|
Crime
Nov 15, 2006 12:30:58 GMT -5
Post by camdencrossing on Nov 15, 2006 12:30:58 GMT -5
While we must not trivialize the unfortunate incident that happened at Camden Crossing last week, it is important that all information posted provide a full picture of any incident that is reported. Specifically, the posting of Sunday, November 12, 2006 does not indicate the fact Neighbors814 left his garage wide open on the day of the incident. Furthermore, it does not indicate that even though his home was furnished with a security system, this equipment was not armed at the time of the incident.
I think we can all agree that there is a need for increased public safety in Washington Village, but it is also imperative that all residents exercise a reasonable standard of care in the protection of their property.
We therefore take this opportunity to note that there is no specific protocol for informing the authorities of a completed home in the City of Baltimore – other than the issuance of an Occupancy Permit and the Transfer of Property which will immediately lead to trash service, water and sewer bills, tax bills, etc.
Nevertheless, this week Camden Crossing has resubmitted its Subdivision Plan to the Police Department, Fire Department and WVNPC. A review of this plan will indicate that all streets as well as specific addresses in the community were approved by the City of Baltimore as far back as the Fall of 1999 and there have been no changes to the plan since that time.
We look forward to working closely with the residents of Washington Village to improve public safety issues in the community.
Suzanne Graham, Vice President Camden Associates, LLC
|
|
omar
Newbie
Posts: 18
|
Crime
Nov 15, 2006 16:04:35 GMT -5
Post by omar on Nov 15, 2006 16:04:35 GMT -5
I do think its helpful to know the characteristics of the crimes committed in our neighborhood so we can identify trends and be aware of what measures we can take to protect ourselves. BUT, I don't think having an open garage door while you are home is an open invitation to being held up by an armed individual. I understand Camden Crossing wants to maintain an image that their community is built in a relatively safe area, but I find implying that the victim did not exercise reasonable prevention strategies, and therefore is somehow responsible for what happened inappropriate. I'm glad to hear Camden Crossing is helping to solve the problem with city organizations not having current addresses but there is no need to throw your resident who was victimized under the bus in the process. Let's not lose focus on the issue at hand - this is not about a neighbor's right to leave their garage open, this is about increasing public safety.
|
|
|
Crime
Nov 15, 2006 18:55:34 GMT -5
Post by Carol Ott on Nov 15, 2006 18:55:34 GMT -5
I agree completely with Omar. Blaming the victim is unnecessary and distasteful. I know that even with this recent wave of crime, I'm not always 100% vigilent in making sure every precaution has been taken in my home -- especially if I'm here. We need to raise public awareness about crime and crime prevention, not make the victims feel worse about what happened.
While there is no specific protocol on the part of a developer to inform the city of completed construction, I daresay it's good business to do so -- without having to be publicly prodded to do so. The fact that a developer cares enough about the safety of its residents to make sure the police and fire departments are able to answer calls efficiently would, I think, sell more houses than the perception that the developer is simply looking to make money and leave the residents in the lurch.
|
|
miranda
Community Activist
Posts: 66
|
Crime
Nov 16, 2006 8:45:36 GMT -5
Post by miranda on Nov 16, 2006 8:45:36 GMT -5
I was taken aback by that message too, I chose to ignore it.
I just heard from my Citizens of Pigtown public safety representative that at last night's WPNPC public safety meeting, the issue was largely resolved. The police were there and the map has been updated. I hope people are largely satisfied with the resolution of all of this.
Related to this issue, I have also wondered about the flower pots that block the entrance to CC off of Poppleton (is that Ryan St.? I can't remember). I realize that minimizing traffic through CC is probably a desirable feature to residents there. However, I have wondered about how that might hinder EMS/Fire/Police from getting where they need to be in critical minutes during an emergency. Not to mention cohesiveness with the rest of the neighborhood, but I have no sense how the residents feel about that. Maybe CC residents would like to suggest the management putting in speed bumps instead of flower pots? That is one solution I could think of, I'm sure there are others.
If anyone else has additional ideas, please post them.
|
|
miranda
Community Activist
Posts: 66
|
Crime
Nov 16, 2006 9:02:20 GMT -5
Post by miranda on Nov 16, 2006 9:02:20 GMT -5
One more thing... On the City Services 311 website they have a "traffic sign request" link. baltimore.customerservicerequest.org/web_intake_balt/Controller?op=queryThey ask a number of questions on the site including What type of sign are you requesting? Where do you want sign installed? Was there a sign at this location before? If there was a sign before, what type? It says that the issue is resolved within 21 days. I filled it out (initially filling out the service address as Ryan St with no number) and in the "where do you want the sign installed" blank I said "throughout Camden Crossing subidivision, where appropriate" If some more people would like to fill out the same form (with more specific corners where the street signs should go), maybe it will take less than 3 weeks. FYI, my service request number is 06-00580613. After you all put in your requests please post the number so we can compile the requests and get on the city's case if nothng happens. I have to say, it's a bit absurd that a person such as myself who doesn't even live in CC can figure out how to put in this request to the city and will actually do it, but the management of can't/chose not to do the same. You guys should start getting your homeowner's association active so this sort of stuff doesn't happen.
|
|
|
Crime
Nov 16, 2006 17:42:10 GMT -5
Post by Carol Ott on Nov 16, 2006 17:42:10 GMT -5
Maybe CC residents would like to suggest the management putting in speed bumps instead of flower pots?
We tried to do the speed bump thing when I still lived on the BC side of Ramsay, and we were told there wasn't enough traffic to warrant them. Maybe now things have changed and it's worth another look. I would love it if they extended the whole way down Ramsay to Barre Street.
|
|
lauren
Community Activist
Posts: 54
|
Crime
Nov 16, 2006 22:02:26 GMT -5
Post by lauren on Nov 16, 2006 22:02:26 GMT -5
I completely agree that we (CC residents) need to get together and either become more active in the HOA or create our own neighborhood association (resident, not builder organized). I'm embarrassed to say that I don't even know who makes up our HOA, when they meet, what the talk about etc. I imagine I'm not alone. Our newsletters seem to be primarily for sales PR only. I'm going to send an email someone from CC to get more info about how to get more involved - first item of business being a phone/email list for all of us so we can maybe start by having neighborhood meetings.
As for the flower pots, I have no idea what the general opinion is about them or what the rationale was behind adding them. Personally I hate them and think they are a major eye-sore, a pain, and give the impression that we are trying to separate ourselves from the community. Plus, I'm guessing they aren't even an effective deterent since you can still walk between the pots fairly easily so its not like they cut down on foot traffic, which I would be more of a concern than driving. I doubt speed bumps would even be necessary since either end of Ramsey St is a dead end isn't it? Its not like Washington Blvd or Pratt where there is a lot of through-traffic. Just my thoughts. The fact that I have no idea why they put them in or who was involved in that decision is more of my concern than anything else right now.
|
|
|
Crime
Nov 17, 2006 7:34:21 GMT -5
Post by Carol Ott on Nov 17, 2006 7:34:21 GMT -5
People use my end of Ramsay as a way to avoid that block of Washington Boulevard, and they speed down from Scott Street (or from Barre to Scott). It's been a problem for years.
My opinion of the flower pots is the same as yours, Lauren.
|
|
miranda
Community Activist
Posts: 66
|
Crime
Nov 17, 2006 9:41:03 GMT -5
Post by miranda on Nov 17, 2006 9:41:03 GMT -5
It's possible that your HOA isn't even active yet. It might be a matter of starting one up. Maybe you could ask the management about allowing residents to contribute a column in the CC newsletter or something. Another thing you might do is talk to your neighbor Clausen Ely. He has recently started a website www.historicpigtown.com. Maybe he can add to it to allow CC folks an online venue to discuss things? I would absolutely suggest you guys keep sending representation to various other community meetings. As far as the flower pots, I thought maybe CC wanted to put them in to keep the rest of us out (I was hopeful that it was instead a traffic flow issue). I'm sure different CC neighbors have different opinions about them, so that's for you all to decide. Then again, I don't know how much say you actually have if the associates/builders have decided certain things. But heck, you pay HOA dues (I think?), so you should have a voice. I feel odd about chiming in on this stuff because I've had so many people inform me that I'm an outsider (I've heard over and over that "BC and CC are not Pigtown" which unfortunately translates into "you're not my neighbor"). I know there are varied opinions on the subject. I think we all have so many mutual interests (neighborhood safety, Washington Blvd. development, etc) and that by coming together we would have a remarkable pool of resources. Of course, I am sensitive to the fact that there are other issues that are exclusive to our respective necks of the woods. Maybe this year we can make a concerted effort to build a community voice that meets both of these needs.
|
|
lauren
Community Activist
Posts: 54
|
Crime
Nov 17, 2006 11:59:20 GMT -5
Post by lauren on Nov 17, 2006 11:59:20 GMT -5
Thanks for that link! I'll check into it. I definitely plan on getting more involved now that we are a bit more settled in the neighborhood. We've tried to keep up on neighborhood happenings and meetings by checking in on this board. It has been a great forum for us as new community members even though I guess technically we don't live in BC.
I agree that we shouldn't have an us-versus-them mentality about our neighborhoods, but rather a larger sense of community across neighborhoods.
One of the best things about last night's meeting was the idea that this could be used more as a forum for this whole general vicinity rather than just Barre Circle. I certainly don't want to intrude on the neighborhood's (virtual) space, but love the idea of having one place where all of us can communicate with each other. Since it seems there are only a few of us in our own individual neighborhoods that are active in organizing community efforts (or at least who can attend evening meetings), it seems like there should be something that links us all together so we can learn from each other to help our own neighborhood organizations improve. I'm not sure the best way to keep it organized, but like that idea.
|
|
|
Crime
Nov 17, 2006 13:34:50 GMT -5
Post by Carol Ott on Nov 17, 2006 13:34:50 GMT -5
"BC and CC are not Pigtown"
Miranda, I'm sorry to hear that someone in my neighbourhood would make you feel that way or have such an attitude. That short-sighted mentality can't sustain a community, and I should hope that whoever does feel that way -- well, get over it. What happens here affects other neighbourhoods, and vice-versa. Barre Circle and Camden Crossing do not have a lock on the crime problem...and I would suspect it's probably the same criminals causing trouble all over Pigtown.
I think there should be an open forum for all of the neighbourhoods -- maybe Clausen could add it to the Historic Pigtown website? My idea for the new Barre Circle forum was to open it to all community members, not just Barre Circle -- I was planning on doing away with the "Members Only" section, as it seems silly, since nobody really uses it anymore.
|
|
miranda
Community Activist
Posts: 66
|
Crime
Nov 17, 2006 14:48:53 GMT -5
Post by miranda on Nov 17, 2006 14:48:53 GMT -5
I don't think everyone has the same mentality, but knowing that it is there makes this an interesting challenge. Again, I realize that there are issues specific to each block/group of blocks that everyone need not weigh in on. That is why I'm in full support of Camden Crossings and Barre Circle having/maintaining associations of their own, I just want us all to come together. More and more it is becoming clear that we (the board) want Citizens of Pigtown (COP) to suit that purpose.
An online forum would be great. We (COP) actually weighed in on the content historicpigtown.com website (we can't quite afford our own yet), and were hoping that a forum would be available there. That isn't the case currently, though we haven't asked whether Clausen would be willing/able to add that capability to that website. I can look into it. Once we sort out how to get the forum working, we can write something about it in the COP newsletter and that will make some 2000 households aware of its existence.
|
|
|
Crime
Nov 17, 2006 15:22:26 GMT -5
Post by Carol Ott on Nov 17, 2006 15:22:26 GMT -5
It's too bad that somehow you and the WPNCP can't merge together. To be honest, I'm not as active as I should be -- simply because I don't have time to go to each meeting. (Not to mention, my day ends at around 5, so evenings are tough for me.) I feel like all of the groups are fighting for the same things, and would be much more effective if they worked together, instead of individually. I already belong to two -- one because I live in Barre Circle, and one because I own a business on Washington Boulevard. To me, the neighborhood associations do serve a purpose -- to address the concerns of the immediate community, regarding a variety of issues....not just crime. And to serve as a collective voice when help is needed with a problem. But we're unique, in that our neighbourhood is part of a larger community....one that seems to have two citizens' groups. I've only lived here 7 years, so I don't know much about the history of the two groups, but it just seems that more would get done if the two would become one. I don't even know if that's feasible...just thinking out loud. Psst. Don't tell anyone.... I passed my inspection.
|
|
lauren
Community Activist
Posts: 54
|
Crime
Nov 17, 2006 16:02:47 GMT -5
Post by lauren on Nov 17, 2006 16:02:47 GMT -5
Congrats on passing your inspection Carol!! I can't wait for the opening!
By the way, I checked out that Historic Pigtown link...great work Claussen! I can see how that would be a good place to house a more general message board for the overarching community that all our neighborhoods fall under.
I agree with you Carol that it seems confusing that there are two different groups for Pigtown. As a new resident, I'm not sure what the main differences/purposes are between the two and would also be interested in hearing more of the history.
This is kind of a departure on the "crime" thread we are in now so maybe we should start a new thread about community associations or something??
|
|
Nicole
Barre Circle
Posts: 246
|
Crime
Nov 27, 2006 10:58:06 GMT -5
Post by Nicole on Nov 27, 2006 10:58:06 GMT -5
The first time I heard about the "BC is not Pigtown" thing was when someone came on this board to reprimand all of us for the front page of our website mentioning that BC was part of pigtown. This person was pretty upset that we would make such an offensive error, and took some pains to correct us that BC was not, and had never been, part of Pigtown. I'm sorry to see that someone has led you to feel the reverse kind of separatism, Miranda.
I agree that the individual associations serve a purpose for the smaller communities, but that we all need to work together. I need to start to work at all - I am only active on here, really.
|
|