Dear Neighbors,

As the last vestiges of winter grudgingly retreat, we find ourselves on the cusp of another vibrant season. The promise of warmer days isn’t just about shedding layers; it’s about rekindling connections and remembering that, despite our individual quirks, we’re all part of this vibrant Overlea community.

With spring in full swing and summer just around the corner, there’s a renewed energy in the air. We’re particularly excited for the return of our beloved Farmers Market, kicking off its season in June. Get ready for fresh produce, local crafts, and perhaps even a friendly chat or two.

Beyond the market, we’ll have various opportunities for those inclined to lend a hand. Whether it’s sprucing up our local park or helping with an event, your efforts genuinely make a difference. It’s a chance to contribute, connect, and maybe even enjoy the sunshine before it gets too hot.

Let’s embrace the season with a healthy dose of community spirit and a dash of good humor. Looking forward to seeing you around.

With gratitude,

Martin Nibali,
President, Overlea Community Association

Sherwin-Williams, located at 7927 Belair Rd, Baltimore, MD, 21236 (410-665-5222) will accept latex and oil-based house paint, stains and varnish in containers (maximum 5 gallons in size.) This site does not accept aerosols products, containers without original labels, or containers that are leaking. Call ahead for hours and to confirm your paint drop off.

Mosquitoes transmit serious diseases—including Malaria, Dengue, West Nile virus, Zika, Chikungunya, and Yellow fever. Eliminate standing water in birdbaths, planters, buckets, and gutters. Use larvicides in water that cannot be drained, (lily ponds or birdbaths.) Abandoned swimming pools in yards, that are not being used, are a major source for mosquitoes. This is a code violation and can be reported to Baltimore City 311 or Baltimore County 311.

Maryland laws prohibit blowing or raking grass clippings and leaves into streets, gutters, or storm drains. This is considered illegal littering or dumping, violating municipal codes due to safety hazards and environmental damage.

Grass clippings on roads are hazardous to motorcyclists and bicyclists, causing a loss of traction, similar to ice or grease. Clippings blown into the street end up in storm drains, causing localized flooding, and damaging the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. Homeowners may be reported or held liable for accidents or injuries resulting from grass clippings they blew onto the road. Residents are encouraged to compost, mulch, or bag clippings rather than blowing them into the street.

If you see an abandoned car or truck in the neighborhood, please report the location to the city or county agencies.

BALTIMORE CITY:

ONLINE: https://balt311.my.site.com/citizen/s/

OR PHONE: 311

BALTIMORE COUNTY

ONLINE: https://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/departments/police/online-report

PHONE: Dial 3-1-1 within the county, or 410-887-0311 from outside the area.

The Cherry Heights Woodland Garden spring clean-up event was a success! We planted and mulched two dogwoods, three different oak trees, and ten native chokeberry shrubs. We removed invasive plants and lots of trash. An Eagle Scout from Troup 419, built and installed two Free Little Libraries. One for nature/gardening books, and the other for use as a dry goods food pantry and seed library for people to plant flower and vegetables. Donations are welcome! Please reach out to Muriel Cruickshank at murielcruickshank@gmail.com to coordinate donations.

By: Baltimore County Public Library

Our story trails have expanded to the east side of Baltimore County! You can now visit Holt Park, 34 Elmont Avenue, 21206, and Renaissance Park, 99 Stemmers Run, 21221, to read a picture book while walking along a path. Story trails are a great way to promote both early learning skills and health literacy, by encouraging families to get outside, read and walk trails together.

The 12-acre land of Holt Park and Center for the Arts in Overlea, was dedicated to the county by Lillian Holt in 1976 for the community to enjoy. Families are encouraged to walk along the newly paved paths and enjoy books about various forms of art.

Rosedale Bank has provided a grant to the community that will partially fund the Belair Road Flower Pot project for this year. We are so thankful for their contribution!

The second contribution is from Dan Trupia of Advantage Lawn and Landscaping who receives ads in the newsletter in trade. Thank you Dan!

The third and very important contribution has to come from the OCA operating budget. These funds come from membership, ads and the occasional donation. Currently there are only 100 people in the neighborhood who paid dues this current fiscal year (there are 1300 homes in the community). Please consider paying dues to support the Flower Pot Project and your community. It will not happen without this vital piece of funding. Donations for this project will also be appreciated.

It’s a great time to renew or pay first time OCA Membership dues for FY 2026-2027! Don’t wait! Membership runs from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. Dues help pay for the newsletter, community advocacy, the Farmer’s Market, Potluck dinners, the Annual Christmas Tree Lighting, the Belair Road flower pots, the website, and so much more. You can support the community by paying annual membership dues. There are several membership options:

• $10 Regular per person
• $25 Good Neighbor per person
• $50 Business
• $500 Lifetime member

If you have mailed dues and it was returned from the post office, this is a post office error. Leadership has done everything possible to have this corrected, but it has not helped. Please do not remail or throw it in the trash. If this happens to you, please contact membership Chair, Debi Brocht by Email at brochtdebi@gmail.com Thanks for your support!

Overlea’s city residents may want to be aware of legislation being discussed by the Baltimore City Counsel. City ordinance 25-0066 hopes to address the housing shortage in Baltimore City by allowing homeowners to develop multi-family units from their single family dwellings in low-density, residential communities. This legislation would eliminate zoning requirements and parking minimums. The number of units would be determined by the size of the lot and building structure. Overlea is considered R-3 and R-4 zoning which would allow homes with 3000 square feet of dwelling and between 3000 and 5000 square feet of lot size to become a dwelling with 4 family units. Public input for this legislation has been closed since December, but community members are encouraged to reach out to our councilperson, Danielle McCray, at 410-396-4808 or Danielle.McCray@baltimorecity.gov with questions or concerns.

Flower bed planting event at the Overlea sign at Walther Blvd on Saturday, April 25th, 10am – Noon (Rain date – Wednesday, May 6th, 5pm-7pm). Volunteers are needed. Wear sturdy shoes. Bring gloves, a water bottle, and wear sunscreen. If you have extra cardboard boxes, please bring those with you.

Cities are shifting to more eco-friendly urban landscaping and including more greenery. Vegetation creates better habitats for wildlife and people, but it also helps clean the air and reduce pollution. Trees improve air quality by shading surfaces and reducing temperature.By shading buildings and houses, trees reduce the need for air conditioning—thus reducing greenhouse emissions. Trees can directly remove air pollutants. Not only can they absorb carbon dioxide and emit oxygen, but trees also filter air pollutants like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide through their leaves, and effectively removing Particulate Matter (PM) from the environment. PM can cause severe health problems, but not all trees filter it in the same way. This difference widely depends on the canopy, leaf size and structure. Bigger canopies can trap smaller particles, and larger leaves trap more pollutants than smaller ones. Also, leaves with rough surfaces have higher efficiency when filtering PM. Research shows that tiny hairs on the leaves can trap solid and liquid particles of PM