Have you found Overlea’s hidden gem? Cherry Heights Woodland Garden is a “pocket park” created by NeighborSpace Baltimore County in collaboration with the Overlea community. The space is a wooded clearing with native plants and mature trees–a charming spot tucked among homes on Beech Avenue at the end of East Elm.

A team of Towson University students recently completed a deep-pe study into the area’s history, focusing on the Cherry Heights neighborhood of Overlea that the park is named for, created in 1910 and one of the first anywhere to be marketed specifically to African Americans. The report details the long history of segregation and systemic discrimination and highlights how Black residents of Overlea created a flourishing community despite the obstacles they faced.

Many thanks to NeighborSpace for commissioning this study and to the TU team for their careful research and presentation to the community. Find the fascinating full report on the Overlea community website. It’s worth a read!

Holt Park Happenings 2024!

34 Elmont Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21206

Holt Park & Center for the Arts is ready for spring, with evening arts programs such as Creative Clay, The Natural World of Art, and Paint Nights. On the weekends, nature programming continues and the “Nature Cabin” at 108 McCormick will be open for visitors to view its exhibits and create crafts. Don’t miss the fun and games at the annual Egg-Stravaganza on March 24th, during which kids can try their luck at the Egg Roll and other fun activities! Check our calendar here: https://overleafrc.stonealley.com/files/OverleaRec/HoltPark/2024_winter_spring.pdf And our program registrations are on CivicRec: https://recandparks.baltimorecountymd.gov/MD/baltimore-co-md

Please visit www.overleafrc.com/programs/holtpark to find out more about our programs and volunteer opportunities!

As you may be aware, NeighborSpace Baltimore has developed a pocket park on Beech Avenue called Cherry Heights Woodland Garden Park. This park is named after the Cherry Heights Neighborhood of Overlea, which was the first neighborhood in Baltimore marketed to the African American community.

In conjunction with NeighborSpace, students at Towson University have developed an analysis and cultural History of the neighborhood that they will be presenting in virtual format to Overlea Residents in January. The presentation is attached here (PDF, 19MB) for your review. Please join us for the discussion on January 11th at 7pm at the following link: https://meet.google.com/wqa-stdg-qgz

Read the full final draft (PDF, 19MB)

Dear Overlea Residents,

Greetings to all the vibrant members of our wonderful community! As the President of the Overlea Community Association, I am delighted to share with you exciting updates and cool events happening in our beloved neighborhood.

Community Garden Blooms: Our community has many amazing gardens in full swing, and it’s a sight to behold! Residents have been cultivating beautiful flowers, nutritious vegetables, and aromatic herbs. It’s not just about the green thumbs; it’s about fostering a sense of togetherness and creating a sustainable environment for everyone to enjoy. Our local Overlea Farmers Market continues to showcase the best summertime produce from our hyper local vendors, including Grateful Gardens located on East Elm Ave! Be sure to stop by! Our market runs until the end of October.

Overlea Artsfest: Congratulations to the ArtsFest board for another successful year! What an incredible experience this three-day event has become, and we are so lucky to have it in our neighborhood. If you missed out on ArtsFest, have no fear. The ArtsFest committee will continue the fun all year- round with a whole host of activities. Be sure to follow them on Facebook! Volunteer

Clean-up Events: We take immense pride in the cleanliness of our streets and parks. Join us for regular volunteer clean-up events, where we come together as a community to keep Overlea litter-free and pristine. It’s an excellent opportunity to bond with neighbors while making a positive impact on our environment. Watch for a cleanup event in September and follow our Facebook page.

Back to School: School starts August 28th for Baltimore City and Baltimore County public schools. Please join me in wishing all students a positive and productive school year! Many of our local schools, including Fullerton Elementary, Elmwood Elementary, Parkville Middle, and Glenmount Elementary-Middle are in need of supplies. I encourage you to reach out to your local PTA and help our students start off the year stocked-up and ready to learn.

Local Business: We have a thriving business community in Overlea, and we want to celebrate it! Frank’s Pizza and Pasta won Best in Baltimore! Congrats!!! New additions include a restaurant at 7400 Belair Rd. and Diablo Donuts in the Beltway Shopping Plaza. Be sure to support local entrepreneurs and strengthen our local economy.

Community NNO Picnic: Our third annual NNO on August 1st was a smashing success! Over 50 neighbors joined in on the beautiful weather and fantastic food. Many thanks to the committee chair, Doris Poling, for making it happen! And thank you to the Natural History Society of Maryland for hosting. What a terrific community partner. Remember, these are just a few of the exciting things happening in Overlea, and there’s so much more to explore and enjoy. I encourage each and every one of you to actively participate in these events and initiatives, as it is your involvement that truly makes Overlea a remarkable community. If you have any ideas, suggestions, or want to get involved, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Together, we will continue to make Overlea a place we are all proud to call home. With warm regards, Melissa Davis, OCA president

How and Where?

For many years, the OCA has been seeking an historical marker to honor an original land owner in Overlea. Margaret Fuller was a widow who moved to Baltimore from Ohio with her six children in 1858. She bought a 43 acre tract of land called Sophie’s Garden Regulated. Fullerton Avenue and Fuller Avenue are evidence of the family’s influence in the development of Overlea.

The OCA research was focused on the lot at the intersection of Belair Road and Taylor Avenue, believing this was the location of the original log cabin that Mrs. Fuller and her children inhabited. After reading countless deeds and maps, the OCA could not confirm she lived at this specific location. So they sought the help of the Baltimore County Preservation Services. After reviewing the information and maps, they assured the OCA that it had the right historical information, but the wrong location. Margaret Fuller and Sophie’s Garden Regulated were on the east side of Belair Road, not the west side, as was originally thought. A good approximation of her original homestead is the Fullerton Community Center. The OCA looks forward to working with Baltimore County to have Margaret Fuller honored with an historical marker at the Fullerton Community Center.

Grant Opportunities

The first grant is for a Commercial Improvement Grant for businesses that are in Baltimore County and within the Overlea neighborhood. This funding is available for the creation of commercial façade improvement programs to be administered by local business associations and non-profits serving commercial corridors/Main Street areas. This grant will be used to help businesses along Belair Road with capital improvements that create uniformity and walkability along that corridor.

Facade Grant Pre-Application

Please fill out all fields. We will be in touch after our review processes. Thank you!

The second grant is the Community Revitalization Area Grant, awarded through Baltimore County to neighborhoods designated as a community revitalization district.

The OCA has received this grant for the last eight years. It is used to fund our annual farmers market. It was also used to initate Overlea ArtsFest, which has since become its own non-profit organization. The OCA also received money for signs and branding for our community. Permitting is taking longer than anticipated, but the funds are available once the project is ready to proceed. Another grant received by the OCA will be used on the city side of Overlea. This is a Community Safety Works Grant designed to reinforce community ownership, solidarity, and pride, through clean and beautified surrounding streets, sidewalks, and signage. It will be used to replace the Overlea sign in the Fleetwood/Northern Parkway/Walther triangle and adding a native garden around it. The OCA will also seek a grant allowing further beautification of this location.

We Want to Hear from You

There are plenty of other grant opportunities but the OCA needs people to organize these projects. If you’d like to get involved, please reach out to one of our officers or contact a board member through the contact form. We look forward to hearing your ideas and working to make them a reality!

Safety and Improvements

Overlea Community Association president, Melissa Davis, has been meeting monthly with representatives from State Highway and Baltimore County, along with our state Senator Kathy Klausmeier. We are advocating for funding to make improvements to the safety and accessibility of Belair Rd. While the state is still in the design stages of the plan, we will continue to move forward and support a better Belair Road for the community and businesses of Overlea. This plan needs you! Let our County Executive and elected officials know that safety and accessibility is important to you as a citizen. These improvements are contingent on budgets set by the county, and those budgets only move with the support of many community members.

Holt Park Happenings 2023!

34 Elmont Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21206

Autumn is a special time at Holt Park and Center for the Arts. Join us for annual events, celebrations, art classes, and nature programs!

• National Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration: September 15th to October 15th
• Halloween Fairy Houses: October 8th
• Holt Harvest Day: October 22nd
• Holt Haunted Hike: October 28th
• BYO Pumpkin Carving: October 29th

Please visit www.overleafrc.com/programs/holtpark to find out more about our programs and volunteer opportunities!

Properties Needing Attention

The OCA is aware of several abandoned properties within our neighborhood, including the building destroyed by fire at 7201 Belair Road. We continue to stay in contact with both code enforcement and building inspections in Baltimore County to ensure this building is being monitored and will be moving forward for demolition. Unfortunately, this process is slow and leaves the community with an unsightly and unsafe structure to contend with.

How You Can Help

If you see a house on your street that is abandoned and needs code enforcement, please call them at 410-887-3551 or use the #BaltCoGO app right on your phone. Easily report items such as overgrown grass, trash, and more. For city properties, call 311 to report issues.

If you see anyone attempting to break into an abandoned property, please call the police. It is crucial that as a neighborhood we keep any eye out for these empty properties that become an eyesore for the community and a target for graffiti and illegal activity.

Gas Lines and Meters

BGE contractors have been installing new gas lines and meters in Overlea, east of Belair Road. Members of the OCA have been working with BGE and Baltimore County to limit the impacts of this work on our neighborhood and neighbors. The work is scheduled to be completed the end of July but may still be ongoing due to delays and weather. The work involves replacing the main lines in the road and replacing the old meters with new smart exterior meters. If the contractors have not stopped by your home yet, here is a summary of how the process should go.

The Update Process

BGE will replace the line in the road and may have traffic restricted or blocked with limited parking for a few days. If they are working on your street, they are required to provide you with safe access to your home or driveway at your request within a few minutes. There should be signs to notify you at least 48 hours in advance and for no longer than one week. Once that is done, another crew representative will stop by your home to schedule a meter replacement. At this time you can request where it’s located on the outside of your home with some restrictions. You can also decide not to have it done at all if you prefer. The contractors are required to repair the road and your property before they are finished. When the work is completed, the paving crew will patch the trenches with asphalt and repave the roads (either 1/2 or completely, depending on how much was impacted by the work).

Have Questions or Concerns?

If you find that the road conditions or other items related to the work are not going as expected, feel free to email the OCA and we can put you in contact with the appropriate person to address your concerns.

Happy Spring!

As always, Overlea is the place to be this spring! Our beloved farmer’s market will celebrate its 8th year 😯 starting on Saturday June 10th from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Opening Day will see an amazing variety of new and old vendors, including pasture raised chicken, pork, eggs, jams, seasonal produce, seedlings, bread, artists and so much more! The fun continues every other Saturday all summer long, through October.

Our 3rd annual Taste of Overlea potluck was a tremendous success. Neighbors from all over Overlea brought delicious treats to share. A special thanks to Doris Poling 👏 for putting this great event together. We look forward to Neighbors Night Out in August to once again come together in food and fellowship. Stay tuned for more details!

We are also thrilled that Rosedale Federal Savings and Loan has once again provided funding for our flowerpots along Belair Road. This is the tenth year they have supported this initiative that helps beautify our stretch of Belair Road. Thank you, Rosedale!

The Natural History Society is also celebrating World 🐢Turtle Day on May 21st, a FREE event that will include a meet and greet with over a dozen different species, exploration of fossils, and information about conservation efforts for these amazing creatures. Check it out, along with other incredible programs offered at this community treasure.

I had the pleasure to speak, alongside many other citizens of the 6th district, at our Baltimore County Budget Town Hall. The Overlea Community Association will continue to advocate for positive change along Belair Road. Community members must remain vocal to our elected representatives regarding this issue. We NEED ADA compliant sidewalks, proper drainage, and intentional business development to make Overlea an even better place to live and work.

This summer we hope to see more Overlea neighbors enjoying some of the terrific events scheduled in the neighborhood. Spend some time at Holt Park, take in some bird watching at the NHS, and stop by the Farmer’s Market community table and say hello!

Melissa Davis, OCA president

Overlea Artsfest Returns

Holt Park & Center for the Arts is hosting the 8th annual festival of visual and performing art! This year’s theme is “ArtsFest in Wonderland” so be prepared to see Cheshire cats, playing cards, and maybe even the Queen of Hearts and Alice herself! Attendees are encouraged to come in costume with a Wonderland theme, or even in Victorian or Steampunk attire. Prizes for best costumes will be awarded. Admission is FREE.

Here is the event program:

• Friday evening 8/11 – 5:30-8:30pm – juried art show opens
  with the Art Preview Party, wine tastings, snacks, networking
  and a chance to meet the artists.
• Saturday 8/12 – 11am-5pm – juried art show continues,
  plus art & craft vendors, family art activities and performers.
• Saturday evening 8/12 – 9-10:30pm – Short Film Festival at
  the amphitheater
• Sunday 8/13 – Noon-4pm – artist workshops, juried art
  show concludes.

Get details on our website at https://OverleaArtsFest.org