Public Meeting

[MWIAPR...@gmail.com]

COMMUNITY MEETING WILL ADDRESS JONES FALLS TRAIL

The City of Baltimore and the Mt. Washington Improvement Association
(MWIA) are committed to a continuing dialog on the proposed Jones
Falls Trail. As such, a community meeting to discuss the proposed
trail will be held on Thursday, October 18 at 7 p.m. at The Wesley,
2211 W. Rogers Ave.

For those interested in seeing the proposed route firsthand, there
will be a guided walkthrough on Saturday October 13, at 10:00 a.m.
Meet in the parking lot of the Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital.

At the October 18 meeting, representatives of the Baltimore City
departments of Planning and Recreation & Parks will explain how the
currently proposed route was decided and will answer questions about
possible alternative routes. The City is not actively researching
alternatives, but will consider proposals for alternative routes
submitted by citizens.

All questions or proposed alternative routes for the City to consider
must be submitted in advance of the meeting to David Conn at
dhc...@gmail.com. Any suggested routes should start at or near the
Cylburn Arboretum, and conclude at the Mt. Washington light rail
station. David is chairing the MWIA committee to study the trail and
work with the city. The committee (noted below) comprises both
immediate neighbors and community members with expertise in such areas
as gardening and horticulture, animal habitats, green design,
construction, and city planning.

In May the MWIA's Board of Directors voted unanimously to approve the
proposed route and declared it a "desirable amenity that will improve
the quality of life in the community." The City has selected and the
MWIA has voted to support the following route.

>From Cylburn Avenue, the trail would reach Northern Parkway and turn
right to head east (towards the JFX).

(1) The trail would run outside the guardrail parallel to the south
side of Northern Parkway. The trail would be a 10-foot wide surface
extending from Cylburn Ave. almost to the JFX on-ramp. The Northern
Parkway guardrail would remain in place. The Elevated portion of the
trail will be a 10-foot wide surface extending from Cylburn Ave. to
the JFX ramp area.

(2) Before the on-ramp of the JFX, the trail would cross Northern
Parkway. Here the trail would be an 18-foot-high bridge. The ramp
from the bridge would come down on the east side of West Rogers
Avenue.

(3) The trail would proceed along W. Rogers Avenue to the pediatric
hospital. Traffic lanes on West Rogers Avenue would be narrowed so
that the sidewalk on the east side of the street could be expanded to
8-feet. Here, from where the bridge comes down on W. Rogers Ave to
just past the Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital parking lot, the trail
would be the widened sidewalk on the east side of W. Rogers.

(4) The trail would enter the Pediatric Hospital on the northwest side
from Rogers Ave. and would enter the woods of the Hospital just past
the parking lot. Inside the woods, the trail would be an 8-foot wide
surface. The city has said they will adjust the exact route of the
trail to remove as few trees as possible, and any large trees they
remove will be replaced by 3.5-inch caliper trees at a 3 to 1 ratio.

(5) The trail would emerge from the woods at the old MTA stop on
Newbury St. (near the bottom of South Road and the Kelly Ave bridge).
Here, the trail would cross the parking lot.

(6) Then the trail would cross the street at the Kelly Ave/South Road
intersection at the traffic light. Here, the trail would be the
surface of the street. The trail would then turn right to proceed
into Mt. Washington village, presumably on Newbury Street, to end at
the Light Rail stop.

More precise details would be determined, in consultation with the
community, as the City's design process occurs.

The Hospital has agreed to provide a permanent easement for the
trail's passage. The City will also construct a "universal
playground" adjacent to the trail on the hospital's property, which
will accommodate children with disabilities. The playground will also
be available to the community.

The City will now complete 30 percent of the design work on the trail,
based on the outcome of the October 18 meeting, in order to meet a
spring deadline to apply for federal highway funds. Recreation and
Parks Director Connie Brown has committed to "open and regular
consultation" with the community throughout the design and
construction phases. In a letter to MWIA President Mac Nachlas, Mr.
Brown wrote, "[We] have a long history of working closely with
communities to develop projects in our parks and more recently, the
Gwynns and Jones Falls trail projects. ...we look forward to working
closely with the MWIA on various design elements, construction, and
environmental impact."

A detailed map of existing and planned bike trails is available on the
City Planning Department's website
http://www.ci.baltimore.md.us/government/planning/images/FinalNetworkMapB.pdf.
A section of the proposed trail route can be viewed online at the
website of the Jones Falls Trail listserv: http://groups.google.com/group/JonesFallsTrail/files.
(Click on "Trail Location Mt. Washington.pdf.") And a PowerPoint
presentation that explains the process by which the City chose the
current trail route can be found on the same website (click on "JONES
FALLS TRAIL V.ppt").

Jones Falls Trail Committee
· Chair- David Conn - the MWIA point person on the Jones Falls
Trail
project, and the primary liaison with the Pediatric Hospital.
· Jane Baldwin- former President of the Cylburn Arboretum, a
noted
horticulturalist who has extensive experience working with the
Departments of Rec & Parks, and Planning.
· Denise Duval- MWIA Board member with a background in city
planning
who has worked in the City Planning department.
· Jeanette Ezzo- neighbor of the MW Pediatric Hospital.
· Julie Gabrielli- an architect who specializes in the use of
"green"
materials and design techniques.
· Robert Imhoff- Vice President of the MW Pediatric Hospital.
· Myles Norin - resident whose property is adjacent to the
largest
section of the trail outside of the Pediatric Hospital.
· Mike Sherlock - a master gardener and "father" of the MW
Arboretum
and the many flower beds around our neighborhood; serving in an
advisory capacity.
· Lynn Strott- President of the MW Preservation Trust and an
attorney
with experience with easements and trusts.