Roland Park Tree Program 2019

The trees planted along the verge and other areas of public green space in Roland Park are Baltimore City property and
maintained by the City Department of Forestry. Residents are encouraged to water and care for trees planted in front of
their homes in the verge area. When a resident notices a dead tree in the verge area, call the City 311 system and
report the tree, using the address of the closest house. The caller will be given a confirmation number which the
homeowner should record. A staff member from the Department of Forestry will inspect the tree and make one of
several available decisions. Do nothing, believing the tree is in good or fair condition; schedule pruning if tree is in fair
condition with just a couple dead or broken limbs; post a removal notice if the tree is dead or declining beyond the point
of return or poses a risk or hazard. The City division that handles tree removals is overworked, the same department
also handles tree emergencies due to weather, storms and traffic accidents. Removal or pruning will take at least thirty
days and possibly months. Once the tree is removed, it will be several months before the stump grinding team returns
to remove the stump.

Residents who have a dead tree in their verge area and feel a sense of urgency can speed up the process by assuming
the cost of the tree removal themselves. First the tree must be reported to 311 and be given a confirmation number.
You can then contact the Department of Forestry and ask for an inspection and permit to remove. If and only if the
inspector approves the tree removal, a written permit will be sent directly to the licensed tree removal company of your
choice. The tree can only be removed after the permit has been received. The cost of removal and stump grinding is the
responsibility of the homeowner. You will not be reimbursed by the City.

The Roland Park Community Foundation Landscape Committee is available to help resident’s obtain free trees for
planting in the verge or on personal property. The committee will provide guidance on selecting the tree and identifying
the proper spot for planting. The homeowner assumes responsibility for care, including deep watering each week for
the first two years, keeping the root ball mulched and free of trash. Protecting the tree from deer damage if necessary.
Once established, the tree should provide years of beauty, shade and hospitality to birds, beneficial insects and wild life.
Residents can contact the Community Foundation Landscape Committee by email with requests for a free tree.

  • Those residents who pay full Roland Park Roads & Maintenance fees (10X basic) and are current with Civic
    League dues can have one (1) tree per year planted at no cost either on the verge (between the curb and
    sidewalk) or on their property.
  • Residents who continue to regularly pay full fees can request a free tree each year they pay full fees.
  • Those residents who pay the basic fee may have a free tree delivered and make their own arrangements for
    planting.
  • The trees are obtained through a program with Baltimore City Department of Forestry and two (2) orders are
    placed per year, each spring and fall. Requests for trees can be emailed to the committee any time of the year
    and will be ordered on the following planting order.
  • Several varieties of trees, both large shade trees and smaller flowering or fruit ornamentals, will be available to
    residents this spring through the Roland Park Tree Program. Selections include maples, oaks, elms, dogwoods,
    flowering cherry and other native species.
  • Tree availability will be announced via Roland Park list-serve and Roland Park website www.rolandpark.org later
    this spring once trees arrive. Inquiries can be made to landscape@rolandpark.org or Kate Culotta krculotta@msn.com
  • Roughly 50 new trees are planted with this program in Roland Park every year.

Residents can also request a free tree to be planted by Baltimore City in the verge area around their house. Please refer
to the Baltimore City website  for the link to download the form that needs to be completed. This program is only for trees planted in the verge. Once the completed form is received, it goes into a queue and will be fulfilled during the next planting season. It is possible that you may wait several months for the City to plant the requested tree. Free tree saplings that are easy for homeowners to plant are available through the City’s TreeBaltimore program. Information can be found by using the link on the website listed above or by googling
http://treebaltimore.org .

Public Safety Update

Update from Robert Connors, President of the Roland Park Civic League:

‘Just heard from Major Rich Gibson (Northern District Commander, Baltimore City Police) that 4 of 7 suspects thought to be responsible for the recent crimes in several neighborhoods, including Roland Park, have been arrested. Stay vigilant, recheck locks on homes and vehicles, consider an alarm system and improved lighting with security cameras, and place key fobs with an auto entry feature in tin foil or a metal box (all these hints were described at our most recent Civic League meeting).’

Residents of Roland Park and nearby communities – please consider attending a Meet & Greet with Baltimore Police Commissioner Designate Michael S. Harrison at Poly on Thursday, Feb. 21 at 7PM.

 

 

 

 

Agenda for Wed. February 6, 2019 Board Meeting

RPCL_Agenda_February_2019

Members and Residents-please consider joining us this Wednesday evening February 6, 2019 from 7-9pm for the regular monthly meeting of the Roland Park Civic League Board in the basement assembly room of Roland Park Presbyterian, accessible via Upland Road off Roland Avenue.

Snow plowing lanes January 14, 2019

From Tom Hunt, Chair Maintenance Committee, Civic League:
Davey Tree has been on site since 9am today, January 14, 2019 to plow the snow in our lanes. They will return to do a salt treatment to mitigate problems with ice in the next couple of days as temperatures go above and below freezing. As a reminder this service is provided when snow exceeds four inches. If you have any issues or concerns please email maintenance@rolandpark.org

Agenda for Wed. January 2, 2019 Board Meeting

RPCL_Agenda_January_2019

Members and Residents-please consider joining us this Wednesday evening January 2, 2019 from 7-9pm for the regular monthly meeting of the Roland Park Civic League Board in the basement assembly room of Roland Park Presbyterian, accessible via Upland Road off Roland Avenue.

 

Agenda for Wed. December 5, 2018 Board Meeting

Members and Residents-please consider joining us this Wednesday evening December 5, 2018 from 7-9pm for the regular monthly meeting of the Roland Park Civic League Board in the basement assembly room of Roland Park Presbyterian, accessible via Upland Avenue at Roland.  Agenda_December 5, 2018

Recent thefts from vehicles in Roland Park

There have been a number of recent reports of cars being broken into and the contents ransacked and/or stolen during the night. We have also seen packages stolen from porches. Now that the holiday season is upon us and we will all be busier than usual, here are a few tips to protect your belongings:

1.) Lock your car! It is easy to do but also easy to forget.
2.) Place your keys in a metal box inside your house. Thieves have a device that can unlock cars that have a remote keyless entry function on the key fob. It picks up and repeats the signal from the key fob in your house, amplifying it enough to unlock your car parked out front. You can block the device by storing your car keys in a metal box at night time. .
3.) Always leave your cars empty at night, so that thieves won’t see anything tempting when they look in the windows.
4.) Please report these break-ins to the police because it helps them to monitor patterns so that they can patrol the areas getting hit the hardest.
5.) Have packages delivered to a pick-up spot or a neighbor who is home rather than your front porch. Packages left on porches for hours are an easy target for thieves.

–Chris McSherry, First Vice President, Roland Park Civic League

Happy Thanksgiving from The Roland Park Civic League!

Zelkovas in brilliant Fall Color on Roland Avenue (Photo Credit: Anne Stuzin)

The board of your Roland Park Civic League would like to wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving. I want to personally thank this wonderful community for its outpouring of generosity to our recent food drive. Literally every inch of my car was packed to the brim with bags and boxes of food along with coolers filled with turkeys and hams. We had so many donations, we needed a second car, and luckily our office manager, Shari Hash, came to the rescue. It is this connectedness of community that we must continue to strive to meet every day.

So, thus begins this wonderful season of thanks and giving. Let’s all commit to looking up from our phones and saying hello to our neighbors. Check in on them and make sure they are OK and have what they need. Take an extra second to smile and say hello to someone on the sidewalk. I guarantee this will make your holidays, and someone else’s, even brighter!

— Robert Connors, President, Roland Park Civic League

Save the date for the 2019 Spring Celebration!

Save the date for the 2019 Spring Celebration!

April 26, 2019

Location: The Woman’s Club of Roland Park, 4500 Roland Avenue

Join your neighbors for the Roland Park Community Foundation’s annual fundraiser!

Featuring “celebrity” neighborhood bartenders, light fare provided by local restaurants and the ever-popular Wine Auction.

Tickets available online in early 2019.

For sponsorship opportunities, please contact foundationoffice@rolandpark.org.

Read more about the Roland Park Community Foundation here: https://rolandpark.org/organizationscommittees/roland-park-community-foundation/