My dear colleagues:

As you know, Council President Rawlings-Blake was true to her word in agreeing to “hold” off on a Third Reader vote on Bill 08-0163.

We all certainly appreciate the President’s good faith effort to work with us on drafting additional legislation that would provide enforcement teeth in the form of a revocation of the conditional use for live entertainment and dancing in cases where the community is adversely impacted by non-compliant establishments licensed to serve alcoholic beverages.

Last year The Baltimore Development Workgroup, a secretive coalition of real estate developers and lawyers meant to give their businesses a louder voice in city government, was formed by real estate and development attorneys Stanley Fine, Jon Laria, and Joe Woolman.

Mr Fine has provided counsel to the developers of controversial Federal Hill projects such as HarborView, the Ritz Condos and 1111 Light Street (the massive in-fill redevelopment of the former Epstein’s Department Store site on Light Street across from Cross Street Market).

In article published on July 11^th (Developer dream team good idea if kept in check), The Baltimore Business Journal editorialized  “….consider this a word of caution to those who have the final say in how Baltimore constructs its development guidelines: No group — no matter how big, powerful, loud, rich or successful — should have any greater influence than another.”

Apparently both the City’s Department of Planning and the members of the Planning Commission did not choose to heed the Business Journal’s advice.  At the urging of BDW, the Planning Department’s staff recommended and the Planning Commission voted last week to delete the entire section (§14-403(c) “and any related text for periodic reviews in its entirety”  from Bill 09-0387.    In essence this would render this so-called enforcement tool useless in terms of leverage against any unruly operator with a conditional use for live entertainment and dancing that represents a disruption to the community.

I have attached the full set of recommendations submitted by the Planning Department which were adopted at last Thursday’s Planning Commission Hearing.  This version of the Bill will be referred to City Council.

Tomorrow at 5:00pm City Council’s Land Use and Transportation Committee will hold a public hearing on Bill 09-0387 in the 4^th Floor Council Chamber at City Hall.  This will be the only chance for the community to offer testimony on this proposed legislation.  It is critical that you attend to voice your continued concerns over Council approving a watered down version of Bill 09-0387.

This hearing will be broadcast live on TV25.

If you can not attend please send an e-mail to Councilman Ed Reisinger, (Edward.Reisinger@baltimorecity.gov ) Chairman of the Land Use and Transportation Committee insisting not only that §14-403(c) be retained in its entirety but that the word “may” on line 19 of the First Reader Version of Bill 09-0863 be changed to the word “must” in the case of a BMZA grant of a conditional use for live entertainment and dancing.

Also please send copies of your e-mail to the following members of the Land Use and Transportation Committee:

Belinda.Conaway@baltimorecity.gov, Bernard.Young@baltimorecity.gov, James.Kraft@baltimorecity.gov; Rochelle.Spector@baltimorecity.gov, Sharon.Middleton@baltimorecity.gov, William.Cole@baltimorecity.gov

Please urge all of your neighbors who share our concern over the negative impact that the indiscriminant grant of permanent, irrevocable, conditional uses for live entertainment and dancing to all of the bars near Cross Street Market will have on our quality of life and safety in Federal Hill.

§

Paul W. Robinson

President

Federal Hill Neighborhood Association

111 S. Calvert Street

Suite 2700

Baltimore, MD   21202-6143

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