[Chat] Parole and Probation Hearing - April 7

[Crystal]

Posted for the Barclay/Midway & Old Goucher Coalition:

It turns out that yesterday's news of a Board of
Public Works hearing on April 7 regarding the Parole
and Probation building was not a April's fools day
joke.  It appears that Board of Public Works plans to
approve moving forward with the renovation and
expansion of the P & P facility at 2100 Guilford
Avenue. It has become clear that State government has
not negotiated in good faith.  The fact that the
neighborhoods and the City government were not
notified of Wednesday's hearing is symptomatic of
how the State feels about community input.
 
It is crucial that our representatives hear from us
before they make a decision that will effect our
neighborhood for at least a generation.  
 
The attachments include contact information for our
representatives, talking points, and a sample letter. 
Please respond by Monday, if possible.


CONTACT INFORMATION

Letters and emails should be addressed to each member
of the Board of Public Works and copied to your
elected representative, the Mayor and City Councilman
Bernard Young.

Board of Public Works
The Honorable William Donald Schaefer
Comptroller, State of Maryland
80 Calvert Street
Annapolis, MD  21401
Phone: 410-260-7300 (Schaefer Service Line)
Fax: 410-574-3808
Email: wdschaefer at comp.state.md.us

The Honorable Robert Ehrlich
Governor
100 State Circle
Annapolis, MD  21401
Phone: 800-811-8336
Fax: 410-974-3275
Email: governor at gov.state.md.us

The Honorable Nancy Kopp
Treasurer
Goldstein Treasury Building
80 Calvert Street
Annapolis, MD  21401
Phone: 800-974-0468
Fax: 410-974-3530
Email: nkopp at treas.state.md.us

(note: you may need to dial a 1 before the fax number)

Elected Officials  (40th District)_
Contact information is provided for both their
Annapolis and District office.  Because the General
Assembly begins on January 14th, you may want to send
information to both offices. 

The Honorable Ralph Hughes (Senator)
Annapolis Contact Information: 
James Senate Office Building, Room 121
110 College Ave.
Annapolis, MD 21401 
Phone: 410-841-3656
             1-800-492-7122 ext 3656
Fax:  410 841-3738 
 

District Contact Information
2320 North Monore Street
Baltimore, MD  21217
Phone: 410-225-0555 
Fax:    410 225-7289 (District Office)
Email: ralph_hughes at senate.state.md.us

The Honorable Salima Siler Marriott (Delegate)
Annapolis Contact Information
Lowe House Office Building, Room 314
Annapolis, MD 21401
Phone: 410-841-3255
             1-800-492-7122 ext. 3255 
Fax: 	 410 841-3278 

District Contact Information
2901 Druid Park Drive, Suite A11
Baltimore, MD  21215
Phone: 410 728-6698 
Fax: 	410 664-4951 
email: salima_Marriott at house.state.md.us

The Honorable Tony Fulton (Delegate)
Annapolis Contact Information
Lowe House Office Building, Room 314
Annapolis, MD 21401 - 1991
Phone:  410-841-3277
               1-800-492-7122 ext 3030
Fax: 	  410-841-3284

District Contact Information
2901 Druid Park Drive, Suite 200A
Baltimore, MD  21215
Phone: 410-383-1500
Fax:	 410-383-0902
Does not have an email address

Marshall T. Goodwin (Delegate)
Lowe House Office Building, Room 316
Annapolis, MD 21401 – 1991
410-841-3030
1-800-492-7122 ext 3030
e-mail: marshall_goodwin at house.state.md.us


The Honorable Martin O’Malley
City Hall, Room 250
100 North Holliday Street
Baltimore, MD  21202
Phone:  410-396-3835
Fax: 	   410-576-9425
Email:    mayor at baltimorecity.gov

The Honorable Bernard “Jack” Young
City Hall
100 North Holliday Street
Baltimore, MD  21202
Phone:   410-396-4811
Fax: 	    410-396-1594
Email:     byoung at baltimorecitycouncil.com

**************************************************

PAROLE & PROBATION TALKING POINTS

On January 7th the State Board of Public Works
postponed consideration of a contract to begin the
process of rebuilding the Parole & Probation Office at
2100 Guilford Ave at an estimated cost of $19.5
million.  The postponement was to allow the City of
Baltimore to offer alternative sites for this facility
that serves 5,000 clients weekly.

The City of Baltimore worked hard to come up with a
wide variety of alternative sites.  City staff met
with State officials to better learn their needs.

While alternative sites were proposed, State officials
never took the process seriously.  They simply went
through the motions so they could go back to the State
Board of Public Works and get their original project
approved.

Now, without any prior notice to the City or its
elected representatives, consideration of the original
contract has been put back on the agenda of the Board
of Public Works for next Wednesday, April 7.

The Barclay/Midway & Old Goucher Coalition and all of
its member groups remain steadfast in their opposition
to rebuilding at this location, next to an elementary
school and in the heart of a residential community
working to revitalize itself.

**************************************************

COALITION LETTER:

March 3, 2004

The Honorable Nancy Kopp
Treasurer
Goldstein Treasury Building
80 Calvert Street
Annapolis, MD 21401


Dear Treasurer Kopp:

On January 7, 2004, the Board of Public Works granted
a 60 day postponement for approving an A & E contract
that would begin the $19.5 million reconstruction of
the Parole and Probation Building located at 2100
Guilford Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland.  Because this
reconstruction project would perpetuate a serious
problem, the City of Baltimore and many community
groups, represented by the Barclay/Midway & Old
Goucher Coalition, requested a delay to allow for the
identification of other, more suitable sites for this
State facility.

Since that time, the City of Baltimore has launched an
aggressive effort to identify other locations.  While
the Coalition has not been directly involved in this
process, we are aware that the City has proposed at
least eight sites and that considerable discussion has
taken place between City and State officials.  Despite
this fact, we are concerned that 60 days is a very
short period of time for carefully evaluating the
proposed sites.  Shifting gears from a renovation
proposal to the development of plans for a new
facility in a new location will require more time. 
For this reason, the Barclay/Midway & Old Goucher
Coalition is suggesting the need for a further
extension of time to allow discussions between the
city and state to continue.

To recap our concerns, there are three major reasons
why the project at 2100 Guilford Avenue should not
occur:

·	The client base of this facility has grown
excessively over the years and now serves 5,000 people
each week, including sex offenders.  It is located
next door to the Dallas F. Nicholas, Sr. Elementary
School with 450 students.  It is the only facility of
its kind in the entire state that is located next door
to an elementary school.  The lack of outside security
and recently reported incidents highlight the risks of
having a large Parole and Probation Office next door
to a school.  A new facility of this type would never
be placed in such a location.





·	The neighborhoods surrounding the Parole and
Probation Office are ready for revitalization after
twenty years of continued decay.  With private
revitalization efforts moving south from Charles
Village, major revitalization plans being developed
for the Station North Arts District to the south, and
a community consensus to work with the City to develop
a mixed income reuse plan for  300+ vacant properties,
it is imperative that this negative use be relocated
from the area so that private investors can be
attracted to partner with the City and the community. 
Having the 2100 Guilford Avenue site – an entire city
block – available for redevelopment would be a
powerful statement to potential developers.

·	The 2100 Guilford Avenue building is so poorly
arranged and has such design limitations that even
after $19.5 million of reconstruction it would still
not fully meet the needs of the State Department of
Public Safety and Corrections.  The exceptionally high
cost of reconstruction is required because an addition
would need to be constructed to allow for shifting
operations while another part of the building is
rebuilt.  Also, the basic systems in the building are
truly worn out and extensive asbestos removal is
required.  All this construction activity would need
to happen while the building continues to be fully
operative over a five year period.

As the Coalition has told State Delegate Salima Siler
Marriott and others, we recognize the importance of
Parole and Probation services.  The community is home
to several decentralized offices that are serving many
people from our neighborhoods and we accept the need
for these services.  Our concern is with the excessive
concentration of citywide activity in this residential
area.  We believe that a facility of this size and
scope is inappropriate to any residential area,
especially next to an elementary school.

Thank you for your continued interest in this issue. 
We hope you will agree to an additional postponement
so that State and City officials can continue to
develop a plan that will best meet the needs of all
the parties.

Sincerely yours,  


Jennifer Martin          Constance Ross
Community Leader         Community Leader
410-243-3706             410-235-9449

CC:	The Honorable Ralph Hughes
	The Honorable Salima S. Marriott
	The Honorable Tony Fulton
	The Honorable Marshall T. Goodwin
	Sheila C. McDonald

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