WIA Letter to BMZA on the CMDS Project

To: Acting Director Byrne Re. BMZ2021-00011 6040 Harford Road, CMDS Fayette House Dear Acting Director Byrne and Members of the Board, WIA is in opposition to the application for conditional use as a residential care facility (17 or more residents) at this location. This decision has been made with careful consideration after addressing this request at several Waltherson Community Meetings. We join with other associations in the greater Hamilton area in having concerns of the proximity to schools and other youth and pedestrian traffic, based on the proposed patient volume and density, among other factors. Most of these do not pertain to this zoning hearing. Regarding the drawings submitted, we question the discrepancy of the number of beds (136) which are greater than the number (104) submitted with the permit request. Please be aware that we are not in opposition to a treatment facility in our community, but we do not feel that one at this location would be of benefit to either the patient base or the community at large. Thank you for considering our opinion, President WIA

Guest Student Column from Bryce Rouse

 

Waltherson Improvement Association will be hosting a monthly feature through the end of the school year with St. Francis of Assisi student and Waltherson resident Bryce Rouse. As part of a community project for his 8th-grade class, he will be writing a column for the WIA newsletter. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the policy or positions of the WIA. If you are a student interested in participating in the WIA please reach out to president@waltherson.org. 

Among the Skies with Bryce Rouse

Welcome back to Among the Skies, and I hope you have enjoyed your March! Baltimore City schools have, unfortunately, discovered that there are thirteen positive pooled COVID-19 test results out of 253 total pods, says district spokeswoman Gwendolyn Chambers. “Pooled tests are tests where students and staff who are together in a classroom each test themselves by swabbing the inside of their noses and then putting the swab together in a container. Chambers said the district tested a total of 3,290 people,” the Baltimore Sun says. Reportedly, that means there could be at least one COVID-19 case in each of those classrooms. This is a very sad, and rather disturbing, turn of events. We pray for all the families out there, and we pray that the City schools will be able to figure this out. To get off on a better note, a Southwest Baltimore church has teamed up with numerous partners to “restore an urban forest in West Baltimore.” The project is called Stillmeadow PeacePark, and it is currently a work in progress. The church’s parish leader, Pastor Micheal S. Martin saw something in that forest: a place to worship and make God’s creation more recognized by the public. “I don’t know how to change the country. I don’t know how to change the world. But I do know how to have an impact in my neighborhood where my parish is,” Michael told the Baltimore Sun. “Our Earth is a gift from God,” Tuck said, “and you’re supposed to take care of the gifts God gave you,” says Yorell Tuck, the director of operations for Stillmeadow Community Projects. Thank you for reading Among the Skies. I am Bryce Rouse, and have another lovely month. You can read these articles here: https://www.baltimoresun.com/features/bs-fe-stillmeadow-church-environment-20210315-zx3gj4bkjzcr5lat2dpqlcxnfa-story.html https://www.baltimoresun.com/education/bs-md-city-schools-covid-tests-20210315-6a3odxua5resrblnthskhm3wiu-story.html