Reservoir Hill Workshop Summary Druid Park Lake Drive Infill Development Sites

Spring, 2013

Overview

The Planning Department undertook this workshop in April, 2013 at the request of the Reservoir Hill Improvement Council (RHIC) to inform the anticipated disposition of three parcels of City-owned land on Druid Park Lake Drive at the northern border of the Reservoir Hill neighborhood.

Background

The parcels, which are now vacant lots, originally housed three, 3-story apartment buildings that were built in the 1920’s. In the mid 1970’s, with the aid of federal mortgage assistance, the buildings largely became privately managed public housing. Over time, the buildings deteriorated, violating housing standards and increasing blight in the neighborhood. Consequently, the structures were demolished in 1999. Although the properties were demolished, debt and land re-use restrictions remained attached to the land stemming from the 1970’s federal mortgage assistance. These restrictions, in essence, rendered the parcels undevelopable for the next decade. In early, 2013, Baltimore Housing successfully convinced the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to revisit those restrictions. As a result, HUD agreed to amend the restrictions and allow for the sale of the properties to a third party under certain conditions. Upon sale of the properties, the City will be required to pay HUD the fair market value of each parcel.

TransForm Baltimore

Zoning is the first step in determining what can be built on any given parcel of land. Zoning also determines what uses are allowed in certain areas, and the size or type of buildings that can be built in the future.

In 2008, the Department of Planning began a process to review and rewrite the current Zoning Code through an initiative called TransForm Baltimore. The Baltimore City Zoning Code was last comprehensively updated in 1971. Over the past 40 years, the economic realities and design goals of the City have evolved, and the current Code is no longer able to move Baltimore forward. Our goal is to preserve and enhance the long-term economic health of the City of Baltimore well into the 21st century.

In June 2010 we released the first draft of a new Zoning Code and in November 2010 we released draft maps. We held over 12 city-wide meetings and hundreds of neighborhood meetings to discuss the proposed text and map. We received numerous comments and suggestions. These were all reviewed as we prepared Version 2. At this writing, the Planning Commission has favorably recommended the new Zoning Code to the City Council, which will review it for anticipated adoption later this year.

Zoning Recommendation

The general approach to mapping the new Zoning Code in residential areas was to match the zoning district to the existing buildings unless redevelopment was recommended through an existing neighborhood plan. For Reservoir Hill, the core of the neighborhood is recommended for R-7 or R-8 zoning district which is consistent with the existing rowhouse fabric.

Currently, the infill development sites which are the focus of this document are recommended to be mapped to the R-10 zoning district. The R-10 zoning district is a residential district for areas of significant density accommodated in concentrated high-rise, multi-family developments.

The residential density in the R-10 zoning district requires 200sf of lot area per dwelling unit for multi-family development, or 120sf per dwelling unit for senior housing. Row houses are also permitted and require 1,500sf of lot area per rowhouse. The height of a multi-family building is governed by a floor area ratio of 6.0. The floor area ratio allows for a tradeoff between how much of the site is covered by the building’s footprint and how tall the building can be. For a floor area ration of 6.0, if the building covers the entire site it can be up to 6 stories tall, if it covers half of the site it can be up to 12 stories tall, etc..

The R-10 zoning district permits housing uses, places of worship, primary and secondary schools, and open space, with very limited institutional and commercial uses permitted as conditional uses such as community centers, day care centers, and bed and breakfasts. For multi-family building of more than 50 dwelling units, additional accessory non-residential uses are permitted for 10% of the building, including offices, personal service establishments, retail goods establishments without alcohol sales, and restaurants.

For more information on TransForm Baltimore, please visit our website: http://www.rewritebaltimore.org.

Housing Market

The parcels qualify for High Performance Market Rate Rental Housing Tax Credits. The credits allow for the development of Market Rate Rental Housing Units and can receive the incentive for up to 15 years. In order to qualify for the credit, a minimum of 50 housing units must be constructed. The credits are designed to attract major development to areas that would not otherwise receive such incentive. In 2013 the parcels on Druid Park Lake Drive were designated, by the City Council, as eligible for the credits.

Public Process

In coordination with RHIC’s Housing Task Force, the Planning Department arranged for a workshop on Thursday, April 4, 2013 with over 50 people in attendance and broad participation by Baltimore City government, including Baltimore Housing, the Department of Transportation and Baltimore City Recreation and Parks. Community input was solicited through a series of activity tables focused on the topics of Design, Land Use and the Housing Market. All participants were given the opportunity to participate in each table, with groups rotating tables approximately every 20-30 minutes. A summary of the input received through the workshop is provided in the tables below. There were diverse views expressed without clear consensus on many issues. Because an effort was made to document all of the opinions expressed, there may be conflicts between what was recommended and what was discouraged.

Next Steps

Baltimore Housing anticipates issuing a Request for Proposals to redevelop the parcels in Fiscal Year 2014.

During the Request for Proposal process, the City will solicit proposals from qualified developers for the infill development parcels on Druid Park Lake Drive. Based on the strength of the proposals received, the City will award the properties to development team(s). This workshop summary will be provided as an attachment to the Request for Proposal in order to inform prospective developers of the community’s goals for the sites.

Reservoir Hill Workshop Summary Druid Park Lake Drive Infill Development Sites

Spring, 2013

Reservoir Hill Workshop Summary Druid Park Lake Drive Infill Development Sites

Spring, 2013

General Recommendations Western Site Eastern Site

Recommended Discouraged Recommended Discouraged Recommended Discouraged

Design

• Enhance connectivity to Druid Hill Park

• Primarily orient commercial uses to Druid Park Lake Drive

• Provide sufficient parking to prevent over-flow parking in the neighborhood

• Residential development should maximize views of lake for increased marketability

• Explore “green” design, materials and amenities (i.e. green roofs, terrace gardens, etc.)

• Architecture should complement existing neighborhood character

• Hide parking structures from view

• Vehicular entrances or surface parking on Druid Park Lake Drive

• Aluminum siding

• Monolithic facades

• Higher density development that would add to traffic congestion, block park views

• Building should reflect scale of 7-story multi-family building opposite Linden Ave.

• Include a public gathering space for area residents to connect across Druid Park Lake Drive to the Druid Hill Park

Examples included: Plaza, open space, public art

• High density development that is out-of-scale with neighborhood

• Modern architecture

• Commercial uses

• Site is at a lower grade from Druid Hill Park, so a higher density development may be desirable at this site with residential units above structured parking to capture views over park

• Reduce height of development in south of lot to complement scale of adjacent rowhouses

• Strengthen connectivity to Druid Hill Park by creating a pedestrian bridge on upper level for residents

• Access road to support commercial development

Precedent Images

Reservoir Hill Workshop Summary Druid Park Lake Drive Infill Development Sites

Spring, 2013

General Recommendations Western Site Eastern Site

Recommended Discouraged Recommended Discouraged Recommended Discouraged

Land Use

• Residential or office building with ground-level commercial, mixed use development

• Walk-to businesses

• Locally-owned businesses

• Businesses that would serve local residents and attract customers from Druid Park Lake Drive

Examples included: Restaurant, coffee shop, bank, dry cleaner, grocer, day care, book store

• Locate a semi-public or public use on top floor to maximize access to park views

Examples included: Restaurant, rooftop amenity space

• Businesses that would build off of Reservoir Hill’s “green” identity

Examples included: Farmers market, organic grocer or café, urban agriculture

• Auto-oriented uses Examples included: Drive-thru, surface parking along Druid Park Lake Drive

• Businesses that would attract large volumes of traffic in the residential neighborhood

Examples included: Dry cleaner, convenience store

• Businesses that serve needs already met within the community

Examples included: Hair salon

• National chain stores Examples included: 7-11 convenience store

• Nuisance uses Examples included: Check cashing, liquor store

• Site has strongest pedestrian linkage to Druid Hill Park; explore businesses that have synergies with the recreational uses at Druid Hill Park

Examples included: Running shoe and fitness apparel store, gym, smoothie bar

• Explore ground level commercial uses that would serve residents of the adjacent Lakeview Towers senior housing building

Examples included: Pharmacy, grocer

• Site does not have view to Druid Hill Park at grade which makes it less desirable for development than the other site; explore urban agriculture use

Examples included: Expansion of Whitelock Farm

• Site has limited ability to capture westbound vehicular traffic from Druid Park Lake Drive, may not work as well for ground level commercial uses

Housing Market

• Homeownership opportunity

• Market rate housing

• Rental housing

• Mixed-income development

• Cooperative housing model Examples included: Reservoir Hills Mutual Homes

• Rental housing

• Relocation of affordable units from Madison Park North to redevelopment site