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On this page: About the Alliance Who We Are Articles of Incorporation (Charter) Bylaws Note: Below is our "First Year's Accomplishment Report".  As demands on our schedules increased, we have stopped listing reports of our annual accomplishments on the website.  We believe that the value of our work in the community far outweighs the time spent writing about it. Peabody Heights Resident Homeowners Alliance, Inc. FIRST ANNUAL ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT  March 26, 2001 - March 25, 2002  BEGINNINGS Drafted and filed our Charter with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation Established a bank account. Mailed 400 announcement notices to resident homeowners potentially eligible for membership Mailed 43 announcement notices to elected City officials, other City government officials, the Charles Village Community Benefits District, Greater Homewood Community Corporation, neighboring community organizations, large neighboring institutions, large property owners within Peabody Heights, Baltimore newspapers, and others Developed and maintained a web site (www.peabodyheights.org) containing background information, current, issue-oriented information (including comprehensive reports of meetings and public hearings attended), useful telephone numbers and addresses, numerous hyperlinks to area attractions, photographs, and other interesting information [site continues to maintain a visitor rate average of more than 30 thirty per day] Hosted a meeting with Israel Patoka, Director of the Mayor's Office of Neighborhoods, presented him with a comprehensive information book about Peabody Heights and our organization, and escorted him on a walking tour of the area and of several homes Met with Valerie Carpenter, our representative on the staff of the Mayor's Office of Neighborhoods, discussed several issues, and presented a copy of the information book to her Responded [and continue to respond] to many inquiries about our organization and its purposes (telephone, e-mail, written); also about rentals and housing in the area Designed logo and printed stationary, business cards, and identification tags ISSUES City Council Bill 01-0228 (Bus Shelters/Advertising) - Delivered circulars to all identifiable resident homeowners within Peabody Heights concerning the proposed City ordinance on bus shelters/advertising Testified in opposition to this ordinance at both the public hearing before the Baltimore City Planning Commission and the public hearing before the City Council's Land Use and Planning Committee Rootie Kazootie's Liquor License - Led an effort to defeat the renewal of the liquor license for this establishment (including a letter-writing campaign and the filing of a petition), and testified before the Liquor Board Sent five follow-up letters to Mr. Irby, Executive Secretary of the Liquor BoardReviewed Liquor Board file and had brief personal meeting with Mr. Irby regarding use of off-duty police per the two follow-up letters Corresponded with Rootie Kazootie's landlord and appeared at trial hearing for suit between Rootie Kazootie's and landlord Continued to monitor disturbances associated with Rootie Kazootie's, make appropriate complaints as suggested by the Liquor Board, urge nearby neighbors to keep a detailed log of disturbances; reported our initiatives to affected residents Launched an initiative to again oppose the liquor license when it comes up for renewal Turned the initiative over to John Spurrier, president of the Charles Village Community Association, as he was consulting with an attorney with whom Peabody Heights was not involved.  When it became clear that this might cause some problems in presenting a united front, Peabody Heights withdrew for the sake of the success of the matter City Council Bill 01-0495 (Charles 25th Streets Urban Renewal) Analyzed the bill, raised numerous issues and concerns, and vigorously attempted to find out everything possible about all aspects of the development, review, and approval processes (sent approximately 20 pieces of correspondence with copies of each piece to about 30 other individuals) Action undertaken at the request of members directly affected by the bill, and with the approval of the membership Drafted and submitted proposed amendments to the bill, concerning boundaries, the Community Review Panel, and the effective date Delivered over 500 fliers (two occasions) Met three times with non-profit group regarding URO and also inappropriate Charles Village Community Benefits District response to their request for zoning use Attended two Remington Neighborhood Alliance meetings - one as observers and one as commenters Attended three special South Charles Village Community Association meetings on URO-- two as presenters of the opposition's side Attended and testified at public hearing before the Planning Commission Met with City Councilman Young to present our concerns Sent press releases to four major and three alternative newspapers Attended and testified at public hearing before the Land Use and Urban Affairs Committee of the City Council Attended the meeting of the full City Council on the issue Held a meeting with neighboring property owners to give an extensive interview to a major newspaper (The Daily Record) resulting in a multi-page article on the URO and the property owners opposing this bill Made every effort to resolve a longstanding legal issue that we had raised Proposed to neighboring organizations that they join with us in proposing amendments to the ordinance (signed by Mayor O'Malley on December 19, 2001) that would remove all references to the words, "acquisition", "demolition", and "disposition" of property Continue to monitor developments, including proposed amendment to allow demolition on the site of the property at 26th and Howard Streets Reauthorization of the Charles Village Community Benefits District Publicly announced a major, serious initiative to oppose the reauthorization of the Benefits District Mailed/delivered information to a significant number of resident homeowners, absentee property owners, business owners, and renters - not only within the Peabody Heights boundaries, but throughout the District -- outlining our reasons for opposing reauthorization and providing a means whereby these individuals could voice their opposition if so inclined Formulated plans to specifically advise our City Council representatives of this initiative and provide them with detailed information Continue to monitor events so that appropriate actions can be taken at the proper time Supported the Abell Improvement Association involving liquor sales at the Rite Aid Pharmacy in Waverly, and attended the public Liquor Board hearing on that matter Attended Zoning Hearing and successfully opposed non-conforming use request in 2500 block of St. Paul Street  Attended several Zoning Hearings in support of Remington Neighborhood Alliance Adopted a policy to be fully supportive of the rollback provision (to oppose further density), and another concerning the support of neighboring community organizations Adopted a policy to have a representative at all Benefits District Board meetings Attended Zoning Hearing to oppose a chain link fence facing Maryland Avenue; citing both the Parking Lot District ordinance and nearby fencing, resulting in the installation of a wrought iron fence PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES Undertook measures to secure abandoned structures Undertook a project to get additional (period) street lighting along 26th Street between St. Paul and Charles Streets; while this effort is ongoing, we are now also involved with BULB (Baltimore Urban Lighting Board), supporting the City's initiative to "light up Baltimore" and to increase period-style pedestrian lighting throughout the neighborhood for greater safety and to enhance the historic charm of Charles Village Undertook an ongoing project to send complimentary notes to homeowners who have made a significant improvement to their properties (several sent) Conducted ongoing, monthly visual inspection of the CSX landscaping work accomplished on their property from Huntingdon to Greenmount Aves. and approved payment from CSX to landscaper. Included having landscaper replace and re-weld fallen fence at the Margaret Brent playground and elsewhere Manned membership table at St. John's "Garage" Sale; manned membership and marathon sign-up sheet table at Drum Festival.  Undertook an ongoing project to deliver welcome packets to new resident homeowners (several delivered)  Harwood Summer Recreation Program - Members supported program financially and with food, toys, art materials, games, puzzles, etc., and in getting additional financial support for the program Found a location at the 11th hour for the program and each day opened and closed the facility (St. John's) and accepted the City's morning delivery of breakfast and lunch for 40 kids Assisted parents in locating their kids when drop off spots changed when the program took kids on special outings Cooked for two days for the big party celebrating the end of the program  St. Johns Methodist Church -  Painted the front doors and most of the front handrails Installed new lamps, donated flowering bushes and put in flowers around church property Fenced and mulched tree wells around church and along 27th St. from St. Paul to Charles Sts. Daily watered entire area around church including tree wells in same area Painted St. John's kitchen with help from Americorp  Cleaned the streets along 27th and 26th to 28th Streets on St. Paul and in Lovegrove Alley along those blocks for the Charles Village Festival and Garden Tour Cleaned and planted or mulched tree wells along the 2700 block St. Paul Street and the unit block of East 28th Street Joined in the Mayor's Spring Clean-up and filled 50+ bags with debris  Implemented adopt-a-yard and foster yard projects by creating one demonstration yard of each type in the 2700 block St. Paul St. and maintaining an adopt-a-yard project on E. 27th St.  Engaged in several alley clean-ups (Lovegrove between 26th & 27th and 27th to 28th Streets) and behind "Bride's Row"  For the safety of area children, worked to have the Margaret Brent Playground secured when City workers dismantled the old play equipment in anticipation of the City's $100,000 refurbishment of the playground in this spring Participated in the first Baltimore Marathon by manning a water station Held our first annual Holiday House Tour with seven homes and many guests participating on tour day (and several requests for private or repeat tours, and a showing of interest for our next tour); a great success with coverage in The Daily Record Engaged in a cleanup to coincide with the Holiday House Tour in December, and subsequent cleanups along certain areas of St. Paul, Calvert, 28th, and 29th Streets. Offered housing for musicians who will be participating in Baltimore's first Chamber Music Festival Revised criteria for membership and conducted membership drive Planned a tentative calendar of events for 2002, including participation in the Mayor's cleanup programs, the next Baltimore Marathon, our second annual Holiday House Tour, a flea market Arranged for a permanent location for membership meetings Explored the possibility of obtaining grants for neighborhood projects Arranged for special guests at membership meetings, including Dr. Cheryl Hyde, who conducted the evaluation of the Benefits District, and Eric Miller, the new Director of the Village Learning Place Applied to participate in Citizens on Patrol training sessions Provided help to some senior citizens who asked our assistance with a State problem in reassessment and the Benefits District's tax PARTICIPATION IN MEETINGS Held monthly membership meetings Held numerous Open Committee, Steering Committee, and task force meetings Attended Northern District Community Relations meetings  Attended Johns Hopkins Community Relations breakfasts  Attended Parks and People seminar on grant writing for future beautification projects  Attended and presented a statement at "Dixon Day", an open meeting hosted by City Council President Sheila Dixon for the purpose of hearing concerns of citizens residing in the Second Councilmanic District Attended a meeting for adjacent communities concerning plans for the Jones Falls Valley trail  Several members participated in CVCBD's evaluation forum session Attended MTA workshops on regional mass transit plans Continued participation in various Zoning, Liquor Board, and Planning Commission hearings Attended numerous City Council and other City agency meetings and hearings on topics ranging from Reauthorization of the Downtown Benefits District to the Planning Department's budget presentations by each of four major City agencies Attended the hearing for the Mayor's Office of Neighborhoods to support the approval of the budget to continue this department Attended NIP grant writing program for other future community project grants DONATIONS Donated approximately 100 items of toiletries to the House of Ruth, a shelter for battered women Donated $100 toward the acquisition of a "Charles Village Community Fish" Donated $100 from the proceeds of our first annual Holiday House Tour to St. John's United Methodist Church Submitted a $25 donation to the Bea Gaddy Fund ACTIVITIES Had a membership dinner at the New No Da Ji Restaurant on N. Charles Street in celebration of our first six months of existence Had a membership "night out" at opening night of the Paragon Theatre Group's presentation at the 25th Street Kobko Theater of Neil Simon's "Lost in Yonkers" Planned our first year anniversary dinner at the Owl Bar of the Belvedere Hotel, where the original Peabody Heights Improvement Association had its annual dinners some one hundred years ago Prepared by the Peabody Heights Resident Homeowners Alliance, Inc.  First Six Months -- September 17, 2001; Revised to Annual Report - March 25, 2001 02-0009 About the Alliance At the urging of neighborhood residents, organization of the Peabody Heights Resident Homeowners Alliance (the Alliance) initially began  through an open committee by a group of concerned homeowners, all of whom reside in their own homes essentially within an area of north central Baltimore City once known as Peabody Heights and now within Charles Village. Since Articles of Incorporation were filed on March 26, 2001, organization continued through a steering committee and now operates through an elected board of directors. The Alliance was organized to lobby for, and provide a collective voice  for, member resident homeowners in addressing a wide range of issues, whether they affect a large number of members, a few members, or even one. In any case, there now is a collective voice to lobby for a satisfactory resolution. Many such issues are unique to homeowners in protecting their real estate property values and their quality of life; e.g., issues related to City code violations, zoning, population density, liquor licensing, city services, traffic, parking, and public safety. Its purpose is not to oppose or replace other organizations that may exist within the same general area. The choices of both the name, Peabody Heights, and its boundaries were made for historical continuity, as well as for very practical considerations. The name came with boundaries, although the northern boundary seems not to have been as precise as the other three, i.e., 25th Street on the south, Guilford Avenue on the east, and Maryland Avenue on the west. Our choice of 31st Street on the north is based on an early plat map of The Peabody Heights Company, and in addition, it marks a division between residential and commercial. The other reason for selecting "Peabody Heights" was to clearly differentiate between the new Alliance and the plethora of "Charles Village" entities, a situation that continues to confuse not only the identity of the individual organizations, but their roles and responsibilities as well. We like to think of ourselves as "the historic heart of Charles Village". 01-0045 Who We Are [Amended December 18, 2001] The Peabody Heights Improvement Association, originally founded 102 years ago, is being restored as The Peabody Heights Resident Homeowners Alliance, Inc. with the original boundaries and with many of the original concerns and motivations.      As individuals in the group, we are people who — notwithstanding our wide range of philosophical differences, political differences, age differences, religious differences, ethnic differences, socio-economic differences, and any other differences one might think of -- first chose the city and, more importantly, chose to stay in the city. We are city-loving people who as resident homeowners love our old houses. We take great pride in preserving, promoting, and protecting our city neighborhood and its history and historical ambiance. We are "salesmen" for a way of life, a way to live, and a "where" to live -- Peabody Heights. And therefore, we are the individuals who -- took the necessary steps to transform 2746 St. Paul from an abandoned fraternity house back into a single family home; made contact with CSX Railroad officials and worked out a cleanup, repair, and maintenance agreement concerning railroad property and land use; questioned the legality of an outside tent pavilion at Rootie Kazootie's, resulting in its removal; reported what appeared to be illegal construction within a multi-unit building in order to go on record with the Zoning Board to protect against increased density in the neighborhood; managed and worked side-by-side with, and fed, groups of Americorps volunteers working at St. John's Methodist Church and in streets and alleys in the immediate vicinity; reported an apartment building with no fire escapes and other properties with code violations; reported properties with illegal and unsightly dumping and graffiti in our alleys and on private property with some success; both reported and took steps to protect vacant/vandalized houses that had been broken into; organized Callers Twenty Seven, the newsletter and emergency telephone chain; organized an "adopt a yard" project to help maintain front yards of absentee landlords; succeeded in getting Safeway to clean and weed its property; attend Zoning, Planning, and Liquor Board hearings when relevant issues arise; organized a challenge against the liquor license at Rootie Kazootie's. Now, we are joining forces as an organized group and would like you to join with us. Operating as an open committee, we invite you to actively  participate as we move ahead, having legally establish the Alliance as a chartered entity. 01-0046 Articles of Incorporation (Charter) Articles of Incorporation for the Alliance were filed with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation on March 26th, 2001 (Department ID DO6218945). Bylaws of the Alliance The Peabody Heights Voting Membership voted to approve the Bylaws on June 17, 2003. On this page:  About the Alliance Who We Are Articles of Incorporation (Charter) Bylaws Return to top of page