Board Members Present: Corey Jennings (President), Michele Baskin (Secretary), Matt Williams, Pete Morrill, Sam Solomon (Zoom)
Staff member – Jennifer McKenzie
Total Attendees
~ 19, ~ 6 on Zoom
Start: 7:05 pm
End: 8:23 pm
Zoom Recording; Passcode: Qb^1@&d
Votes: NA
Agenda
- Remington Community Yard Sale Announcement and Discussion
- April 27, 2025 from 10am to 2:30pm
- Sign up for free to sell from your home, 30th Street Park, or Sisson Street Park using the form on the Facebook event page
- Set up starts at 9am
- Rain Date: May 4 at same locations
- email apriljoywelch@gmail.com if you need help signing up
- Community Discussion about CSX project
- Construction project extends from the Howard Street bridge area, along 25th/26th and through the neighborhood. The work is digging down along our portion of the corridor to allow double stacked railcars to pass through the tunnels. This work has caused a large amount of dust as water is not being used for dust suppression during the drilling. GRIA has been in contact with CSX and Maryland Occupational Safety and Health to register complaints and push for improvements.
- Suggestion is to reach out to local media to have them come out and look at pollen and the dust to start broadcasting the issue because spring means people are going to want to open their windows! There was a good response when there was paint debris from the TV towers on TV Hill a few years ago in a similar type of situation.
- The Sisson Street bridge is shut down because of a failed engineering inspection not because of this construction, and CSX was able to dig down instead of repairing or replacing the bridge, so this project does not specifically involve the Sisson Street bridge. The bridge remains closed indefinitely at this point in time. In the interim, can we get DOT to put up signs saying the bridge is closed? Coming off Howard in Lower Remington? And making sure Google Maps shows the bridge is out?
- BGE has closed 28th for gas work consistently which has caused people to drive the wrong way down 27th. We will request that BGE place flaggers at those intersections to prevent this.
- Suggestion to reach out to Maryland Department of Environment for soil and air testing in the dust area.
- Are N95 masks sufficient to protect people from the dust? And if so, can we get free masks to distribute? Silica dust is known to be bad which is likely to be in the air if drilling into rock. Need to put this question to MOSH.
- All communication we have been sending includes Councilmembers, Federal Railroad Administration and other agencies, MOSH, Seawall, CSX, DOT, and state agencies. PLEASE continue to send pictures and videos of dust clouds in the air to info@griaonline.org to help us document the issue.
- Another approach might be to go through the unions to see if they will support the community with the dust issue as a way to advocate for their employees.
- Suggestion to reach out to Hopkins about getting support from a department to do some air testing on their own or as part of a research or student project.
- RemFest Updates
- Saturday May 10th 2025, from 12 to 9 pm
- Over 100 vendors and food vendors
- Main and Family Stage again this year
- Volunteer Sign ups are open using the form link.
- We need help with vendor set up, working at the Family area, the GRIA tent, wandering around and talking to guests and answering questions, etc.
- Can also email volunteers@griaonline.org
- Seawall Update
- Have come across some roadblocks that are delaying the Sisson East (Sisson to Hampden between 28th/29th) project for the moment, which has included a loss of their primary commercial tenant. Any development steps now will likely involve reworking previously presented plans to accommodate new design and anchor tenant.
- The 7-11 site will start construction in early 2026 probably, but possibly at the end of 2025. 7-11 franchise has been told they can continue to stay, but it is up to 7-11 to decide that they want to continue to stay.
- Board Elections in May
- Bylaws require a vote on board members every 2 years. President can only be President for 2 terms, so Corey is term limited.
- If you would like to be a part of the board, please reach out by the end of the April Community Meeting on April 16th.
- The vote will take place AT the May Community Meeting, May 21st.
Community Announcements
- Baltimore Police Department – Crime statistics last month in comparison to last year: 1 aggravated assault (car related): last year 4 auto thefts, 1 shooting, 3 burglaries and 1 assault, so a big reduction in crime year over year [Remington below 25th is in Eastern district and not included in these statistics]
- Next Community Cleanup is Saturday April 19th, meet at CGA at 10 am
- Volunteer call out for flyer volunteers! Please reach out to Jen at volunteers@griaonline.org to take a flyering route next month!
- Barbara at 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; 30th of March, last Sunday, marking Transgender Day of Visibility as a community
- Remington Brunch Club – Starting April 5th and then every Saturday after that, 9:30 am to 2 pm, in front of Mount Royal, breakfast burritos and one other food vendor everytime
- Community Softball Game – Remington vs Charles Village: Switching to kickball this year! Saturday May 17 (afternoon, 4 pmish), crabs, hotdogs! Wyman ball fields along 29th (Burger King Stadium!)
- Mount Royal Soaps Night Markets – Starting April 18th, and then every 3rd Friday from 5 pm to 9 pm (April through November), includes food, vendors, free drinks!