UPDATE: 08/26/22

The OCA board has learned that 7-11 and the developer behind the 7-11 gas station and convenience store proposed for the corner of Belair Rd. and Fullerton Ave. have decided NOT to appeal the administrative ruling that denied all the requested special exceptions.

As far as we are aware, the project will not move forward.

THANK YOU to all the Overlea and Linover residents who shared their concerns and testimony, whether written or in person. Your involvement is crucial as together we advocate for sustainable development and improvements in our community.

In our last newsletter, we made the community aware of a proposed 7-11 on the corner of Fullerton Ave and Belair Rd. This 7-11 would make a tremendous impact on the community at large. Both the Linover Improvement Association and the Overlea Community Association communicated with our county representative and the State Highway Administration (SHA) to object to such a large project that would have such a negative impact on our community.

The initial zoning hearing was postponed in December and has not been rescheduled. The developers for the project are working with SHA to address issues with that section of Belair Rd., specifically this project’s impact on the future of Belair Rd. development. We will keep all members up to date in our monthly Membership Bulletin, so please consider paying your membership dues to receive (by email) the most current information.

Compost collection is still on-going at the NHS parking lot on alternating Saturdays from 9:30-10:30am. Drop off your compost on March 19th, April 2nd, 16th & 30th.

The Baltimore City Department of Public Works Residential Recycling Program has now initiated a new pick-up schedule. Overlea is on the “A” schedule. Currently our pick-up will be every 2 weeks as opposed to every week. Pick up dates are March 1st, March 15th and March 29th, and every other Tuesday after that. Please mark your calendars. Do NOT put recyclables in a plastic bag as they will not be picked up. Please make sure your recyclables are properly contained INSIDE the cart with lids shut. Open lids will allow rodents to get into your bins and spread litter into the streets. The recycling initiatives improve the environment by keeping waste out of local waterways, providing for cleaner, healthier neighborhoods.

Thanks to everyone who attended ArtsFest 2021 at our new home in Holt Park & Center for the Arts. You all helped to make our first 3-day festival a great success! The event was attended by art gallery owners, local businesspeople, residents and families from the surrounding communities, and many of our juried artists.
We are excited to announce that ArtsFest 2022 will return to Holt Park in August:

• Friday evening, August 12th – Art Show and Sale
• Saturday afternoon, August 13th – Live Entertainment and Vendors
• Sunday afternoon, August 14th – program TBD

We are currently looking for all types of volunteers to help create our 2022 event, as well as local artists who wish to submit work to our juried show. If you’d like to be a part of our growing arts festival, contact Carol Stover at carolstover@comcast.net.

Save the dates for the 2022 season of this community treasure. The Overlea Farmers Market, organized by your Overlea Community Association, begins on Saturday, June 4 and runs every other Saturday through October 22. We’ll once again be in the parking lot of the Natural History Society of Maryland (6908 Belair Rd). So get those dates on your calendars now, and plan to support local farmers, bakers, and makers this season. If you’d like to get involved (all hands on deck!), please email OCA president Melissa Davis: president@overleaonline.org. See you at the market!

Dear Community Members,

With the coldest winter days upon us, I can’t help but look forward to warmer days ahead. Our first community meeting of the new year will be on Tuesday, March 8th at 7 p.m. As of press time, we will be holding this meeting virtually, but please stay tuned to our Facebook page for updates!

While most of us have been holed up inside, trying to stay warm, your Overlea Community Association has been hard at work. Thanks to requests from Senator Kathy Klausmier, Delegates Carl Jackson, Harry Bhandari, and Councilwoman Cathy Bevins, the Maryland State Highway Administration is investigating concerns about the condition of the sidewalks on Belair Rd. These sidewalks are dangerous and unusable by anyone in a wheelchair. Our current sidewalks are not ADA compliant. The issue here is safety. Our citizens, pedestrians, and businesses deserve safe sidewalks. I will happily share any updates on the progress in our membership news bulletin. This issue isn’t one we can fix overnight, but I believe we are headed in the right direction.

February is Black History Month. We celebrate the diversity and resilience of our black community members and businesses. Overlea is home to Cherry Heights, the first neighborhood in the county marketed to African Americans beginning in 1910. That was uncoincidentally the same year the city enacted a law requiring neighborhoods to be racially segregated. This 24 acre parcel of land was advertised directly to African Americans as affordable housing. What we know about that time period is that neighboring communities were not hospitable to the residents of Cherry Heights. We also know that the reason for so many dead-end roads in that area was to minimize residents’ circulation (source: Neighbor Space Baltimore). The students of Towson University’s BTU program are currently researching the impact and importance of this neighborhood. Neighbor Space Baltimore has built a lovely park at the end of E. Elm Ave. called the Cherry Heights Woodland Garden. While the garden is unfinished, the goal is to draw attention to the history of the neighborhood and the people who lived there. If you are interested in donating to the park’s goals, please go to www.neighborspacebaltimorecounty.org.

Stay tuned for updates on our 2022 Overlea Farmers Market. Opening day will be June 4th, so mark your calendars! A huge thank you to all the community members, sponsors, and performers of our Overlea Tree Lighting in December. We were so thankful to hold this event again, in person. As always, please reach out to me if you are interested in volunteering (even just an hour of your time) with any of our events.

Stay safe, stay warm!

Melissa Davis, OCA President

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Hello Overlea

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