these are both cornerstones of the project and will help draw in energy from Reservoir Hill, the neighborhoods to the east and south, and institutional partners like MICA. The first phase will also involve the basic infrastructure upgrades on W. North Ave., laying the groundwork for the rest of the site, and extending Linden Ave and Bolton St through the site to Bolton Hill. This is estimated to take between 2 and 4 years. Phase 2: Dorms, Commercial and Park The second phase will fill in the middle part on the parcel by bringing in Phase 2 of the rowhomes, the MICA dorm building with the ground-floor commercial and, the completion of the alley park extension. With the Innovation Center in place, there is likely to be more pedestrian activity, which may help make it a more viable option for both commercial and dorm developments. This is estimated to take between 2-3 years that that it may overlap with the final portion of Phase 1. Phase 3: Grocery The smaller-footprint grocery store on the western most corner of the site should be the final phase, because there will be more demand after Phases 1 and 2. There may also be more synergies with the new residents of the dorms, rowhomes and, market rate building as well as the Innovation Center workers that will help make the store more viable.
Complete Site Design
Gather Initial Construction Financing
Basic Infrastructure
North Ave Improvements
Innovation Center & Rowhomes Phase 1
Dorms. Commercial, Park Extension, Rowhomes Phase 2
Rowhomes Phase 2
Grocery Building
Summary With its many moving pieces, this plan for Madison Park North successfully achieves the goals of redeveloping without displacement, transforming North Ave from a boundary into a gathering point and, integrating sustainable practices in a way that increases affordability and is environmentally sound. Because the site is privately owned and there are serious market and funding constraints, there is a chance that many pieces of this plan will not be able to be implemented. However, its main goals and strategies can be used as a preferred alternative to frame negotiations with the private developer moving forward. The history behind Madison Park North and the siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interconnected location make its redevelopment pivotal to the future of Reservoir Hill.
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Druid Park Lake Drive
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Reconfiguring the Street Introduction and Context Druid Park Lake Drive lies along Reservoir Hillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s northern border and is populated by stately historic apartment buildings, grand homes re-purposed for other uses, mid-size multi-family residences, and an income-restricted housing complex. It also includes two large vacant parcels currently available for development. The Drive borders Druid Hill Park, an exceptional urban park established in 1860, which offers 745 acres of open space. Its attractions include a lake, a zoo, a conservatory, and extensive hiking and biking trails. The Drive offers beautiful views of that park. In addition, the Drive channels storm water from the park and other surroundings into the adjacent Jones Falls.
in 1868, the arched gateway now offers little indication of the park that lies beyond, but has significant potential. Adjacent to the gateway is a historically significant Victorian commercial building currently used as a warehouse by MICA. Key interventions proposed for Druid Park Lake Drive and its environs are detailed in this section. The proposals are to: (1) narrow and reconfigure the Drive and key intersections leading to the drive , (2) develop the two vacant parcels on the Drive with multifamily housing and some ground floor mixed use, and (3) adaptively reuse the historic building adjacent to the Madison Gateway to create an incubator center.
The main historic gateway to Druid Hill Park sits on Madison Avenue, immediately south of Druid Hill Park Drive. Completed
Druid Park Lake Drive
Madison Avenue Gateway and MICA Warehouse
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Goals The goals guiding these interventions are: 1. Build connections between the neighborhood and Druid Hill Park 2. Increase safety and appeal for pedestrians and cyclists 3. Retain stormwater in ecologically healthy rain gardens 4. Provide new housing and economic opportunities 5. Enhance connections to local institutions. Challenges When Druid Hill Park was established in 1860, its boundaries were permeable and inviting. Horse-drawn railways and trolleys provided Baltimoreans ready access to the park and its extensive recreational opportunities. By the mid-twentieth century, however, those trolley routes were closed. Automobiles gained increasing importance, and the city built Druid Park Lake
Challenging Pedestrian Crossing
Drive as currently configured in the late 1940s. As historians of Druid Hill Park have noted: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The quiet lake was lost forever when the roadway was enlarged. The grand homes along the park still had a lovely view of the rolling hills and shining lake, but access became more difficult.â&#x20AC;? (Bowditch and Draddy, 2008). The divide between the neighborhood and the park intensified in the 1960s, with the construction of the Jones Falls Expressway to the east. Druid Park Lake Drive became a road engineered for speed, with highway ramps dominating its eastern end. It holds four lanes of fast traffic and offers only two pedestrian crossings, inhospitable in their design and length. Given its design, drivers predictably treat the Drive as an access route to and from the highway, rather than as the urban neighborhood boulevard it should be. The images below illustrate these challenges facing Druid Park Lake Drive.
Highway Ramps Extend into the Neighborhood
View into Reservoir Hill From Druid Hill Park
Potential At the same time that it poses challenges, the Drive has enormous potential. It borders a beautiful park, is fronted by generous green strips on its southern border, and offers a significant landmark gateway. Importantly, this particular moment in time is one of unique opportunity for the Drive. The city plans to reconfigure the reservoir in Druid Hill Park to create two underground tanks and to reduce the size of the open lake. The cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proposal is illustrated below (right). This slightly smaller lake will become open to recreation, heightening its attraction.
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This reconstruction of the tanks will require Druid Park Lake Drive to be narrowed to two lanes for a period of several years. (Interview with Baltimore City Planning Department, October 5, 2016.) This forced narrowing provides the perfect opportunity for the city and the neighborhood to narrow the Drive permanently. While undertaking this redesign, the city can work with a sensitivity to the neighborhood and ecology that was lacking in the road planning of the 1960s. This proposal details the ways in which the road can be redesigned to heighten connections to the park, welcome pedestrians and cyclists, and promote ecological management of storm water.
Changing the Circulation At the core of the plan is a “road diet” that will narrow the road and re-balance the relation between cars, pedestrians, and bicyclists. The following discussion details this road diet and illustrates its feasibility.
Plans to Bury Reservoir Tanks
Auto Circulation. This plan proposes to reduce Druid Park Lake Drive to two lanes – one in each direction -- along its full length, adding a left turn lane at those intersections that allow left turns. The revised auto circulation is illustrated below. As the city has determined that this reduction is feasible for the lengthy period of tank construction, it must also be feasible permanently and would help transform the Drive from a high-speed arterial into the urban, neighborhood thoroughfare it should be. Source: City of Baltimore, Department of Public Works
Narrowed Roadway
Bicycle circulation The space recovered by narrowing the lanes for cars allows creation of a 2-way cycle track along Druid Park Lake Drive. Protected tracks increase safety and ridership. As the National Association of City Transportation Officials recently reported: “Studies from cities across North America show that adding protected bike lanes significantly increases bike ridership on those streets, with rates ranging from 21% to 171%.” (“NACTO, 2016) As illustrated below, the proposed track runs along the full length of Druid Park Lake Drive and joins the existing bike path around Druid Lake. This plan also proposes protected cycle tracks along Park Avenue at the eastern end of the Drive, which would continue the protected track through the neighborhood
Bicycle Paths
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Interventions
to North Avenue and the site of the Madison Park North interventions.
Cycle Track
Source; http://www.smart-trips.org
N Charles Street
Area Bike Network n tow ters Reis
West 29th Street
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Druid Lake
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As seen in the map to the left, the proposed cycletrack would connect to core of Baltimoreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inner city bike path directly to the Jones Falls Trail, an 11-mile bicycle and walking path.
Dr
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Protected bike lanes
Pedestrian Circulation: Crosswalks and Paths
Pedestrian circulation Perhaps most significantly, the plan substantially enhances pedestrian access to Druid Park Lake Drive. As illustrated below, the plan adds three new pedestrian crossings over the Drive, each of which would be protected by a traffic signal. Because of the road narrowing, these crossings would be safer and more inviting to pedestrians. In addition, the plan creates new walking paths within the park to bring pedestrians from these crosswalks into the heart of the park.
Ecology: Storm water Narrowing the Drive also provides additional space for greening the Drive, as illustrated below. The plan proposes storm water rain gardens and bioswales for these new green strips, as well as the existing green strips on the southern edge of the Drive. These storm water plantings would use ecological techniques to collect and filter rainwater before it is returned to the watershed. This intervention would greatly improve water quality at this last juncture before entry into Jones Falls. The plantings would feature native species and would also be important hosts for
Stormwater Rain Gardens and Bioswales
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Interventions
pollinators vital to the local ecosystem. The plan extend these storm water plantings along the key roads leading through Reservoir Hill into the park. These plantings would (1) serve important storm water purposes and (2) establish green connections from the neighborhood into the park. The rendering on the facing page indicates how these green fingers make the Madison Avenue Gateway a far more inviting entry into the park, by signaling the wealth of green space beyond.
Whitelock Farm + Town Squar Sections Detail after The section below provides a ground level view of the proposed changes along Druid Park Lake Drive and illustrates the changed experience for pedestrians and cyclists along the reconfigured Drive.
Fig. # Section Locator 46'
12'
18'
17'
6'
10’
6'
10’
12’
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50'
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12'
50'
6’
9'
Section across Druid Park Lake Drive
before
after
46'
12'
18'
Greening of Madison Avenue Gateway
Plan Details The plan details below illustrate the changes at key intersections leading to Druid Park Lake Drive. In each case, curb bumpouts increase the safety and ease of pedestrian crossing by narrowing the crossing distance and slowing cars. In addition, stormwater rain gardens and bioswales animate the intersections and emphasize the green assets of the neighborhood. A rendering of the revised Madison Gateway in on the facing page.
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Eutaw Detail
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MICA Incubator: Case Studies The Proposed redevelopment of the MICA warehouse is based on similar projects in Baltimore and Philadelphia. Crane Arts Center Located in the formerly declining, industrial Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, the Crane Arts Center is a successful regional hub for artists and create-based businesses in Philadelphia. The 60,000 square foot building hosts 37 diverse spaces for studios, offices and galleries. The building’s redevelopment was led by two Professors from Temple University’s Tyler School of Art. After submitting a list of interested occupants, deposits and reservation agreements to the Reinvestment Fund, they were able to receive $4.2 million through the company’s New Market Tax Credit Program. The center thrives as a home to professional artists, graphic design studios and education non-profits (Reinvestment Fund 2007). Centre Theater This renovated 66,000 square foot theater, completed in 2015, is located on North Avenue just across the Jones River Expressway from Reservoir Hill. The site was redeveloped by non-profit developer Jubilee Baltimore, to serve as a home to MICA’s and Johns Hopkins joint film program, complete with theaters, offices and a variety of classroom spaces. To finance the $19 million project, Jubilee Baltimore received $6 million from The Reinvestment Fund’s New Market Tax Credit Program (Baltimore Sun 2015). Additional financing came from local, state and federal historic tax credits and energy efficiency funds from Bank of America, in exchange for demonstrating that the building would reduce energy usage by 25%. MICA Place Located in the heart of East Baltimore, approximately 2 miles from MICA’s main campus, MICA Place was opened in 2012 as a hub for the Institute’s Community Arts graduate program. The 24,000 square foot building contains two floors of seminar rooms, studios and gallery spaces where students and the surrounding community can engage in social and educational programs. The third and fourth floors contain apartments for student housing. The site also hosts the Center for Design Practice a joint program between MICA and Johns Hopkins. The upgrades and renovations cost a total of $1.3 million and were funded by the Rouse Company Foundation and the support of a MICA trustee (Baltimore Sun 2010). 120
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MICA Incubator Project Strategic Growth MICA has the opportunity to use the warehouse in Reservoir Hill to accomplish a number of the goals and fulfill the overarching needs addressed in its strategic growth document, The 2020 Plan for MICA. In the report, MICA stresses the need to create professional engagement opportunities for students and faculty by providing new small business programs and exploring the development of an Institute for Professional Development to serve as a source of advocacy and development in art and design sectors. MICA also
stresses the importance of collaborating with local organizations and schools in order to enhance the role of art and Baltimore and increase the quality and breadth of cultural programs in the region. In addition to seeking to foster interdisciplinary professional collaboration, MICA cites the need to facilitate the development of design and digital arts companies in particular within the region to enhance the economic and cultural development and create opportunities for current and future graduates.
Ma jor Goals and Themes in MICA’s Strategic Plan
Expand Professional Development Opportunities for Students and Faculty “Establish a master’s degree in enterprise/small business development"
Fostering Opportunity in Greater Baltimore through Partnerships “Goal: MICA has relationships that result in the social, economic, and cultural development of the Greater Baltimore Region and beyond”
Promoting Growth in Art and Design Sectors
“Facilitate the development of design and digital arts companies and resources”
Interdisciplinary Professional Collaboration “Our research centers and partnerships with diverse organizations and companies will allow MICA students to collaborate on realworld interdisciplinary projects that reach beyond our walls and actively contribute to the quality of our culture”
Develop Joint Programs with Local Cultural Organizations “Develop programs with Baltimore cultural organizations to increase quality, breadth and depth of cultural programs”
Strengthen Partnerships with Schools “Continue to strengthen MICA’s partnerships with Baltimore schools to enhance the role of art”
Incubator Space In pursuing this adaptive reuse project, MICA should continue to facilitate the economic, social, and cultural growth of its surrounding communities by collaborating with the Baltimore Innovation Village to redevelop the warehouse in Reservoir Hill as an incubation space for creative-based organizations. The site will feature two floors of offices, and shared workspaces that will foster the growth of arts-based organizations in Baltimore and create opportunities for students, alumni, faculty and local entrepreneurs. The MICA warehouseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s industrial, flexible and open environment creates the perfect setting to house offices and workspaces that vary in sizes and costs and are responsive to the varying needs of different organizations across arts sector
Working alongside the Baltimore Innovation District, MICA will be able to achieve many of the goals fulfill the needs laid out in its strategic plan, by encouraging inter-disciplinary collaboration, creating professional development opportunities and supporting the development of the arts and design sectors in the region. MICA and the Innovation Village should also use this opportunity to connect with local public schools through a new youth development program that matches students with internship opportunities. By participating in this internship program, MICA would not only strengthen its bond to local schools, but also provide students with valuable exposure to new educational and professional opportunities..
WAREHOUSE RENOVATION FINANCING Grant Opportunities The Reinvestment Fund New Market Tax Credits Baltimore Energy Initiative Loan Program Bank of America Energy Efficiency Financing
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Stavros Niarchos Foundation Rouse Company Foundation Goldseker Foundation Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation Baltimore Office of the Promotion of the Arts Maryland State Arts Council Creative Baltimore Fund
Tax Credits
Maryland Sustainable Communities Tax Credit Baltimore Historic Restoration & Rehabilitation Property Tax Credit Federal Historic Preservation Tax Credit
Development of Vacant Sites Two city-owned parcels located along Druid Park Lake Drive have been identified as opportunities for development. They are registered within the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vacant to Value program, a program where the city cleans and redevelops vacant and abandoned buildings in efforts to raise property values and increase local tax revenue. History The sites were originally developed in the 1920â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as 3-story apartment buildings. In the mid-1970s, the buildings became privately managed public housing. In the years to follow, the buildings experienced disinvestment, resulting in blight and building standard violations, until they were demolished in 1999. The parcels have remained undeveloped due to debt associated with their titles. In 2013 Baltimore Housing and HUD reached a compromise to lighten the restrictions in order to encourage
Druid Park Lake Drive RFP Development Parcels
development. Both sites are eligible for High Performance Market Rate Rental Housing Tax Credits, which require compliance with LEED Silver building standards. Zoning The majority of the neighborhood is zoned R-7 or R-8 favoring row house development. The properties along Druid Park Lake Drive are zoned R-10, allowing for more dense residential development overlooking Druid Hill Park. For multi-family buildings with over 50 units, accessory uses are permitted for up to 10% of the building. Allowable uses include office, personal service establishments, retail goods establishments and restaurants. The allowable FAR for the properties is 6.0, allowing for height ranging up to 12 stories, depending on the size of the building footprint. In addition to residential development, schools, daycares, places of worship, and open space are also permitted.
Development Programming The buildings will provide a surge of new housing stock at the northern edge of the neighborhood, which can reap the economic benefits from facing a large city park. The proposed structures will add 116 market-rate units to the Reservoir Hill housing stock. Both sites would contain market-rate residential units. The western site seeks to activate the corner of Linden Drive and Druid Park Lake Drive by providing 5400 square feet of ground-floor retail and office space. It is recommended that the corner space be established as a restaurant, while the adjacent space be used for office, potentially by RHIC. The residents of Reservoir Hill have expressed a desire to have a restaurant located within the neighborhood. Community-Supported Restaurant A Community Supported Restaurant relies on individual
members to invest in the restaurant in exchange for a determined amount of free or discounted meals. The model produces loyal customers and free advertising, and it reduces the need for investment from banking institutions. The model would provide residents and stakeholders with a direct voice in the type of restaurant that is established and the power to integrate the restaurant in a way that supports food systems and initiatives that currently exist in the neighborhood. The Community Supported Restaurant, coupled with the relocated RHIC office, would provide a community hub that would increase the presence of Reservoir Hill on Druid Park Lake Drive. The ground-floor retail combined with street improvements and programming of adjacent green spaces would create an active gateway for Reservoir Hill.
Druid Park Lake Drive RFP Development Parcels
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Community Potential Supported RHIC Restaurant Relocation Site
Western Site
(825 Druid Park Lake Drive)
Brookfield Ave.
Linden Avenue
Druid Park Lake Drive
Eastern Site (735-747 Druid Park Lake Drive)
Stormwater Park Plan
Druid Park Lake Drive
Linden Avenue
Proposed Stormwater Park The publicly owned green space in front of the western development at the corner of Druid Park Lake Drive and Linden Avenue has been identified as an opportunity for a park. The park would serve as a butterfly habitat and function as an open air gallery space conveying the history of the Reservoir Hill neighborhood. The strategic location of the storm water park would foster connectivity to Druid Hill Park across the street.
Linden Avenue Gateway
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Phasing Project Implementation The Druid Hill Reservoir Project is slated to take place in the next 4 to 5 years. The Druid Park Lake Drive Improvements could potentially take place along with the Reservoir Project. The improvements would provide momentum for the installation
Key Partners
of bike lanes on Park and Linden Avenue. The Western RFP parcel is prioritized before the Eastern Site as it is instrumental in shaping the gateway into the neighborhood.
Capital Needs Druid Street Neighborhood Improvements Bike Lanes
R HI C
West RFP Site
East RFP Site
DOT New Capital ImMarket Tax provement Credit
$16 Million
Reinvestment Fund
istrict
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Market-Rate Rental Tax Credit MarOrganiket-Rate zation ColRental Tax laboration Credit Historic Tax Credits
Proposed Timeline & Project Phasing Coordination between MICA and Innovation District
Druid Hill Druid Park Lake Reservoir Project Drive Improvements
Phase 1 126
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Grant-Seeking; outreach for tenants; development review for MICA Place
Park Ave. and Linden Ave. Bike Lanes
Phase 2
Construction of MICA Place
West RFP Site
East RFP Site
Phase 3
Overall Site Plan
Madison-Whitelock Park
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Existing Conditions
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Site Overview This 14,000 square foot park, nestled between the beautiful rowhomes of Madison Avenue, has enormous potential to become a gathering place for the community and an area for recreation and relaxation. Currently, however, Madison-Whitelock Park is rarely used, due to its deteriorating condition and its uninviting design. Since this park is owned by the Department of Parks and Recreation, any investment made in this site will have lasting effects, since this parcel will likely remain a park in perpetuity. The current layout of the park, with its tall concrete sculptures, brick pyramids and wooden stage, is the work of a redesign and renovation project made more than a decade ago by the neighborhood group Kids on the Hill. Kids on the Hill is no longer in operation and without regular maintenance and care, the park has fallen into neglect.
Community Interest Numerous residents have expressed interest in reviving MadisonWhitelock Park as a community space and a friends group is currently in the formation process. One resident has recently obtained funding from the Parks and People Foundation to repair pavement around the planting areas at the back of the site and plant new native perennial greenery. Other residents have expressed interest in making repairs to the surfaces and the play areas to make the space more child friendly. In early November, Reservoir Hill Improvement Council hosted a two-day clean-up effort to pick up trash, remove weeds, relocate and plant shrubs and mulch new beds for vegetation. This great work presents the perfect jumpingoff point to pursue a large-scale renovation to make MadisonWhitelock Park a more child-friendly space and a community center for Reservoir Hill.
Crumbling foundation and public art
Small garden by Morris Street, dense with plantings
Interventions
Design and Deficiencies In its current form, Madison-Whitelock Park mainly consists of impervious, concrete surfaces, with the exception of a small, gated garden area toward the rear of the park, along Morris alley. Although this garden is small, it is dense with plantings and healthy trees, and contains a small bench where a visitor can relax and read a book amongst the greenery. The small garden abuts a large blacktop area, which is absent of programming with the exception of a small wooden stage. The stage is well-painted and sturdy, but it is only very seldom used. The brick pyramids, which were originally designed and put in place during the Kids on the Hill renovation, were designed to be fountains, creating a splash park area for
children. The fountains, however, have been inoperative for more than ten years and the obstruction caused by the pyramids creates an area of limited activity. A small play area, surrounded by a low brick wall, contains numerous sculptures, in deteriorating condition and cement benches for seating. The low walls, unfortunately, restrict views of the play area from the street and unnecessarily restrict the free play area of the park. Throughout the site, there are numerous ledges that create tripping hazards for park users, with brick walls that stand below knee-height for adults. With the exception of a few healthy trees, the front of the park presents an unwelcoming entrance, with its expanse of empty concrete space and its uncomfortable, cement block seats.
Design Deficiencies of Madison-Whitelock Park
Under-utilized stage area
Non-functional fountains create area of limited activity
Ledges create tripping hazard
Disproportionately small green space
Crumbling foundations and features create unsafe environment
Uninviting entrance with uncomfortable cement seatsĂĽ
Redevelopment Vision Madison-Whitelock Park will transform into a showcase for sustainable land care practices, as well as a multi-functional public park, rich with greenery. By removing concrete surfaces and retaining all existing vegetation, including the trees throughout the site, Madison-Whitelock Park will not only become a more welcoming and safer place for recreation, but also an asset for storm water management and green infrastructure. The park will also serve as an educational space that teaches residents and visitors sustainable land care practices and connects them to valuable resources across the city, so residents can practice sustainable land care at home. Renovation In renovating Madison-Whitelock Park, all impervious surfaces should be removed, in order to create grassy open areas, more safe for recreation, more flexible for community events, and more effective for storm water management. Sustainability initiatives should be pursued throughout the redevelopment process. During renovations, all existing vegetation, including trees throughout the site and the garden abutting Morris alley, should be retained so they can continue to provide valuable services to the ecosystem. Rather than hauling concrete to a landfill, a portion of the concrete should be crushed and reused as gravel for a plastic grid pathway that can wind through the back garden. The remaining concrete should be recycled at a local aggregate and recycling center.
Native Plantings Garden 132
Interventions
Rain Garden
Programming Madison-Whitelock Park’s programming could make the site a catalyst for future green infrastructure projects throughout Reservoir Hill. For example, featuring a walkway of pervious paving connecting Madison Avenue to Morris Street will raise awareness surrounding stormwater management techniques and build support for the future greening Reservoir Hill’s alleyways. A native plantings garden, complete with identification signage, can model what types of vegetation visitors can plant at home to create beautiful, lowmaintenance, ecologically beneficial gardens. Rain barrels and a rain garden should be prominently featured near the entrance on Madison Avenue to demonstrate how to keep stormwater on site and prevent contamination of the city’s waterways. Leaf mulching and a bin for food composting should be featured near the rear, creating compost for the park’s use and modeling the practice for residents. The park’s programming should be appropriate for visitors of all ages. Benches, picnic tables and checkers tables should be installed in order to foster a community gathering space. The southern building’s wall can be used during warmer weather for movie screenings. In areas previously covered in crumbling concrete, visitors of all ages can enjoy open recreation in a safe, inviting, and green-filled community space..
Reused Crushed Concrete
Leaf Mulching
Proposed Programming for Madison-Whitelock
Alleyway connectivity Composting
Leaf mulching
MICA art installations
Native plantings garden
Reused crushed concrete for pathways
s
ou
vi
r Pe Film screenings
t en
m ve pa
Picnic benches & checkers tables
Environmental science projects
Maintained open space Rain garden Rain barrels Retain existing vegetation
Collaboration Classes and after-school groups from John Eager Howard Elementary School should be encouraged to visit and partake in environmental science projects on the site to learn more about the park’s ecology and the environmental services provided by the park’s amenities, such as the rain garden and the native species garden. Environmental science projects and visits will complement lessons from the school’s new farming initiative, allowing students to further explore earth sciences. Baltimore Recreation and Parks and the new friends of Madison WhitelockPark group should engage MICA students to partake in the site’s programming and to help awareness of sustainability issues. The friends group can invite students within MICA’s “Sustainability and Social Practice” concentration to propose temporary installations, such as sculptures, performance pieces or interactive exhibits as well as permanent installations, such as murals, that focus on education surrounding environmental science and sustainability.
Phasing Phase 1: Community Outreach and Site Design The Reservoir Hill Improvement Council should continue to facilitate the formation of a Friends Group for Madison-Whitelock Park. Members of this Friends Group should be a diverse group of residents who will serve both as stewards for the park to ensure that the space is well-maintained and organizers for community events, to help make the space a recreational hub for Reservoir Hill. Working alongside the Baltimore Department of Recreation and Parks, and a professional landscape architect, the Friends Group should refine design plans for renovated site by holding community meetings with charrettes. Phase 2: Coordinate Management, Partnerships and Funding Reservoir Hill Improvement Council and the friends group should draft a long-term park management plan with the Department of Recreation and Parks in order to ensure the park remains wellmaintained. RHIC will assist the friends group with outreach for funding by helping draft grants to the Parks and People Foundation and Blue Water Baltimore to secure funds for plantings, pervious paving, and concrete removal. The friends group could also reach out to faculty and administrators at John Eager Howard Elementary School and MICA in order to establish partnerships and discuss future programming opportunities. Phase 3: Coordinate Management, Partnerships and Funding Once adequate funding and partnerships are secured, the Department of Recreation and Parks could begin the process of removing all of the concrete from Madison-Whitelock Park and installing sustainable land care features throughout the site. Once renovations are complete and the site is officially re-opened to the public with a community event, the friends group will begin organizing regular community events and implement programs in collaboration with MICA and John Eager Howard Elementary School.
Conduct outreach to form friends group 134
Interventions
Refine plans with community input
Strategize management with Recreation and Parks
Intervention
Partners
Cost
Concrete Removal
Recreation and Parks, Reservoir Hill Improvement Council, Friends of MadisonWhitelock Park
$28,000
Porous Concrete
Recreation and Parks, Reservoir Hill Improvement Council, Friends of MadisonWhitelock Park
$7,000 - $11,000
Concrete Recycling
Recreation and Parks, Reservoir Hill Improvement Council, Friends of MadisonWhitelock Park
New Sod
Recreation and Parks, Reservoir Hill Improvement Council, Friends of MadisonWhitelock Park
Rain Garden
Recreation and Parks, Friends of MadisonWhitelock Park, Blue Water Baltimore
Native Plantings Garden
Recreation and Parks, Friends of MadisonWhitelock Park, Herring Run Nursery
Outreach for funding and securing partnerships
$1,800
$7,000
$1,500 - $2,000
Demolition and reconstruction
$6,000
Funding
Parks and People Foundation, Blue Water Baltimore, Recreation and Parks, Fundraising
Parks and People Foundation, Blue Water Baltimore, Recreation and Parks, Fundraising
Parks and People Foundation, Blue Water Baltimore, Fundraising
Parks and People Foundation, Blue Water Baltimore, Recreation and Parks, Fundraising
Blue Water Batimore, Parks and People Foundation
Blue Water Baltimore, Parks and Peple Foundation, Baltimore Community Fund
Coordinate routine maintenance and engagement with local institutions
Whitelock Street
136
Interventions
Whitelock Food Center + Town Center Plaza
Building upon existing natural and organizational resources to create an integrated food system that employs creative placemaking to forge physical and social connections that support community health, education, skill building, youth engagement, economic activity, and local employment.
Growing from the existing Whitelock Community Farm and building upon the strength and capacity of both the Reservoir Hill Improvement Council and West Baltimore Innovation District, the Whitelock Food Center will incorporate four different forms of 138
Interventions
food production while engaging local residents in educational and community activities. The Whitelock Food Center site will include an expanded urban farming operation, complete with a rooftop farm and an annual harvest from scattered orchard trees integrated throughout Reservoir Hill. Anchoring the Whitelock Food Center will be a two-story building hosting a shared-use commercial kitchen, serving as both an incubator and accelerator for startup businesses on the ground floor, along with a private vertical farm on the second level. This new building will re-introduce commercial activity onto Whitelock Street, while supporting a rooftop urban farm, solar-power installations, and a public community town center (Town Center Plaza) available for both daily use and community events. The existing Reservoir Hill Community Garden will remain as this asset currently serves residents growing their own produce.
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Introduction The above vision for the Whitelock Food Center stems from observations of existing conditions within Reservoir Hill. Reservoir Hill is served by only a single restaurant (Dovecote) and just a handful of independent stores. none of which offer a significant selection of healthy produce. After years of disinvestment, many of Reservoir Hillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most promising assets are currently underutilized. Reservoir Hill has nearly three acres of unused open spaces that could support the neighborhood. Beyond physical conditions, many of Reservoir Hillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s organizations could benefit from the capacity added by collaborating on an integrative project.
Cafe / Restaurant
St
Food & Services W es t2 9t h
Farm / Garden
Druid Lake
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St
W
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llo
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et
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Safeway (1 mi.)
en Av ia
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Shoppers (1 mi.)
ue
W North Avenue
Save-a-Lot (.75 mi.)
Save-a-Lot (1 mi.)
Building Common Space Tying Local Production to Local People Showcasing the inner workings of the Whitelock Food Center, the existing town center will be transformed into a permanent public space for everyday activity as well as for community, educational, and food system events. Bridging the connection between this planned Town Center Plaza and the Reservoir Hill community, a functioning food service window will allow for the sale of locally made food products from business startups operating within the shared-use commercial kitchen space along with produce from the privately run vertical farm. A Woonerf-style streetscape will be applied to Whitelock Street, allowing for a smooth transition between all farming sites, the Whitelock Food Center, Town Center Plaza, and the St. Francis Community Center.
Section of Brookfield and Town Center Plaza
140
Interventions
Section of Whitelock Street
Whitelock Food Center Introduction Situated as the centerpiece of the neighborhood food system, the Whitelock Food Center will encompass four unique forms of agricultural activity. These four agricultural methods are designed to create a fully operable neighborhood food production system whereby local resources are used to support the dietary needs of Reservoir Hill residents while also providing for some of the resources required by the food-based business startups renting commercial kitchen space. To develop the Whitelock Food Center, an innovative collaboration between the existing Reservoir Hill Improvement Council, the Baltimore Innovation District, and the Whitelock Community Farm will be necessary.
Anchoring the ground floor of the Whitelock Food Center will be a shared-use commercial kitchen operating as a entrepreneurial incubator and business accelerator. On the second floor, a privately run vertical farm will operate according to a community benefits agreement including discounted rent in exchange for neighborhood employment and the production of local produce available at an affordable price. Atop the Whitelock Food Center will be a rooftop urban farm to be maintained by the food systems management entity outlined in detail later within this section. This rooftop farm will provide for additional growing space to support the neighborhood food production system.
Rooftop Farm
Vertical Farm
Commercial Kitchen
142
Interventions
Commercial Kitchen Incubator & Accelerator Occupying the full first floor of the Whitelock Food Center will be a shared-use commercial kitchen designed for the incubation and acceleration of food product businesses. The shared-use commercial kitchen will provide three rental business incubation and/or acceleration spaces enabling food-based businesses. As a fundamental element of the commercial kitchenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s approach to supporting business development, partnerships with the the Baltimore Innovation District and local universities will be employed to provide job training and entrepreneurship support. Products provided through the commercial kitchen will be sold at the Whitelock Food Center site as well as to neighborhood businesses. as well as additional outlets across the Baltimore Metropolitan Area and beyond. Taking into account cost and affordability considerations, the non-profit food systems management entity tasked with the development and oversight of the Whitelock Food Center will ensure that the final food products are price adjusted for the median household income of Reservoir Hill. Vertical Farm Located entirely within the second floor of the Whitelock Food Center and covering approximately 14,000 square feet, a private vertical farm will operate to grow leafy vegetables along with other produce that can be grown within the controlled environment of either an aeroponic or hydroponic vertical farm. With 52,500 square feet (1.2 acres) of space, this high yield vertical farm is expected to be a profitable venture. The profitability of vertical farming, which is becoming more commonplace, will provide for a match of private investment to support the development of the overall Whitelock Food Center. Although a non-profit neighborhood food system management entity will engage in a capital campaign to develop and ultimately become the landlord and property manager of the Whitelock Food Center, a private vertical farming provider
will be brought into the projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development as a key financing partner. Several additional factors should contribute to the profitability of the vertical farm. First, the vertical farm will exist on the second floor of a two-unit commercial/industrial building with a commercial kitchen on the first floor. This combination will allow for some of the vertical farmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s building cost to be subsidized through the same financial vehicles as used for the commercial kitchen. Second, the private provider recruited to run the vertical farming operation will be granted a reduced price for rent. Savings from the cost of rent and facility development will be carried forward through a benefits agreement to ensure that the vertical farming operation will provide community educational activities, affordable produce prices, and the hiring of neighborhood residents when possible. Outdoor Urban Farms, Rooftop Farm, & Orchard Sites On three adjacent sites, urban farming activities will be employed to grow produce. Produce will continue to be sold (as Whitelock Community Farm already demonstrates) within Reservoir Hill at the site of the existing Whitelock Community Farm as well as to tenants of the commercial kitchen space planned for the Whitelock Food Center. The three adjacent sites, encompassing one-and-a-quarter acres, will accommodate a full acre of outdoor growing space along with approximately 1.2 acres (52,500 growable square feet) of high yield vertical farm space to produce leafy vegetables and specified berries and root vegetables. The combination of these farming spaces will amount to approximately 2.2 acres of growable space with more than half of this capacity serving as high yield indoor vertical agriculture.
Building on Existing Assets to Harness Local Resources
An Innovative Partnership To bring together Reservoirâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hill existing resources and natural assets, a food system management entity will be created to develop, oversee, and manage the neighborhood food production system. This unique non-profit organization will be forged through a partnership between existing organizations including the Reservoir Hill Improvement Council, the Baltimore Innovation District, Whitelock Community Farm, and the St. Francis Neighborhood Center. Phases of Development The development of the Whitelock Food Center and neighborhood food production system will be completed in phases. The first phase will encompass a series of activities geared toward setting the stage for larger capital development 144
Interventions
projects. The first step within this phase will be to form a food system capital development strategy. Once this strategy is complete, the next step will be to organize necessary partnerships. Once partnerships are organized, all involved entities must pitch the food system capital development strategy to the City of Baltimore in an effort to secure the necessary parcels for the Whitelock Food Center and adjacent farms. In conjunction with this step, funding must be secured in order to relocate German Park facilities as well as for the construction of the Woonerf treatment of Whitelock Street. Once these funds and agreements are secured, the relocation of necessary German Park facilities must occur along with the Woonerf construction. Also in conjunction with this step, financial plans for the expansion of the outdoor farms must be
Flow of Production for Community Benefit Land
Capital + Labor
Management
Employees Equipment Supplies Admin
Urban Farms
Vertical Farm
Private Orchards
Public Orchards
Capital + Labor
Funding Staff Volunteers Partners
Food System Management Organization
Private Lease Admin Space Partners Space Lessees
developed. As a final component of phase one, funding for the expansion of the outdoor farming sites must be secured. The second development phase of the Whitelock Food Center project involves partnering with a private investor to secure capital funding. The first step of this process is to partner with a private vertical farming business. This partnership should include an agreement for securing financial investment from the private vertical farm provider. Once these two steps have been put into place, a donor campaign can be implemented to secure the gap financing necessary to support an additional matching
Operations
Urban Outdoor Farms
Outputs
Produce to Sell
Ingredients
Vertical Farm Lessee
Comm. Kitchen Incubator + Accelerator
Community Benefits Healthy Food Options
Skill Building + Education + Youth Engagement
Food Products
Strengthened Partnerships & Local Assets
Business Start Ups
Business Development + Local Jobs
resource. Once both investments and donations are secured, a full fledged grants campaign can be employed to secure remaining capital. Once the necessary amount of capital financing is secured, the final phase of development is to oversee the construction of the Whitelock Food Center. After completion, the food system management entity will monitor the flow of resources as demonstrated within the figure above.
Whitelock Food Center Operations How it All Works The food systems management entity tasked with operating the Whitelock Food Center will be in charge of overseeing three different agricultural functions. First, the outdoor and rooftop farms, along with the scattered orchard sites, will serve as productive lands in which produce will be sold to generate income. The vertical farm will run out of the Whitelock Food Center and be operated by a private business investor. Second, in addition to generating income from produce sales, this business will be required to provide for educational and
workforce training opportunities for those living within Reservoir Hill. As the third and final function, the shared-use commercial kitchen will operate for the purpose of fostering new businesses, which will have the opportunity to generate income from food product sales. In exchange, the commercial kitchen will collect rent payments along with a small commission on food product sales. The chart below shows operations estimates for the Whitelock Food Center, and the diagram at right summarizes the overall neighborhood food system.
Estimated Operation Expenses and Income for the Whitelock Food Center System Component
Estimated Expenses
Estimated Income
Urban Farm, Orchard Spaces, & Rooftop Farm
Operations1 - Employees - Fringe/Tax/Insurance - Seasonal Harvest - Supplies/Bees/Vehicle - Utilities/Maint./Admin. Operations Total
Sales2 Produce - CSA - Markets - Commercial Kitchen - Mobile Market Sales Total
$125,000 $36,000 $22,500 $29,500 $7,500 $149,000
Operating Balance $80,000
$80,000
-$69,000
Commercial Kitchen
Real-Estate
Operations1 - Employees - Fringe/Tax/Insurance - Ingredients - Utilities/Misc./Maint./ Admin. Operations Total
$35,000 $12,500 $26,000 $36,000 $109,500
Rent & Sales3 Food Product Sales Community Events Rent Contracts Rent & Sales Total
$15,000 $3,000 $189,000 $207,000
Rent1 Commercial Lease
Operations $46,000 $100,000 - Fringe/Tax/Insurance $21,000 $67,000 Rent Total $100,000 - Utilities/Misc./Maint./ Admin. 1 - Estimates based on market conditions and comparables analyzed during 2016. Total 2 - Based on a report from GlobalOperations Green (2012). Urban Agriculture: Feasibility Study for Youngstown, OH. 1
146
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$97,500
Cumulative Balance 501(c)3 $61,500
Whitelock Food Center Summary Equity
Food System Management Organization [501(c)3]
Production
y
Co
m
m
y om
un ity
on Ec
Commercial Kitchen Incubator + Accelerator
Income from Lease Agreements / Contracts & Produce / Food Product Sales
Id en tit
May opt to be the same 501(c)3 Non-Profit
Vertical Farm Lessee [Private]
lth
Urban Outdoor Farms (Ground + Rooftop + Orchards)
a He
En vi ro nm
en t
A larger urban farming operation
Businesses
Educational
Revenue Neighborhood
Capacity
Community-Driven Implementation
148
Interventions
Existing Conditions Introduction There are multiple community groups that operate in Reservoir Hill with individual visions and goals. Currently, they engage residents, carry out community fairs, promote redevelopment and perform a host of other duties that speak to the concerns of the residents of Reservoir Hill. However, there are multiple groups performing similar roles in the neighborhood and competing for the same resources. In addition, the groups operate at different scales and have different levels of capacity to take on projects in Reservoir Hill. Due to the challenges of operating community groups in such an environment this proposal creates a framework of cooperation between the groups and proposes projects that will build resident support.
Understanding the community groups In order to understand the current operations of the neighborhood groups, three components were examined: current programs, capacity and collaborative ties. The figure below shows a breakdown of the programs hosted by all the groups operating in Reservoir Hill. The four circles to the left show the main focus areas of the groups. These were determined by analyzing the visions of the groups for recurring words and themes. Within the four larger themes, the programs hosted by neighborhood groups were broken down into five categories. Defined focus areas can help determine how community groups can capitalize on their strengths to create cohesive projects. For example, St. Francis Neighborhood Center focus on youth can be combined with Block Group Associationsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; work with health and environment to engage youth in the upkeep of the neighborhood.
unity
Mount Royal CDC New Lens
Community
No Boundaries Coalition
activity
Reservoir Hill Improvement Council Community
St. Francis Neighborhood Center
development
Friends of Reservoir Hill JEH Recreation Center Youth development
150
Interventions
Whitelock Community Farm
H En e a l vi th ro & nm en t
C En u l t u r i c ra hm l en t
ty ili ob M
H Em o u s pl ing oy & m en t
Community
Ba
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Current Programs
Capacity of groups
NEW LENS
ARIES COA LITI OUND B ON O N R O T Y N A L CD MOU C BLOCK ASSOCIATIONS
ST. FRANCIS NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER RESERVOIR HILL IMPROVEMENT COUNCIL
JEH RECREATION CENTER
FRIENDS OF RESERVOIR HILL
WHITELOCK COMMUNITY FARM
IN FOR OF, INC
Shading shows capacity on a scale of 1 (low) to 5 (high) Size of circle = size of organization
The figure ‘Capacity of groups’ shows a diagrammatic representation of the capacity of community groups in Reservoir Hill. The groups capacity is identified on a scale of 1 to 5, as indicated by green shading. The size of the circle is representative of the size of the organization. The three circles beyond the red dashed line work in Reservoir Hill and other neighborhoods. Capacity of the community groups was determined on the basis of number of current programs, full-time an volunteer staff and financials. RHIC and St. Francis Neighborhood Center have the highest capacity which is evident in the programs they run and the scope of their influence on the neighborhood. St. Francis Neighborhood Center is undergoing expansion in the next five years that will increase their physical space and the number of youth they work with. Partnerships with groups with lower capacity can prevent RHIC and St. Francis Neighborhood Center from having to dramatically increase their
Collaborative links FRIENDS OF RESERVOIR JEH
HILL
BLOCK ASSOCIATIONS NO BOUNDARIES COALITION
RECREATION CENTER
MOUNT ROYAL CDC
RESERVOIR HILL IMPROVEMENT COUNCIL
ST. FRANCIS NEIGHBORHOOD
NEW LENS
CENTER WHITELOCK COMMUNITY FARM 152
Interventions
IN FOR OF, INC
capacity and can help the smaller groups capitalize on the strengths of the larger groups. The figure below shows current alliances between organizations that operate in Reservoir Hill. The line weight shows the frequency of collaboration. that was judged by the number of jointly run programs. JEH Recreation Center, RHIC and St. Francis Neighborhood Center have strong links with one another which is evident in the community fairs and events hosted by them. RHIC and St. Francis Neighborhood Center have forged great connections with groups within Reservoir Hill and outside however links with organizations outside of Reservior Hill are much weaker. Strengthening these bonds can benefit the neighborhood groups by increasing their access to resources and gaining additional capacity to implement site projects.
Reservoir Hill should encourage collaboration between community groups to build internal capacity and leverage access to resources through creating coalitions between community groups, leverage city efforts to align with community goals and implement programs to fill gaps in existing services.
Needs assessment of site projects Today, the community groups work to benefit the residents of Reservoir Hill in various ways. The aim of community-driven implementation is to ensure that they are able to continue thier work in the future. The figure below shows the demand of site projects on existing and new resources, While current practices can be continued and reconfigured to adopt some of the demands of the proposals, a large portion of them require new resources. Keeping in mind existing collaborative ties, capacity and focus areas of the community groups, we propose a coalition model to ease the demand of new projects on community groups and provide a sharing mechanism to shoulder additional responsibilities. In addition, three programs are proposed to engage residents in the implementation and enjoy the benefits of the site projects.
Needs assessment of the site projects USE EXISTING RESOURCES Reconfigure/continue current practices
PROPOSALS MadisonWhitelock Park Town Center
Madison Park North Druid Park Lake
Drive Alleys
MICA Warehouse
DEVELOP NEW RESOURCES Coalition building to share responsibilities
Our Proposal Interaction between groups In order to promote interaction between groups and build collective capacity, the proposal calls for the formation of coalitions/steering committees of three community groups with a vested interest in the project. The coalition model provides flexibility in the types of community groups that participate with respect to short-term and long-term projects. The coalition design is based off the existing coalition for the redevelopment of Madison Park North that is a representative group of members from various block group associations organized as Friends of Reservoir Hill. The coalition builds on differences in interests, capacity and collaborative power of community groups and uses individual strengths for the collective good. The coalition model
will foster the sharing of needs as no one groups is responsible for dramatically increasing its power. How does the coalition work? The figure below shows the conceptual diagram illustrating how the steering committee will be formed and potential partners. The coalition has an open structure with fixed membership for one year. The coalition should rotate leadership every year so that each group has the opportunity to determine the programming of the coalition. RHIC should be a permanent member of each steering committee due to their current expansive work in Reservoir Hill. Ideally, St. Francis Neighborhood Center will also be a permanent member of these committees. The third member of the steering
Coalition model WHY Reasons for participation
WHO Steering Committee
3-
• • • •
depending
Vision and goal justification Location of community group Potential tie-in to on-going projects Capacity: number of paid and volunteer staff, existing partnerships, geographic coverage
on coalition Reservoir Hill Council (St. Francis Neighborhood Centre)
• • 154
Interventions
Residents Foundations, City Organisations Youth involved in community groups Youth from high school
Improvement
•
PARTNERSHIPS Potential stakeholders/interested parties
1 dedicated and 1 other member Role of coordinator Leadership rotates every year
Mount Royal CDC No Boundaries Coalition Whitelock Community Farm Friends of Reservoir Hill JEH Recreation Center Block Groups Associations
committee should be determined based on the similarity of vision and goals between the group and the coalition. The steering committee has the responsibility of forming partnerships with potential stakeholders such as residents, city organizations, youth and external organizations. Incentivize External Organizations Buy-in from external organizations can be used to strengthen projects in Reservoir Hill and share the increased capacity required even further. The figure below shows the relationship between the proposals and external organizations. Common visions and goals were identified to find links between site projects and external organizations (shown as text above the arrows in the figure). Other than larger groups, existing and potential relationships with city-
wide groups and organizations can also be used to foster buy-in from the city. All of the groups listed in the figure have worked with various organizations in Reservoir Hill and have relationships with them. Together with the coalition model, these relationships can be nurtured and the community can collectively capitalize on the benefits of site projects to model community-driven implementation in Baltimore.
Incentivize External Organizations LARGER GROUPS
PROPOSALS
CITY WIDE GROUPS/ORGANIZATIONS
MadisonWhitelock
NO BOUNDARIES
, A c c e s s t o l ow
-cost
high-
COALITION
qualit
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ce
MOUNT
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ROYAL CDC
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NEW LENS
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Park North
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Madison en
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FOUND-
CITY OFFICES
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MICA, Johns
Center System
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UNIVERSITIES
Park Town
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Druid
Sustainability,
Park Lake
Planning, Food
Drive
Policy CITY PROJECTS
Alleys
Transform Baltimore
edia on youth activ ity loca
l hirin
g
NON-PROFITS
MICA
Neighborhood
Warehouse
Design Center
Community solar
Case Study: Mini-grants program Programmatic interventions In addition to re-imagining interaction between community groups to build on work that is already being done in Reservoir Hill, programs can be used to tie in site projects within the community such that the residents of Reservoir Hill benefit from the development of the area.
Who: Kellogg Foundation, Battlecreek, Michigan
Mini-grants program The first program is a mini-grants program designed to foster community unity and activity. It is based on Kellogg Foundation’s work in Michigan. The figure below shows how it relates to two of the proposals and proposes a draft time-line of implementation. The resident survey to identigy issues has already been
What: Small scale loans through simple application to neighbors as long as they worked together for 1 year. After 1 year, grants to specific goals of Kellogg Foundation implemented through steering committee. Through the process, loan types shifted from small to large and fewer restrictions to larger restrictions.
Mission: Build community unity and foster activity Implementation:: A steering committee of residents and youth to administer the Kellogg Foundation grant fund
MINI-GRANTS
MadisonWhitelock Park
Resident survey to identify key issues 156
Interventions
Identification of strategies and goals
Foundations
Block Associations
Friends of Reservoir Hill
In For Of, Inc
RHIC
Grant Make ‘how-to’ Grant allocated for Residents apply program for 1 year for mini grants restructuring to fit guides for grant areas of interest usage (unstructured)
SITE PROJECT PHASING
Alleys
STEERING GROUP/COALITION
Mini-grants program time-line and relation to site projects
Expand program to neighborhood groups
Sustain the program
conducted by the Maryland School of Social Work and the proposal identifies strategies and goals for Reservoir Hill. The steering group is highlighted as green circles and should be formed 6-8 months before the site project begins its phasing. The mini-grants program require investment from a foundation which forms the external partner for the project in the steering committee. The two projects that can use the mini-grants program are the Alleys and Madison-Whitelock Park as they require systematic, small-scale work by residents. In addition, the two projects will help build community unity and activity as residents work together to beautify Reservoir Hill.
Example project in Battlecreek using mini-grants funding
Case Study: The Food Project Youth development program The second program is a youth development program designed to provide after school employment, education and skill development for youth. It is based on the Food Project in Boston. The figure below shows how it relates to two of the proposals and a draft timeline of implementation. The steering groups consist of groups that are currently working with youth or who focus on youth development in their vision. The two projects that can benefit from the youth development program are the MICA Warehouse and Town Center & Food System as both projects have the potential to involve students and provide part-time employment to them. They possess learning opportunities in arts and food systems respectively that can provide youth individual
Who: The Food Project, Boston, Massachusetts Mission: Work program designed to provide after-school employment, education and skill development opportunities Implementation: Rrban agriculturalists who provide work and receive paid interns and volunteers What: 120 students selected according to risk status and leadership potential. Students work eight hours a week while in school and 35 hours a week in the summer.
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
Town Center & Food System
Create steering group to run the program with MICA 158
Interventions
Reach out to high school & community center
New Lens
Whitelock Community Farm
RHIC
St. Francis Neighborhood Center
SITE PROJECT PHASING
MICA Warehouse
STEERING GROUP/COALITION
Youth development program timeline and relation to site projects
MICA
Identify number of Begin summer Identify students Run program for Expand program for work during 2-4 years with students & secure program with to town center & school MICA student training funding food system
Sustain the program
and group work. In this way, they provide a flexible internship track schedule based on the level of involvement of the youth in the program. In addition, both projects require work throughout the school year that will help interested youth continue on projects for an extended period of time. The steering committee should begin the program with the MICA Warehouse as it is a smaller project than the town center with a defined role for MICA who already work with students on a regular basis. The program should lead to reduced absenteeism rates in the high school as youth who leave the high school cite monetary concerns as the primary reason that they do so (University of Maryland School of Social Work, 2014).
Example project in Boston conducted by the Food Project
Case Study: Cops & Donuts The third program is a wealth generation program designed to put residents of Reservoir Hill in a position to benefit from new investment. It is based on Cops & Donuts in Clare, Michigan. The figure below shows how it relates to two of the proposals and a draft timeline of implementation. The two projects where the wealth generation program can work are Madison Park North and Druid Park Lake Drive as both projects will bring in new commercial and residential construction that can be capitalized. Initially, the coalition should pitch the idea of buying into new commercial establishments to the residents through community shares. Resident investment should be matched dollar for dollar by a foundation as the retail market in Baltimore is not strong and residents may require a guarantee to back up their investments.
Who: Cops & Donuts LLC, Clare, Michigan Mission: Wealth generation to put residents in a position to benefit from new investment Implementation: 9 members of the Clare police department pooled money to purchase a run-down bakery What: Members put in $1,500 as an initial investment and promised small monthly investments for 12 months. No profits were distributed in the first year and funding was used to make repairs and elect a staff.
WEALTH GENERATION
Druid Park Lake Drive
Mount Royal CDC
Friends of Reservoir Hill
RHIC
St. Francis Neighborhood Center
SITE PROJECT PHASING
Madison Park North
STEERING GROUP/COALITION
Community development program timeline and relation to site projects
Residents
Secure foundation Propose concept guarantee to match for Madison Park dollar for dollar North Create steering Propose concept Advertise group to run for Druid Park concept in the program group meetings Lake Drive 160
Interventions
Create tiered structure of community
Advertise shares through group networks (limit participants)
Implement program for 5 years and secure site
Advertise shares (more participants)
Reframe organisational structure
Residential real estate offers less security in Baltimoreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s market compared to the retail market and reduces potential guarantee opportunities which is why it should be considered only five to seven years after the program is run successfully. The commercial establishment on Druid Park Lake Drive should be considered first due to its locational advantage on the lake and proposed site improvement that will make it a destination in Reservoir Hill. The businesses coming out of the innovation center in Madison Park North should also be considered as potential community owned opportunities. The wealth generation program offers residents the opportunity to collectively invest financially in Reservoir Hillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development.
Cops & Donuts storefront in Clare, Michigan
Summary Community groups in Reservoir Hill implement projects that have a positive impact on the residents of the community and the fabric of Reservoir Hill. With the addition of the proposed projects, Reservoir Hill will represent a model of housing, economic and environmental system. Through communitydriven implementation, community groups in Reservoir Hill will form a robust mechanism to integrate their work into the fabric of the neighborhood. Additionally, they will also engage the residents of Reservoir Hill in implementing and benefiting from the various projects in the neighborhood. Through communitydriven implementation, Reservoir Hill will become a model for group interaction and community engagement.
Community run event on the importance of water in Reservoir Hill
162
Interventions
Conclusion Overview Partners, Costs + Funding Sources
Conclusion The proposals for Reservoir Hill combines neighborhood wide and site specific interventions in a community-driven approach. The figure to the right shows the relationships among the proposals. The three neighborhood-wide strategies are highlighted in red; site specific interventions that address barriers are highlighted in green; and site specific interventions that strengthen the core are highlighted in blue. Community groups foster resident involvement in the conception, implementation and maintenance of projects. Design guidelines and neighborhood solar influence the development of the Druid Lake and Madison Park North sites. The mixed-use developments are in turn related to North Avenue and Druid Park Lake Drive, which define the boundaries of Reservoir Hill. MICA and Whitelock Food Center provide nodes of economic opportunity. The alley network builds connections between site projects to create a cohesive neighborhood fabric. Apart from creating a cohesive vision for Reservoir Hill through physical and social connections, the projects also relate to the
Future Land Use Map
Current Zoning Map
Residential 166
Conclusion
goals of the eight focus areas of the eco-district protocol. The dashed arrows in the figure to the right show the connections between the goals and the site projects. The goals related to water, natural systems and energy are addressed through the Druid Park Lake Drive, North Avenue, Madison Whitlock Park and Neighborhood Solar proposals. Materials management is addressed through the Madison Whitelock Park and design guidelines proposale. Health is addressed through the Whitelock Food Center, and capacity building through community-driven implementation. The residential and commercial developments address goals related to equity and mobility. Together, the proposals for Reservoir Hill address the physical and social challenges of the neighborhood and support a neighborhood that represents the standard for engaging citizens in the integration of local community, economic, and environmental systems. Reservoir Hill is a model for sustainable food, energy and water systems and it represents the components that form an eco-district.
Industrial
Institutional
Office/ Residential
Parks/ Open Space
Business
Partners, Costs + Funding
Source: Trulia, HUD 168
Conclusion
Intervention Overview Map
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Conclusion
2016 Planning Studio
Scott Page Shruthi Arvind Jack Byerly Phylicia Coleman
Devon DelVecchio Catherine Droser Lexa Edsall Thomas Gilbertson
Adija Manley Kirsten Weismantle William Wellington Chuhan Zheng