Support preservation leadership in Baltimore! Tell CHAP to keep their director

Today we have an update with some distressing news regarding historic preservation in Baltimore. We just learned that Baltimore’s local historic preservation commission- the Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP) – is holding a special “closed door” meeting on Monday, August 27 with the purpose of firing CHAP’s Executive Director, Ms. Kathleen Kotarba. While we are reluctant to get involved in a personnel matter at CHAP, we are confident that the effort to fire Ms. Kotarba is directly related to her professional work with CHAP staff and commissioners and fear that it involves recent controversial historic preservation issues – the preservation of Read’s Drug Store, the Mechanic Theater, and the Edgar Allan Poe House. As you know, preservation issues are at the forefront of many city-shaping decisions today and we fear that the effort to fire Ms. Kotarba is an attempt to reduce the influence of historic preservation in Baltimore.

I wanted to let you know that this controversy is unfolding and also to ask for your help. We do not know the full story behind Monday’s meeting, but we do know that Ms. Kotarba has served the city with distinction for nearly 35 years. Firing her behind closed doors is unfair and makes no sense. If there are administrative issues or issues involving the direction of CHAP, we strongly believe that the director should be involved in the solution. Therefore, I ask that you join us in voicing our concern by contacting CHAP Commissioners. In thinking about this, I want to point out that the executive director of CHAP is an unusual position within city government: the director works for the CHAP Commission. I think the position was created this way on purpose knowing that the director might encounter tough issues that ruffle feathers. It is only with a strong and professional preservation staff and commission that checks and balances within city government are possible.We need you to let the CHAP Commissioners know that you care about preservation leadership in Baltimore. Click here to start composing an e-mail addressed to the full commission or find a list of individual commissioners below. Please also join us in demonstrating your concern by attending Monday’s CHAP meeting. We expect there may be no opportunity for us to speak but we can help show the importance of preservation in Baltimore just by being there.

Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation – Special Session
Reeves Conference Room, Baltimore City Hall, 100 Holliday Street, 4th floor
Monday, August 27, 1:00 pm.

Thank you, again, for your help in ensuring that we have a fair and respectful city process for historic preservation in Baltimore.

Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation

Riding and walking through Urban Renewal history with a happy hour and bike tour

Baltimore Museum of Industry, BG&E Print and Negative Collection, BGE.47525, 10/19/1971

Urban renewal shaped the landscape of Baltimore in tremendous ways during the 1950s and 1960s – fundamentally transforming historic neighborhoods from Mount Vernon to Bolton Hill. We’ll be riding and walking through this fascinating history with two great programs – a happy hour and a free walking tour around State Center on Friday, August 24 followed by a morning bike tour on Saturday, August 25 across nearly all of central Baltimore. Both our tour and happy hour are organized in partnership with Bikemore – Baltimore’s new bike advocacy organization.

Toasting State Center at Dougherty’s Pub

Friday, August 24, 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Dougherty’s Pub, 223 West Chase Street  Baltimore, MD 21201
Free State Center walking tour starts from Dougherty’s at 5:15pm
RSVP today!

Our regular Preservationist Happy Hour is back in Mt. Vernon at Doughterty’s – a great neighborhood pub with fifteen beers on draft, seasonal specials, and happy hour beer specials. If you’re looking for something to eat, they have a classic bar menu with burgers, sandwiches and more. We’re also offering a preview of our Urban Renewal by Bike tour with a free 45-minute walking tour through State Center – a complex of government offices built from the 1950s through the 1970s and one of the city’s largest urban renewal projects.

Baltimore by Bike Takes on Urban Renewal

Saturday, August 25, 9:30 am to 12:00 pm
RSVP today! $10 per person.
Meet at Mount Vernon Place in the west park between Charles and Cathedral Streets.

Ride along for a tour of the city’s best brutalist buildings, modern apartment towers, and more as we explore the history of post-WWII urban renewal efforts from Mount Vernon Place to State Center. Of course, even in the 1960s preservationists fought to preserve historic buildings, so we’ll also get to take a look at once-threatened landmarks from the Garrett-Jacobs Mansion to the Shot Tower.