Lake Evesham - Issues

Lake-Evesham

Menu

Historic District
In the culmination of a process starting in mid-2002, the Lake Evesham Historic District was officially listed by the National Park Service on December 23, 2003.

The National Register of Historic Places is the Nation's official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. Properties listed in the National Register include districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects that are significant in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering, and culture. The National Register is administered by the National Park Service, which is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior. In Maryland, the National Register program is administered by the Maryland Historical Trust, the State Historic Preservation Office.

Benefits of listing in the National Register include:

The prestige of formal recognition that a property/district is of significance in American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, and/or culture.

Eligibility for federal income tax benefits that include a 20% investment tax credit for a certified rehabilitation of historic commercial, industrial, and rental residential buildings.

Eligibility for a Maryland income tax credit of 25% for approved rehabilitation of an owner-occupied residential property.

Eligibility to apply for grants and low interest loans for historic preservation projects.

Listing in the National Register does NOT mean the federal government or the state of Maryland place restrictions on the property or dictate the colors or materials used on individual buildings. Local ordinances or laws establishing restrictive zoning, special design review committees, or review of exterior alterations are NOT part of the National Register program. It also does NOT require the owner to preserve or maintain the property or seek approval of the federal government or the state of Maryland to alter the property. Unless the owner applies for and accepts special federal or state tax, licensing, or funding benefits, the owner can do anything with his property he wishes, as long as it is permitted by state and local law.

For further information, you can email us here, or contact the Lake Evesham Historic District Committee, which can be found here. You can also check out the Maryland Historical Trust for more information and links to related web sites.

Traffic Calming
In 2001, a neighboring community, Bellona-Gittings, investigated traffic calming measures to address complaints of speeding and cut-through traffic in the region. At that time, after studying the situation with the City, several speed humps and one traffic island were proposed for Lake Avenue and Gittings Avenue, east of Charles Street and west of Bellona Avenue. The proposal was put to a vote, which did not meet the 70% approval required for installation.

Starting in late 2002 and early 2003, additional traffic-related complaints renewed interest in traffic calming measures for Lake Avenue and Gittings Avenue, this time extending from Charles Street all the way to York Road. After various public and private meetings, and discussions with the association groups, each community determined how that group would vote, and what methods of traffic calming were proposed. By August 2003, ballots were sent to the voting groups, and the ballots were counted by the associations in mid-September. Ultimately, none of the proposed traffic calming measures achieved the 70% approval required for installation.

The Lake Evesham portion of the vote pertained to Lake Avenue, only, from York Road to Bellona Avenue. The votes of the immediately affected Lake Evesham residents were counted with the votes of Cedarcroft, our neighboring community along Lake Avenue. Although the Lake Evesham vote tally was 76.9% in favor, it was offset by the Cedarcroft tally of only 62.3% approval. Thus the Lake Avenue vote (our segment) was 67.2% in favor.

Currently, there are no plans by this association to reintroduce traffic calming initiatives. If any resident is motivated to continue this effort, please bring your concerns to the association. Possible alternatives for traffic calming may include such measures as convincing the police to do periodic speed traps; pavement striping, in an attempt to visually narrow the roadway; additional signage; painting crosswalks and putting up associated signs, or some other method.

Evesham Median
When Northern Parkway was constructed through the area (and through houses) in the early 1970s, the median between Evesham Avenue and Northern Parkway was planted with trees. Those trees haven't provided a decent traffic screen and noise barrier. A properly planted median should probably include evergreen trees, with dense foliage between the ground and a height of at least 6 feet (or something along those lines). There's no avoiding the fact that Evesham Avenue houses front Northern Parkway, but a common sense approach to this median should provide better sound dampening than what currently exists. Our Beautification/Maintenance Committee has been working hard to make these plans a reality. If you can spare a little time and/or expertise, please contact Theresa Furnari.

Rental Properties
The following Lake Evesham properties have posed regular problems with respect to problem college student rental housing: 421 and 423 East Lake Avenue, and 420, 422, and 424 Evesham Avenue. For the past several years, these homes have progressively developed reputations for overcrowding, frat parties, late night parties, traffic problems, unkempt yards, accumulated trash (and rats), and an overall decline to the property values and quality of life in the immediate vicinity. A primary concern is the City code restricting occupancy of a single-family dwelling to four unrelated adults. In addition, three of the poperties are under a Consent Order, the main points of which require maintaining the properties in accordance with City codes. Also, at these three properties, three individual police reports in one 30-day period will be considered a breach of the lease and will be cause for immediate eviction.

We'd like to work with the current and future tenants of rental houses to head off future problems, so trying to resolve difficulties with the tenants directly is always a priority. However, if there are loud parties, obviously underage drinkers, or other laws being violated, and approaching the tenants won't work, call 911 (not 311, to help ensure a prompt response) and email us here. For the most effective response, be clear about the house address where the problem is occurring, give your name and be willing to meet with the police, inform them that the problem is chronic at these houses, and insist that citations be given. And if you observe possible code violations, overcrowding, trash build-up, or other enforceable actions at these houses or any other, contact the City authorities and your Association.

Day-to-Day Issues
Other issues that affect our day-to-day lives a little more regularly include:

Dog Barking
Incessant dog barking is more than a simple annoyance; it's a constant drain on the peaceful atmosphere in our neighborhood. It is courteous to let the owners know that their dog is disrupting the peace, and you can click here for a printable page to drop off and clue them in. But if nothing is done after that, please contact the authorities. You can call the City's one-call service, at 311. But to better make sure something is done, a written complaint must be submitted to: Bill Morris, Bureau of Animal Control, 301 Stockholm Street, Baltimore, Maryland, 21230. Call them at 410-396-4698 to follow-up. The first complaint results in a visit from the Animal Shelter. The second and third written complaints result in $100 and $300 fines, respectively. The fourth written complaint results in the seizure of the animal and removal from the premises. Keep in mind that if you're annoyed by barking dogs, the odds are that your neighbors are too. So reporting barking dogs benefits us all.

Crime
We don't seem to have too much problem with crime here, but if you are the victim of a crime, please report it! The police can't do much about a problem if they don't know it exists, and your neighbors would appreciate knowing when a crime problem needs to be addressed.

Traffic
A busy city community can pose many problems with respect to repaving, speeding, and snow plowing, but it would help if we would all be cognizant of each other with respect to traffic and cars. Please be courteous when driving through our community, by obeying speed limits and stop signs. Also keep in mind your neighbors when you and your visitors are parking. If you or your friends park in front of your neighbor's house, you may be thoughtlessly inconveniencing them, so please check around to make sure this isn't the case.

Home . Our Community . Calendar . Issues . Forum . Links/Contacts

Please contact us with your questions and comments.

Lake Evesham Community Association
Baltimore, Maryland
www.lake-evesham.org


	Historic District In the culmination of a process starting in mid-2002, the Lake Evesham Historic District was officially listed by the National Park Service on December 23, 2003. The National Register of Historic Places is the Nation's official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. Properties listed in the National Register include districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects that are significant in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering, and culture. The National Register is administered by the National Park Service, which is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior. In Maryland, the National Register program is administered by the Maryland Historical Trust, the State Historic Preservation Office. Benefits of listing in the National Register include: The prestige of formal recognition that a property/district is of significance in American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, and/or culture. Eligibility for federal income tax benefits that include a 20% investment tax credit for a certified rehabilitation of historic commercial, industrial, and rental residential buildings. Eligibility for a Maryland income tax credit of 25% for approved rehabilitation of an owner-occupied residential property. Eligibility to apply for grants and low interest loans for historic preservation projects. Listing in the National Register does NOT mean the federal government or the state of Maryland place restrictions on the property or dictate the colors or materials used on individual buildings. Local ordinances or laws establishing restrictive zoning, special design review committees, or review of exterior alterations are NOT part of the National Register program. It also does NOT require the owner to preserve or maintain the property or seek approval of the federal government or the state of Maryland to alter the property. Unless the owner applies for and accepts special federal or state tax, licensing, or funding benefits, the owner can do anything with his property he wishes, as long as it is permitted by state and local law. For further information, you can email us here, or contact the Lake Evesham Historic District Committee, which can be found here. You can also check out the Maryland Historical Trust for more information and links to related web sites. Traffic Calming In 2001, a neighboring community, Bellona-Gittings, investigated traffic calming measures to address complaints of speeding and cut-through traffic in the region. At that time, after studying the situation with the City, several speed humps and one traffic island were proposed for Lake Avenue and Gittings Avenue, east of Charles Street and west of Bellona Avenue. The proposal was put to a vote, which did not meet the 70% approval required for installation. Starting in late 2002 and early 2003, additional traffic-related complaints renewed interest in traffic calming measures for Lake Avenue and Gittings Avenue, this time extending from Charles Street all the way to York Road. After various public and private meetings, and discussions with the association groups, each community determined how that group would vote, and what methods of traffic calming were proposed. By August 2003, ballots were sent to the voting groups, and the ballots were counted by the associations in mid-September. Ultimately, none of the proposed traffic calming measures achieved the 70% approval required for installation. The Lake Evesham portion of the vote pertained to Lake Avenue, only, from York Road to Bellona Avenue. The votes of the immediately affected Lake Evesham residents were counted with the votes of Cedarcroft, our neighboring community along Lake Avenue. Although the Lake Evesham vote tally was 76.9% in favor, it was offset by the Cedarcroft tally of only 62.3% approval. Thus the Lake Avenue vote (our segment) was 67.2% in favor. Currently, there are no plans by this association to reintroduce traffic calming initiatives. If any resident is motivated to continue this effort, please bring your concerns to the association. Possible alternatives for traffic calming may include such measures as convincing the police to do periodic speed traps; pavement striping, in an attempt to visually narrow the roadway; additional signage; painting crosswalks and putting up associated signs, or some other method. Evesham Median When Northern Parkway was constructed through the area (and through houses) in the early 1970s, the median between Evesham Avenue and Northern Parkway was planted with trees. Those trees haven't provided a decent traffic screen and noise barrier. A properly planted median should probably include evergreen trees, with dense foliage between the ground and a height of at least 6 feet (or something along those lines). There's no avoiding the fact that Evesham Avenue houses front Northern Parkway, but a common sense approach to this median should provide better sound dampening than what currently exists. Our Beautification/Maintenance Committee has been working hard to make these plans a reality. If you can spare a little time and/or expertise, please contact Theresa Furnari. Rental Properties The following Lake Evesham properties have posed regular problems with respect to problem college student rental housing: 421 and 423 East Lake Avenue, and 420, 422, and 424 Evesham Avenue. For the past several years, these homes have progressively developed reputations for overcrowding, frat parties, late night parties, traffic problems, unkempt yards, accumulated trash (and rats), and an overall decline to the property values and quality of life in the immediate vicinity. A primary concern is the City code restricting occupancy of a single-family dwelling to four unrelated adults. In addition, three of the poperties are under a Consent Order, the main points of which require maintaining the properties in accordance with City codes. Also, at these three properties, three individual police reports in one 30-day period will be considered a breach of the lease and will be cause for immediate eviction. We'd like to work with the current and future tenants of rental houses to head off future problems, so trying to resolve difficulties with the tenants directly is always a priority. However, if there are loud parties, obviously underage drinkers, or other laws being violated, and approaching the tenants won't work, call 911 (not 311, to help ensure a prompt response) and email us here. For the most effective response, be clear about the house address where the problem is occurring, give your name and be willing to meet with the police, inform them that the problem is chronic at these houses, and insist that citations be given. And if you observe possible code violations, overcrowding, trash build-up, or other enforceable actions at these houses or any other, contact the City authorities and your Association. Day-to-Day Issues Other issues that affect our day-to-day lives a little more regularly include: Dog Barking Incessant dog barking is more than a simple annoyance; it's a constant drain on the peaceful atmosphere in our neighborhood. It is courteous to let the owners know that their dog is disrupting the peace, and you can click here for a printable page to drop off and clue them in. But if nothing is done after that, please contact the authorities. You can call the City's one-call service, at 311. But to better make sure something is done, a written complaint must be submitted to: Bill Morris, Bureau of Animal Control, 301 Stockholm Street, Baltimore, Maryland, 21230. Call them at 410-396-4698 to follow-up. The first complaint results in a visit from the Animal Shelter. The second and third written complaints result in $100 and $300 fines, respectively. The fourth written complaint results in the seizure of the animal and removal from the premises. Keep in mind that if you're annoyed by barking dogs, the odds are that your neighbors are too. So reporting barking dogs benefits us all. Crime We don't seem to have too much problem with crime here, but if you are the victim of a crime, please report it! The police can't do much about a problem if they don't know it exists, and your neighbors would appreciate knowing when a crime problem needs to be addressed. Traffic A busy city community can pose many problems with respect to repaving, speeding, and snow plowing, but it would help if we would all be cognizant of each other with respect to traffic and cars. Please be courteous when driving through our community, by obeying speed limits and stop signs. Also keep in mind your neighbors when you and your visitors are parking. If you or your friends park in front of your neighbor's house, you may be thoughtlessly inconveniencing them, so please check around to make sure this isn't the case.
Home . Our Community . Calendar . Issues . Forum . Links/Contacts
Please contact us with your questions and comments.	Lake Evesham Community Association Baltimore, Maryland www.lake-evesham.org