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July 2025 Community Meeting Notes

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GRIA Community Meeting 7/16/2025

Board Members Present: Chris Billak (President), Wynnona Engle-Pratt (Vice President), Samantha Horn (Secretary), Michele Baskin, Pete Morrill, Corey Jennings, Sam Solomon (online)

Staff member- Jennifer McKenzie

Councilman Jermaine Jones, Odette Ramos

Baltimore Baby Fund- Chelsea and Max

Chaquetta from DOT

Major Saunders- Northern District, McBride from Northern District

Total Attendees

~20 in person

6 on Zoom

Zoom Recording here

Passcode: YX8@gI^E

Agenda

  • Community Introduction
  • BPD Northern District Updates
    • Major Keira Saunders- Recently returned to Northern District and is happy to be back! 
    • Remington is slightly above middle of the pack for reductions in crime; single digit stats in crime, which is great
    • Question- Corner store at huntingdon and 29th was robbed, someone came to her door asking for camera footage but provided no badge/verification
      • Major- could’ve been a detective making an error, but recommended asking everyone for ID & Badge
    • Question- new homeowner received letters “from bank” that were not a bank that they have an affiliation with- wondering if it’s a scam?
      • Major Suanders- Yes, this is a scam. Do not provide information or money
      • Another scam going around is fake “you failed to appear for jury duty”. IF there is a warrant for you, the SHERIFF (not local PD), will show up in person
    • Question – is there a police non-emergency number?
      • Yes- 311, Chris recommended the app. If there is an issue happening live- call 911
    • Remington Crime Year to date totals- 8 robberies, 9 aggravated assaults (including domestic disputes); last month- 4 larceny from auto; 1 stolen auto (hyundai/kia);
      • Reminder: The Northern District precinct has steering wheel locks with proof of residence and registration 
      • Crime Prevention suggestions- Keep your porch lights on, install motion lights because they make a huge difference
      • Burglaries and larcenies- make sure doors are locked, lock and close lower floor windows
    • Comment- Package thieves are back- major thoroughfare on Lorraine
      • Major asked for photos of the repeat offenders if anyone has them
  • Baltimore Baby Fund- Ballot Initiative Presentation
    • The Baltimore Baby Fund is a campaign to create a fund dedicated in the city budget to enhance the economic well-being of newborns and their families in Baltimore City. 
    • Money in the fund must be spent to economically support families or to help families afford basic necessities for their baby.
    • BBF needs 10,000 signatures by the end of 2025 in order to become a ballot initiative in 2026- they seek to collect ~14,000 signatures to ensure that they make the goal of 10,000
  • Baltimore DOT Updates on Sisson Street Bridge
    • Chaquetta Wallace, Community Engagement Liaison- Sisson Street bridge was closed for 3 years because it was deemed unstable
    • Bridge removal process HAS BEGUN. Structural beams are still there, but will be removed in the next few weeks. Complete decommissioning expected for Sept. 
    • The process toward a new bridge begins with a pending agreement between the City and CSX- then Construction will go to MD State Highway Administrationto build a new bridge will be advertised for construction. Current plans online LOOK like a 2 lane bridge

Discussion

  • Question- is there a plan or pedestrian bridge option? There’s nothing for lower Remington to connect back to the neighborhood
    • A- DOT can’t provide a concrete answer about what the new bridge will look like, or any changes to the plan, until the agreement between the City and CSX is complete
  • Question for City Council Members Jermaine Jones and OdetteRamos- does Council have any means of stopping the current plan?
    • Odette- Depends on Funding- this looks like federal funds, so it depends. We can work with DOT to narrow the proposed 4 lane bridge
  • Question for City Council Members- does anyone know the financial split between federal/state/city?
    • Councilman Ramos- CSX seems to look like they will pay for a lot of it, but does not know the details
    • Councilman Jones- first the administration and CSX work it out the financials, then council will find out after
  • Question- Does council have the power to push for/request pedestrian projects?
    • Councilman Ramos- has anyone talked to CSX? GRIA’s City Council Members’ offices have the connections to CSX, land belongs to CSX. Could theoretically reach out
    • Now that budget is passed, it’s challenging to push for more outside of the budget
  • Chris Billak asked that the city figures out who is responsible for the 26th street corridor- City or CSX because both parties keep pushing it to the next one
  • Question- Does Council have the power to require CSX/DOT to hold public meetings?
    • Yes- and public testimony 
  • Councilman Ramos- would the community want an exclusively pedestrian bridge?
    • It has never been presented as an option so it’s unclear. If there is a choice and reasoning, the neighborhood would like an option
    • Community was not engaged in what was offered to CSX in negotiations
      • Councilman Jones thinks the city is struggling to negotiate is csx 
  • Question for DOT/CSX- Lower Remington request better connection to the rest of the city and the neighborhood- can we get a connection from Sisson Street to Falls Road connectivity- simple gate to allow folks to safely cross the train tracks?
  • Question- What are the safety measures in place now that the bridge will be physically gone?
    • DOT- jersey barriers, less scalable fencing, orange netting gate 
    • SH requested physical signage farther out from roads- closer to Howard Street and 26th Streets
  • Question- How can the city negotiate with csx without community input?
  • Comment- the biggest challenge in dealing with CSX is that neither the city nor CSX wants to claim the area around the tracks, leaving sidewalks etc becoming decrepit and city
    • We can get grant funds to fix the sidewalks, but cannot touch them because nobody knows who owns the sidewalks
      • Councilman Jones requested these details and the history so that it can be brought up when he meets with CSX
  • Chesapeake Bay Trust Jones Falls Healthy Environment Healthy Communities Award
    • Tree planting along Falls Road Sunday 9/28 and treekeeper certification course
    • Friends of the 
  • BGE Overhead Power Lines Update
    • GRIA has asked the city re: Mayor’s position and has not heard back- Speaking with Chief of Staff Calvin Young- Said that they’d get back to us
  • Johns Hopkins DSAI Building Project
    • JHU will be sending info about added benefits to the community
    • 50% construction drawings for project; at this point changing design would be at the state and/or mayor’s level
    • Storm drains are undersized and curbline needs to be ripped up to replace stormline- flooding last week shows why the 
    • Councilman Ramos- working with mayors office to try to get JHU to use the same construction
      • Per DPW- pipe is in the street, not under the trees, so theoretically the trees should not need to move
  • GRIA President Chris Billak is moving out of Remington to Charles Village. Per GRIA bylaws, needs to step down.
    • Chris will keep managing tree planting grants
    • Wynn Engle-Pratt is currently VP and will become president
    • IF anyone wants to be VP- reach out! 

Community Announcements

  • Councilman Jermaine Jones- spoke to Mayor’s office about Sisson Street transfer station- told Mayor’s office that they need to talk to the neighborhood
  • 29th street from Calvert to Sisson getting resurfaced- Complete Streets will be triggered and a plan will be shared by DOT when they have it
  • Councilman Odette Ramos- spoke to BGE about resurfacing on all the streets that have been ripped up- should be within next few months including 28th st
  • 2 hearings next week-
    • Building permit office challenges oversight hearing on Tuesday
    • Older adult home repair project oversight meetings- serious backlog for the program
  • Councilman Jermaine Jones to meet with BGE regarding lower Remington playground
  • Volunteer call out for flyer distribution! Please reach out to Jen at volunteers@griaonline.org to take a flyering route next month. Routes are ~2 blocks and a great way to meet your neighbors
  • Church of the Guardian Angel thrift shop, runs 1st & 2nd Sat of the month, 10am – 2 pm, bring donations during open hours only, also seeking volunteers; Food Pantry, every Wednesday from 9 am – 10 am, need volunteers for delivery drivers and some muscle on Tuesday mornings to unload trucks (9:30 – 10:15ish)
  • Remington Brunch Club – Every Saturday, 9:30 am to 2 pm, in front of Mount Royal, food and local makers every week
  • Mount Royal Soaps Night Markets – Every 3rd Friday from 5 pm to 9 pm (April through November), includes food, vendors, free drinks!
  • RemFest Merchandise will be for sale at Mount Royal Soaps- proceeds will benefit GRIA

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