The air was tense at a crowded pre-submission community meeting Thursday in western Howard County, where attendees discussed the impact and future of a go-kart track built on private property that has residents going in circles.

Howard County resident Charles Siperko built the half-mile long track for his son on a portion of his home’s 11-acre property at 6717 Mink Hollow Road in the rural suburb of Highland. His son has dreams of becoming a race car driver and participates in the sport of go-kart driving like other children participate in swimming, soccer, or baseball.

Siperko neglected, however, to obtain the required permits from Howard County and the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) to build the track. His neighbors are putting up a fight, and many want it removed. The family has retained prominent land attorney Sang Oh to help navigate the process of saving the track.

The family filed a conditional use application for the racetrack retroactively, asking the county to consider the track an “athletic facility,” though go-kart tracks don’t currently fall into that category legally. They’re also promising not to use the track until the Department of Planning and Zoning (DPZ) issues a decision.

The meeting was informational in nature only, as decisions on next steps can only be made at the DPZ level. Residents who aren’t demanding the track’s removal want mitigations for noise and visual impacts and potential repercussions on the neighborhood’s wetlands. Some even went so far as to ask if he was planning to build a helipad on the property, as Siperko owns a helicopter and used it to bring his son to school. Siperko denied any plans for building a helipad on his property.

Siperko, in the application, offered to limit the hours of use to six days per week and only the afternoon/early evening hours. They pledge the racetrack will be kept private, will not be used for parties, and will be limited in use to the father, son, and coaches. They will also move part of the track to comply with the 100-foot buffer between properties required by the county. The family also promises no lighting will be added (ensuring no nighttime use) and to limit the use to electric motors only.

Residents claimed the engine is not the source of the noise they heard on the one day the family used the track, but the tires. One resident expressed concern about the microplastics shed by the tires on the surrounding wetlands, and others agreed.

While the Maryland Department of the Environment has jurisdiction over wetlands, Oh said the family’s application with MDE is on hold right now because it does not want to rule on a case in which DPZ may decide the track needs to be removed entirely. Oh expects a hearing with the DPZ to take place in the late February/early March timeframe.

This is the second such meeting because Siperko and his family were in Italy for a race in which their son was participating when the first pre-submission community meeting was held. The second meeting was scheduled so that Siperko could be there to hear from his neighbors and participate in the discussion.

The controversy has even attracted the attention of documentary filmmaker Scott Evans. Evans grew up in Howard County, and is doing preliminary work on a potential documentary about this dispute between neighbors.

“I grew up in Howard County and actively participated in both sports and environmentalism,” Evans told Fishbowl in a message. “After reading articles about the track on Mink Hollow Rd, I felt like there’s an interesting debate unfolding here on land rights, environmental impact, and creating safe spaces where kids can explore their sports interests. I want to hear all sides of this and plan to reach out to the community and interview anyone that wants to share their side of the story.” 

Nearly all who spoke at the meeting argued against the track, though degrees of animosity toward it varied. Some went so far as to insult Siperko’s parenting directly. Most, though, focused on the impact of the racetrack on their quality of life, property value, and the environment.

“It’s so frustrating,” said JoJo Lerner, a resident who also lives on Mink Hollow Road. “He said he Googled, and he didn’t see that he needed a permit for this. But it wasn’t just that. He didn’t talk to any of his neighbors. He didn’t tell anyone…. It definitely lowers the value of everyone’s property around it, because who wants to live right next to this go-kart thing?”

Colin Porter, another Highland resident, would like to see the county and/or state invest in a go-kart track like the one Siperko built so that other kids could have access to learning the sport. “These motor sports are certainly underserved,” he said. “We haven’t had a racetrack in this area since they closed Beltsville Speedway.”

Neither Siperko nor Oh would comment for Fishbowl’s article, citing the case being ongoing.

An East Baltimore park has undergone a $3.6 million renovation, including upgrades to the playground, the addition of an outdoor classroom, and other updates.

Parks & People, a nonprofit working to improve and expand green spaces in Baltimore City, held a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday to mark the grand opening of the renovated Cecil Community Park, located at Cecil Elementary School in East Baltimore Midway.

“Cecil Community Park is a beacon of what we can achieve when we invest in our youth and their education,” said Parks & People CEO Frank Lance in a statement. “Parks & People is committed to transforming our city, and Cecil Community Park stands as a testament to that mission. This park will not only offer a safe and fun space for children but will also provide a platform for educational programs, fostering a brighter future for our young generation.”

Spanning 1.5 acres, the project involved the complete renovation of the school’s park and playground spaces. The park also has a new outdoor classroom and raised garden beds, serving as “a hub for outdoor experiential learning, recreation, and community involvement,” according to a news release.

The park is intended to not only support the school community, but also the more than 2,000 residents who live within a quarter-mile radius of the space.

“This project embodies our commitment to building stronger, healthier neighborhoods through strategic investments in green spaces,” Mayor Brandon M. Scott said in a statement. “Building better park and recreation spaces to ensure every Baltimorean has access to world-class facilities has been a cornerstone of my administration.”

Scott added, “Cecil Community Park is a shining example of how public-private partnerships can help create lasting, positive change in our communities. By transforming this space, we’re providing a safe, welcoming environment for families and children, improving the quality of life for residents, and fostering a sense of pride and ownership in the neighborhood. Projects like this show the power of collaboration in creating a better future for Baltimore.”

The renovated park is the product of collaboration among Parks & People, the Central Baltimore Partnership, The Mayor’s Office of Recovery Programs, Baltimore City Public Schools, Baltimore City Recreation and Parks, and the East Baltimore Midway community.

Funding came from a mix of public and private sources, including The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, the France-Merrick Foundation, the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office of Recovery Programs, and Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development.

“Creating Cecil Community Park was the top priority for the Cecil Elementary School and East Baltimore Midway community,” said Ellen Janes, Executive Director of Central Baltimore Partnership. “Through a participatory process, they envisioned a welcoming space where the entire community could have fun and meet their health goals. This Park is a true community achievement, and we look forward to keeping it as vibrant and active as possible with sports leagues, classes, and a wide array of gatherings.”

This year, Parks & People celebrates its 40th anniversary. The organization has completed 48 park projects, which have reinvested $15.4 million in underserved communities and impacted approximately 109,000 residents, according to the news release from the nonprofit.

The National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) has chosen Baltimore to host its annual conference, bringing together more than 1,500 minority architects from around the country for a five-day summit in Charm City.

The 12 local young architects organizing the conference will highlight the housing, entertainment, and community projects making Baltimore the unique and exciting city it is for learning, living, and exploring.

The annual meeting takes place from Wednesday, Oct. 23 – Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024 and is sold out. NOMA is a 50-year-old organization with 25 chapters around the United States. Baltimore’s chapter began in 2017 with just five members and boasts over 100 members today.

In addition to attending sessions designed around the topics of design; technical; community and justice; business; and “Hey, Smalltimore!”, there will be numerous networking events held around the city and keynotes featuring esteemed and groundbreaking minority architects on topics as broad as bridging continents to focused topics like underserved communities in Baltimore.

“With over 45-chapter cities to choose from to host our national conference, we are excited to be in Baltimore to honor its place in design history as well as it’s emerging community-inspired design programs. It is in cities like these where we want to gather, exchange local ideas that can make a national impact, and lift up our mission and members,” said Tiffany Brown, MBA, NOMA, Assoc. AIA, NOMA Executive Director. “From the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of African American History and Culture – designed by our former NOMA architecture colleague Philip Freelon, to the legacy of Morgan State University as the only Historically Black College and University in Maryland where we have an amazing student chapter, we are pleased to be here, engaged with the emerging design leadership in Charm City.” 

Some of the networking events include a private White House tour; a reception at Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture (designed by Philip Freelon, a late NOMA member, after whom the professional design awards are named); a graduate fair expo with 70+ exhibitors; tours around Baltimore including the Baltimore Art Museum, Lexington Market, Camden Yards Sports Complex Stadium Tour, and more.

The NOMA Awards Banquet will be held on Friday to honor exceptional leadership, elevate NOMA members moving to the NOMA Council (NOMAC), and recognize award-winning work of NOMA professional and student members. These awards are sponsored by national architecture firms HDR, SOM and Stantec.

Over 80 firms applied to this year’s Phil Freelon Professional Design Awards. Baltimore is home to several buildings designed by Freelon and his firm, including the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, and the Center for the Built Environment and Infrastructure Studies (CBEIS) at Morgan State University, the only Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Maryland with an accredited architecture program.

Melanie Ray, president of NOMA’s Baltimore chapter and the northeast university liaison for NOMA’s national board, spoke to Baltimore Fishbowl about some of the architectural design trends, their emphasis on design justice and accessibility, and what NOMA is doing to increase architecture studies to HBCUs nationwide.

Ray explained that attendees of the conference do not have to be members.

“We do have a lot of our conference attendees this year are either sponsors or allied professionals,” she said. “In some cases, they’re allied individuals who just support the mission of the organization to truly champion diversity within architecture and related professions.”

Since Ray sits on both the local and national boards of NOMA, she was able to speak to the organization’s involvement in HBCUs on both levels. Locally, NOMA partners with Morgan State University, since it has an architecture program (the student chapters are called NOMAS) and over 20 Morgan students are attending this year.

“We partner with them throughout the year,” Ray explained. “We co-host events with them. We invite them to our organization’s events. We do portfolio reviews. We really try to ensure that our NOMAS members have a direct connection to the professional community within Baltimore, so that when they graduate, they’ve got a job, they’ve got connections and mentorship.”

Beyond Morgan State University, NOMA has student chapters at all seven HBCUs that have architecture programs. NOMA has an HBCU professional development program that partners students with professionals for virtual membership opportunities. Additionally, this year, national president Pascale Sablan will visit all seven of the HBCUS with architecture programs.

Ray said NOMA approaches everything through the lens of design justice when it comes to accessibility, affordable housing, and planning. Since she does work in affordable housing, and those projects are federally funded, the emphasis is on universal design as the basis for all spaces. Universal design, according to the National League of Cities, “prioritizes usability by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialization.”

“There’s actually seven key features as it relates to universal design, and we’re seeing more and more jurisdictions incorporate this into their design requirements for new buildings,” Ray said. “We are seeing a heavier focus on designing spaces that accommodate everyone, without heavy adaptation or changes that often make people feel like these changes are inconveniencing other people or going above and beyond. But if you design spaces from the beginning to be accessible to all, then you don’t have to worry about that being an afterthought later.”

Speaking about justice, Ray exuded enthusiasm for kicking off the Baltimore NOMA conference at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture. “It’s a really iconic building, from the outside, the graphics, even to the ‘Black History Matters’ letters that are on the front,” Ray said. “Just kind of really highlighting that as the keynote of the conference.”

A new agreement between two Maryland agencies will support construction of denser mixed-use projects near transit stations, including more affordable housing, and promote the state’s climate goals.

The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) and Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) on Monday announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding to formalize collaboration between their agencies on transit-oriented development.

“This partnership is a win-win for Maryland families as transit-oriented development will help lower the costs of housing while increasing access and ridership to transit,” MDOT Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld said in a statement.

Maryland has a housing shortage of more than 96,000 units, but officials hope the new agreement will help close the gap by adding mixed-use, mixed-income developments within a half mile of transit stations.

“We know that progress doesn’t come without partnership,” DHCD Secretary Jake Day said in a statement. “Through this agreement, we’re making firm our commitment to collaboration with our partners at the Maryland Department of Transportation in addressing the housing shortage and fostering economic vitality for communities across the state.”

MDOT owns more than 300 acres of property directly adjacent to its transit stations, which it plans to work with DHCD to develop, said MDOT Assistant Secretary Joe McAndrew.

While the two agencies have a history of collaboration, the MOU will make it easier for them to share resources, McAndrew said.

For example, Low-Income Housing Tax Credit subsidies flow from the federal government to Maryland via DHCD, which will aid the development of affordable, transit-accessible housing.

“DHCD has years of experience developing and partnering with developers; … that’s not necessarily our expertise, so we have an opportunity to collaborate and leverage those years of wisdom, shall we say, in a way that will help us accelerate our curve of learning and delivery for the state, which is ultimately our goal,” he said.

Long commute times and high housing costs are two of the top reasons Marylanders cite in their decision to leave the state, said Scott Gottbreht, DHCD’s Assistant Secretary of Policy, Strategy, and Research. And since the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge earlier this year, commute times have gotten even longer for many residents.

“Maryland’s economic growth puzzle will require the close cooperation of DHCD and MDOT in order to figure it out,” Gottbreht said. “If we want Maryland growing again, we need improved strategies and effectiveness of both the transit and housing space systems, and this MOU will make that possible.”

The Moore-Miller administration’s 2024 State Plan highlighted that Maryland Transit Administration ridership was still down compared to pre-pandemic levels. That decline is consistent with national trends.

McAndrew said Maryland is at an important crossroads: the state can continue current land use development patterns and maintain ridership levels where they are today, or invest in denser developments within a walkable distance of transit stations and watch ridership rise.

With the latter path, he said, “you also see thriving communities … where you’ve got groceries and schools and attainable, affordable houses.”

Transportation is the largest greenhouse gas emission sector for Maryland, comprising 35% of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions. Although the state has been building out infrastructure to support the transition from gas-powered to electric vehicles, McAndrew said EVs are only one part of the pollution solution.

“We also need to create options for people to have the freedom to travel outside of a vehicle, if they so choose, whether it be biking or walking or transit,” he said. “Fortunately, for the state of Maryland, we have great transit assets, whether it be the WMATA system, Baltimore Metro, light rail, bus network, and the MARC network, as well as our locally operated transit services. The question is: how can we go ahead and encourage and send folks to take those great assets, take those trip options?”

By developing near transit stations, Maryland will be making it easier for residents to use more energy-efficient public transportation to commute to and from work, home, and recreational activities, McAndrew said.

Denser housing complexes are also more energy-efficient, Gottbreht said, because they have fewer walls and have more energy-efficient technologies as new builds.

Building more densely will also cut down on housing-related emissions, Gottbreht said.

“This is good for climate, it’s good for equity, it’s good for affordability,” said McAndrew. “It’s also good for fiscal prudence, for making sure that we’re maximizing the return on our investments. It’s also good for the tax base.”

Parking at the Maryland Zoo has historically been, well, a zoo. Until now, that is! The Zoo has completely overhauled its parking lot to provide what they’re calling a “superior experience” for guests, whether people drive, bike, or walk to see their favorite creatures and critters.

The new lot includes a variety of improvements, like a state-of-the-art system to filter and store rainwater in underground tanks, taking pressure off the Jones Falls during major storms. There are new signs directing and educating visitors about the Zoo’s conservation programs. The new elevated crosswalk improves pedestrian safety between the parking lot and the main entrance to the Zoo.

The concrete paving material used on the new parking lot is lighter in color, reducing the ambient temperature in the summer by as much as 10-15 degrees compared to asphalt on hot days. The downward-facing smart lighting decreases light pollution and electricity usage by dimming automatically when no one is around.

For Baltimore’s thriving bike community, there is new, covered bike parking with equipment to inflate tires and do minor repairs. The large number of newly-planted native trees have permeable paving and special aeration matting, protecting existing trees and promoting future growth.

“The previous parking lot surface had become too difficult to navigate and we wanted to have better water runoff controls,” said Kirby Fowler, Maryland Zoo President & CEO. “Our guests and visitors to Druid Hill Park let us know we needed to provide something better, and the new lot does just that.”

The new lot will reduce energy and water consumption and incorporate green practices into all facets of the Zoo’s management and operations, fulfilling part of their Sustainability Plan.

The brick pavers that covered the old parking lot were considered cutting-edge at the time they were installed in the 1970s. Their intended ability to allow rainwater to seep into the ground, though, deteriorated over the years, creating problems with rainwater runoff rather than solutions. The damage from potholes and ruts further made navigation difficult for anyone with a wheelchair, stroller, or even simply walking.

“The lot isn’t just better for motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians, the downward facing lighting makes it better for migrating birds, and the rainwater collection system makes it better for the environment,” Fowler said.

By MARIJKE FRIEDMAN

Capital News Service

WASHINGTON – An influx of federal and state dollars is helping fund additional electric vehicle charging stations in Maryland.

In August, the Biden-Harris administration announced the winners of $521 million in grants to help build electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the United States. The Maryland Equitable Charging Infrastructure Partnership will receive more than $33 million of this funding to install electric vehicle charging stations at 29 sites along highways in the state.

The Maryland Clean Energy Center — an organization created by the state in 2008 to advance clean energy sources — is leading the partnership, which includes local governments, a local electrical workers union and other organizations. The center applied for the federal grant on behalf of the partnership and coordinated closely with the Maryland Department of Transportation.

“In order for us to achieve our greenhouse gas reduction targets and help us mitigate the impacts of climate change, we are facilitating a transition to cleaner transportation solutions,” Katherine Magruder, the executive director of the center, told Capital News Service.

There are currently 118,682 electric vehicles registered in Maryland, according to the Maryland Department of Transportation.

The more than $33 million will help to increase electric vehicle charging access in “rural, urban, and underserved communities,” according to the center.

“We’re very conscientious about equitable access to clean energy technologies and solutions,” Magruder said.

Workforce development and job creation are also crucial parts of the project, Magruder said. Apprentices and electricians with IBEW Local 24 will be trained to build and maintain the new charging stations.

Earlier this year, the Maryland Clean Energy Center received $15 million to build 58 electric vehicle community charging stations from an earlier round of federal transportation grants.

The funds come from a grant program set up by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2021, and money set aside in the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, which was created by that law.

Under the formula program, states may access funding for obtaining and installing charging equipment. The program requires funds be used first on alternative fuel corridors, a network of highway systems with alternative charging and fueling stations, and then in communities.

Deron Lovaas, the chief of environment and sustainable transportation at the Maryland Department of Transportation, emphasized the importance of building out highway charging so that other funds can go toward community charging.

Maryland also received $12.1 million in federal funding from the NEVI program in July to expand charging sites, according to Gov. Wes Moore’s office.

It has been an unprecedented decade for funding for electric vehicle charging, Lovaas said. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act have funneled large amounts of money to local governments, he explained.

In 2015, there were just 419 electric vehicle charging stations in Maryland. As of June 30, there were more than 1,600, according to data from the state Department of Transportation.

Maryland will continue to seek federal funding to expand its electric vehicle infrastructure, Lovaas said. He also noted that Moore has put millions of Maryland’s dollars into climate investments, including $23 million for building charging stations in historically underserved communities.

“A future where the (state’s) fleet is electric is within sight, thanks to these federal investments and thanks to partners that are competing for them as effectively as possible here in Maryland,” Lovaas said.

The state is also focusing on increasing the number of electric vehicles on the road and expanding charging infrastructure for trucks, Lovaas said.

A rule adopted in Maryland in 2023, called Advanced​​ Clean Cars II, is requiring auto dealers in the state to increase the percentage of electric vehicles they are selling, he said.

Maryland is also collaborating with other states to expand charging stations. The Clean Corridor Coalition, which includes Maryland, Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey and New York, is receiving nearly $250 million from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to build out electric vehicle charging facilities for trucks along the I-95 corridor.

These investments are crucial to protect the climate, clean the air and transition away from fossil fuels, Lindsey Mendelson, the senior clean transportation representative with the Maryland Sierra Club, told CNS.

“We’re really excited about more federal dollars flowing in to support EV charging,” she said. “It’s important that we continue to take advantage of every opportunity that we can.”

While Baltimore’s harbor remains swimmable, the waterway’s health continues to be impacted by sewage overflows, stormwater runoff, and trash pollution, according to the Waterfront Partnership’s annual Harbor Heartbeat report card released on Thursday.

For the first year, the report assigned recreational and ecological health grades for sites around the harbor.

The harbor earned an overall C grade for ecological health, which Waterfront Partnership vice president Adam Lindquist said is a signifier of both the diligent improvements to the harbor’s health in recent years as well as the hard work that still needs to be done.

“Baltimore Harbor is a recovering ecosystem, but it doesn’t have the resilience you would like it to have,” said Lindquist, who oversees the Waterfront Partnership’s Healthy Harbor Initiative. “So when we have an algae bloom or low dissolved oxygen event like we did this past September, wildlife can still become stressed to the breaking point. But as we continue to improve our water quality, we will improve the resilience so that these kind of events have smaller and smaller impacts on wildlife in the harbor.”

In September, Baltimore’s harbor experienced a fish kill due to pistachio tides, the result of sulfur bacteria being pushed to the surface and causing smelly green algal blooms; and mahogany tides, from nitrogen and phosphorus runoff causing brown algal blooms.

Ecological health grades were fairly consistent across water testing sites, with scores ranging from C- to C.

Grades for recreational health, which measured the percentage of water samples that tested below Maryland’s threshold for safe water contact for recreation purposes, varied more widely. Fort McHenry, the Mainstem Patapsco River, and Masonville Cove each earned an A+ for recreational health. Meanwhile, sites at Ferry Bar Park and the Patapsco River Mouth received F grades.

The Waterfront Partnership last year announced that Baltimore’s harbor was finally healthy enough for swimming, more than a decade after the partnership launched its Healthy Harbor Initiative with the goal of making the harbor fishable and swimmable. (There are some conditions to that swimmability: swimmers should wait at least 48 hours after rainfall due to stormwater runoff; the water should be deep enough that polluted sediments will not be stirred up from where they’ve settled on the harbor’s floor; and swimming should only take place during designated events with proper supervision to avoid injury from boat traffic and other dangers.)

In June 2024, Baltimore held the Harbor Splash, the city’s first public swim event in the harbor in more than 40 years. At that event, 150 people jumped into the Inner Harbor in timed slots with groups of 25 people to celebrate the swimmability milestone. (The Inner Harbor earned a B- grade for recreational health in this year’s report.)

The Harbor Splash “sold out” within 10 minutes of registration going live, and the event had a waitlist of more than 1,000 people, according to the Waterfront Partnership.

After the inaugural event garnered such enthusiasm, the Waterfront Partnership is not only bringing back Harbor Splash next year, but it is also planning other events, including a half-mile swim across the harbor and stand-up paddleboard races.

Days after this summer’s Harbor Splash, ultra-distance swimmer Katie Pumphrey completed a 24-mile swim from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to Baltimore’s Harbor in about 14 hours. Pumphrey plans to repeat that swim next year.

When floated the ideas of a Baltimore Triathlon or a winter plunge, Lindquist said the possibilities are certainly open.

“I would love that,” he said. “I think that that’s one of the things we’re hoping to see as we demonstrate that you can safely swim in the Baltimore Harbor. We would love to see an event like a triathlon come and incorporate Baltimore Harbor into its route.”

Still, Lindquist acknowledges there remains more work to be done to further improve both the ecological and recreational health of the harbor.

Baltimore’s googly-eyed garbage interceptor Mr. Trash Wheel was launched in 2014, and in that 10 years he has collected 5.2 million pounds of trash from the mouth of the Jones Falls stream at the Inner Harbor.

Among that heap, Mr. Trash Wheel has gathered nearly 2 million plastic bottles. The Waterfront Partnership is advocating that Maryland’s legislature pass a “bottle bill” to reduce litter and pollution from plastic bottles.

“If we pass the beverage container deposit law, we can actually prevent Mr. Trash Wheel from eating his 2 millionth plastic bottle,” Lindquist said.

Additionally, the Waterfront Partnership is calling for Maryland to enact the Extended Producer Responsibility Act, which would hold manufacturers responsible for their products’ impact on the environment.

The Baltimore City Department of Public Works has been working to repair and upgrade parts of the city’s aging sewer infrastructure. That has resulted in an 84% reduction in sewer overflows (more than 240 million gallons of sewage) into the Baltimore harbor over the last four years.

The report also acknowledged the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge earlier this year, in which six construction workers died.

The extent of the bridge collapse’s environmental impact is not yet known, but it stirred up polluted sediment that could harm wildlife in the Chesapeake Bay.

“The collapse sent a plume of sediment into surrounding waters where it impacted aquatic life, potentially including a nearby oyster sanctuary reef [near Fort Carroll],” the report’s authors write.

The Waterfront Partnership anticipates a survey of the reef’s health within the next 12 months.

The good news: polluted sediment ingested by oysters in that reef will not be consumed by people because it is a no-harvest reef. The bad news: the sediment may have smothered oysters in the reef, potentially setting back restoration efforts.

The Great Baltimore Oyster Partnership supplies 350,000 new oysters to the reef at Fort Carroll annually. To offset any potential damage from the bridge collapse, they plan to increase that amount to 400,000 in 2025.

As if walking through the galleries of the National Aquarium wasn’t dream-like enough, imagine doing it in the evening, with original music inspired by ecosystem feedback loops performed live and echoing throughout.

Baltimoreans will have that opportunity during the sixth installation of Voyages, the National Aquarium’s adults-only event series where conservation, science, and art converge in a completely original experience.

On Thursday, Nov. 21, attendees will be immersed in this sonic journey courtesy of Baltimore-based recording artist, composer, and performer Dan Deacon. His original musical composition will be performed by a collective of Baltimore musicians, whose soundscape will flow throughout the Aquarium’s galleries.

Deacon was inspired by research at the Aquarium and insight from Patuxent Riverkeeper, Fred Tutman to create a piece based upon the concept of feedback loops. The term “feedback loop” refers to how natural systems react to environmental changes and how these same systems undergo exponential transformation.

He envisions guests interacting and engaging with the musicians, thereby influencing the music and helping shape the dynamic soundscape that evolves from their interactions. Deacon imagines this echoing the intricate balance found within different ecosystems.

“I hope voyagers leave (this upcoming chapter) feeling a greater connection to and role in the feedback loops they are a part of—their actual ecosystem, those around them, and within themselves,” Deacon said. “My favorite part about interaction is that even by choosing not to participate, you’ve interacted with the work that’s asking you to participate. That’s been an aspect of my performance practice for many years now, but I think this performance will expand upon it in ways I’ve never done before.”

He added, “I’m hoping the performance, and the audience’s role in it, will help highlight the endless fractalizing of the connectivity we all have with everything around us.”

After exploring the Aquarium’s exhibits, guests are invited to end their night with fellow voyagers at an exclusive after-party featuring an intimate performance by Deacon. The evening will also include a curated bar menu crafted by Cane Collective, alongside delicious offerings from local eateries, including Ekiben, Arepi, Sistah’s Sweets, and Crust by Mack. 

Voyages: Chapter 6 takes place on Nov. 21, from 7 p.m. – 11 p.m. This event is for guests 21 years of age or older. Tickets cost $60. To learn more about the experience, and purchase tickets, click this link.

 The Aquarium is located at 501 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD.

Maryland plans to add three new oyster restoration sites in the Chesapeake Bay over the next few years.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has identified its next three oyster restoration sites: Herring Bay, near southern Anne Arundel County; the Nanticoke River, on the southern portion of the Eastern Shore; and Hoopers Strait, near Dorchester County.

“These three large-scale restoration sanctuaries represent a new chapter for oyster restoration in Maryland,” Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz said in a statement. “We’ve had tremendous success with our existing restoration sanctuaries, and we’re excited to build on that achievement and keep up the momentum for oyster recovery in the Chesapeake Bay.”

The department has completed restoration at four oyster sanctuary sites, and is on schedule to finish work in the Manokin River – the last of its “big five” sanctuary sites – in 2025.

The three new sites were identified based on recommended considerations by the Oyster Advisory Commission, including the ability to support a self-sustaining oyster population, economic efficiency, and different salinity zones to reduce risk of disease.

“Together, these three restoration sanctuaries will strengthen the diversity of Maryland’s sanctuary program,” DNR Fishing and Boating Services Director Lynn Fegley said in a statement. “With new projects on both the Western and the Eastern Shore, as well as the mid- and lower Bay, we’re helping to spread out disease risk and increase the oyster broodstock across all areas of the Chesapeake Bay.”

Oysters filter water and help support the region’s economy. But due to overharvesting, disease, and the deterioration of habitats and water quality, Eastern oyster populations continue to be significantly lower than their historic levels.

DNR hopes to restore the region’s oyster populations through these sanctuaries, which allow oysters to grow without the threat of harvesting, except on aquaculture lease sites.

To date, Maryland has more than 1,000 acres of restoration oyster reefs – bigger than 800 football fields. The state set a new annual record for oyster spat plantings last year, with more than 1.7 billion new juvenile oysters planted on Chesapeake Bay sanctuary and public oyster fishery sites in 2023.

DNR expects the Hoopers Strait site will be similar in size to the state’s three largest restoration sites–Harris Creek, Little Choptank, and Manokin River–which range from 348 to 455 acres.

The Herring Bay site could be larger, which could make it the state’s largest restoration site yet.

The site on the Nanticoke River is expected to be smaller, about 175 acres. Work on that sanctuary is slated to start in the spring and summer of 2025.

Restoration will begin on one of the other two sites in 2026, with work on the third site to come after that.

While acreage of these three restoration sites has not been finalized, estimates put their combined acreage near — or even more than — 1,000 acres, which would double the size of the state’s restoration oyster reefs.

“We met the goals of the 2014 Watershed Agreement for oyster restoration, and we anticipate additional ambitious goals for recovery after 2025,” said Jackie Specht, DNR’s Assistant Secretary of Aquatic Resources, in a statement. “With these three restoration projects, we’re getting started early on additional restoration and we’re maintaining our continuous effort to establish more productive oyster habitat in the Chesapeake Bay.”

Johns Hopkins University (JHU) will begin rolling out its electric buses in early 2025, thanks to a $1.5 million grant from the Maryland Energy Administration.

The new buses running along the Homewood-Peabody-JHMI route will be all-electric and fully accessible, helping the university meet the transportation and mobility goals of its “Climate Action and Sustainability Plan”. The first five buses replacing the university’s diesel fleet will cost approximately $5.5 million.

Each bus will earn a $40,000 tax rebate from federal Inflation Reduction Act incentives. An additional five buses should be added to the fleet by early 2027, and by 2030, all newly purchased university vehicles will be electric.

JHU currently runs 12 diesel buses along the Homewood-Peabody-JHMI route — its most visible. It carries more than 3,000 riders per weekday. Replacing the fleet with 10 all-electric buses will eliminate 741 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the air each year.

Since transportation accounts for 25% of Baltimore’s greenhouse gas emissions, reducing them is a core aspect of JHU’s commitment to action on climate and environmental justice.

The buses will arrive in November, so that they may undergo the necessary processes of inspections, securing insurance, creating charging stations, and training drivers on the new vehicles in time for an early 2025 roll-out.

Up to 33 riders will be able to be seated around the perimeter of the bus facing the center, and up to 60 people can ride when some stand. The buses have mechanical lifts to give riders in wheelchairs easy access to the shuttle, and once inside, they will be able to use a self-operating locking system to hold their wheelchair in place when the bus is in motion.

The route runs from 6 a.m. – 12:30 a.m. on weekdays and has limited weekend service.

The JHU transportation team has worked closely with its counterparts in Baltimore City, which has a pilot program with electric buses, and at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, where they have an electric bus program up and running. The introduction of the new electric shuttle buses at JHU are the culmination of years of planning on the part of Greg Smith, director of transportation services, and his team.

After 14 years as president and CEO of the Chesapeake Conservancy, Joel Dunn will resign from his post at the end of this year to join the Campaign for Nature.

The board of directors for the Chesapeake Conservancy, an Annapolis-based environmental nonprofit, announced the departure of the organization’s leader on Thursday.

EJ Amyot, chief operating officer of the Chesapeake Conservancy, will serve as interim president and CEO. The organization will immediately launch a nationwide search for its next leader.

“I am grateful to have been a part of Chesapeake Conservancy’s many achievements,” Dunn said in a statement. “We started this organization with a team of two people focused on the development of a water trail, and from those humble roots we have grown into an organization of nearly 50 dedicated and exceptional people. We’ve changed how conservation is implemented, and we’ve empowered the success of multiple partners throughout the watershed in the race to conserve 30% of the Chesapeake by 2030.”

The Campaign for Nature, which Dunn will join, has a goal of protecting and conserving at least 30% of the world’s land and ocean by 2030.

Under Dunn’s leadership, the Chesapeake Conservancy helped develop the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail; establish the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park and National Monument; and return 465 acres of the Rappahannock Tribe’s ancestral homeland at Fones Cliffs in the Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge.

Some of the nonprofit’s other achievements include expanding George Washington and Jefferson National Forest by more than 4664 acres; conserving more than 260 acres at Werowocomoco; creating Elktonia-Carr’s Beach Heritage Park; and designating Fort Monroe National Monument, among other accomplishments.

Stephanie Meeks, board chair for the Chesapeake Conservancy, praised Dunn for helping grow the nonprofit into what it is today.

“We are enormously grateful to Joel for his leadership and focus on teamwork, dedication and innovation in the field of conservation,” Meeks said in a statement. “Over the last 14 years, Chesapeake Conservancy helped create a national trail, two national monuments, a national park, a national marine sanctuary and significantly advanced a new national wildlife refuge and national recreation area for the Chesapeake.”

Meeks continued, “We’ve partnered to conserve thousands of acres of land, expand national wildlife refuges, create local parks, restore Chesapeake tributaries and empower the conservation movement with the latest groundbreaking data and technology. Our financial position is stronger than ever, and we are grateful to Joel for building a sustainable platform poised to make an even larger impact in the future.”

Amyot, the soon-to-be interim president and CEO, has more than 18 years of nonprofit operations experience. He most recently served as vice president of operations at The Y in Central Maryland.

The Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) has a new director, Khalil Zaied, sworn in by Mayor Brandon M. Scott in a ceremony at City Hall.

In addition to keeping neighborhoods and waterways clean, DPW hosts neighborhood clean-ups, keeps residents informed about the city’s water and wastewater treatment systems, and collaborates with other agencies to host school competitions and shredding events, and much more.

Zaied is the 17^th Director of DPW, whose priorities will include improving infrastructure to better deliver essential services to Baltimore residents; cultural transformation to foster a more efficient and effective work environment; enhancing essential services, including delivering high quality drinking water; and more.

“Director Zaied is a tested public servant with a proven track record as a transformational municipal leader,” Scott said in a statement. “He is a leader with more than 25 years of engineering and public works management experience, much of it right here in Baltimore. I know that he will be dedicated to ensuring that the Department of Public Works is equipped to deliver essential services to Baltimore residents and will take this department into a new era with his leadership.”

Zaied joined DPW as acting director in March 2024, and spearheaded water billing upgrades for Baltimore City residents. He aims to implement facility upgrades throughout the agency and boasts extensive senior-level management experience in both the public and private sectors. The Baltimore City Council unanimously voted to confirm Zaied as Public Works Director on June 10, 2024.

“The path ahead undoubtedly is not an easy one, and the work required of all of us demands more than ever. I am fully dedicated to seeing us through,” Zaied said in a statement. “I pledge to work to ensure that all DPW employees have a voice and that their concerns are heard and addressed. The insights and experiences of our frontline workers are vital to our mission of serving the Baltimore area.”

Before joining the DPW, Zaied managed the Department of Public Works in Champaign, Illinois. He was also a nearly 20-year veteran of the Baltimore City government, having served as Deputy Mayor of Operations and Director of the Baltimore City Department of Transportation, among other roles.

In the private sector, Zaied spent five years as vice president for special projects with KCI Technologies, a Sparks, Maryland engineering firm, as well as serving as Deputy City Manager for Public Works and Transportation for El Paso, Texas.

Matthew Garbark is returning to DPW as Interim Deputy Director after serving as Director of the Mayor’s Office of Infrastructure Development (MOID) and previously working in DPW as Deputy Director.

A cage filled with empty-looking oyster shells sits in front of Kellie Fiala on the Canton Waterfront promenade. A crowd of eager high school students from the Baltimore Lab School gather around her as she lifts up a shell for all to see.

“Raise your hand if you know what a baby oyster is called?” she asks.

“Spat!” yells a student.

“Spat. I love it,” Fiala, who works on oyster restoration with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, nods enthusiastically as she continues. “So there are thousands of spat — baby oysters — on these oyster shells.”

Read more (and listen) at WYPR.

Civics Works, a local nonprofit, will welcome more than 200 volunteers to participate in its 22^nd annual Ricky Myers Day of Service across 10 project sites in East and Northeast Baltimore on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, from 9 a.m. – noon.

This family-friendly event offers a variety of volunteer activities from which to choose, like cleaning parks and alleys, beautifying vacant lots, creating community gardens, and sorting donations.

Volunteers are invited to help at Mother’s Garden in Clifton Park (outdoors) at 2080-2086 E. 32^nd St., Baltimore, MD 21213; and The Loading Dock (indoors) at 2 N. Kresson St., Baltimore, MD 21224, to name just two of the locations. These, and the other locations, are included on the full list of sites at this link.

Ricky Myers was a Civics Work staff member who dedicated his life to serving Baltimore’s communities. He died a tragic death in 2003 when he was killed in an accident at a municipal landfill in Curtis Bay. This annual day of service honors his life and celebrates Civic Works’ mission by engaging hundreds of volunteers in service projects across Baltimore.

Civics Works engages upwards of 3,000 volunteers every year, believing volunteerism is essential to strengthening Baltimore’s communities. The volunteers beautify vacant lots across the city, repair homes for elderly residents, tutor students, harvest fresh produce at Real Food Farm, and more.

Civics Works ask that you RSVP with the site you plan to visit. Email, text, or call Ellina Buettner at ellina@abelcommunications.com or 410-419-5945 (cell) to RSVP.

Some of the locations have already filled up their volunteer slots, so make sure you act soon to sign up!

By MENNATALLA IBRAHIM and ANDREA DURÁN

Capital News Service

WASHINGTON — Chesapeake Bay is cleaner than it used to be but is falling short of 2025 targets for reducing pollution, federal and state officials and most of Maryland’s congressional delegation said on Wednesday.

“The short version is that it’s going in the right direction. The longer story is that we’re still behind,” Adam Ortiz, administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Mid-Atlantic region, said at a Capitol Hill press conference.

The bay failed to meet the agreement’s main target, known as the total maximum daily load, which measures the total pollution in the Chesapeake Bay, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, said.

“The point of the 10-year plan is to create a pollution diet to reduce the amount of phosphorous, nitrogen and other pollutants in the bay,” Van Hollen said. “That’s a measurable target. That’s how we know we’re not going to hit it this year, so we need to redouble our efforts.”

Despite missing the targets set in 2014 through 2025, Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Maryland, said he  remained hopeful that the delegation can work together with experts at the EPA and other agencies to ensure the bay’s health continues to improve.

Maryland Democratic Reps. Steny Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, Kweisi Mfume and Jamie Raskin joined Cardin, Van Hollen, representatives from the EPA and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science gave the Chesapeake Bay an overall grade of a C+ in July, the highest grade the bay has received since 2002.

“I know that nobody would be thrilled with bringing home a grade of a C+, but the fact of the matter is, it is the highest grade we’ve seen in a long time,” Van Hollen said. “We all want to do better, but I do want to stress that without the collective effort we see today, the bay would have died a long time ago.”

The Chesapeake Executive Council signed the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement in 2014 and established five strategies for the restoration and protection of the bay, its tributaries and surrounding lands.

Local, state and federal governments are required to enact the plan’s management strategies and work with academic institutions, nongovernmental organizations, watershed groups and businesses and individuals, according to the 2014 agreement.

“You need cooperation between the federal government and the states, among the states, among state governments and private industry,” said Van Hollen. “There are all sorts of sources of pollution today, and so we need to make sure everybody cooperates in producing pollution reduction.”

Ortiz said that groups committed to improving the bay were in disarray when President Joe Biden’s administration began almost four years ago.

“The states were suing the federal government, and states were pointing the fingers at each other for not making…progress,” he said.

But since then, he said, the EPA has been able to bring the states together and hold them accountable.

“The Chesapeake Bay isn’t just a bay,” Cardin said. “The Chesapeake Bay has been one of the highest priorities for our Maryland congressional delegation. We’ve been focused on not only preserving but expanding our role and partnership with states, local governments and stakeholders.”

Van Hollen emphasized the importance of identifying “measurable targets” of pollution reduction for long-term success, especially as climate change concerns surrounding the bay grow.

“I think we’ll have to have a discussion about what the length of time for the next agreement should be. It may make sense to look at shorter time horizons,” the senator said.  “But you have to have a measurable target to hold people down.”