BALTIMORE — Pop up parties that turned into shootouts in Fells Point have people banging on the doors of City Hall and business owners ready to withhold their taxes.
On Wednesday night, the city took some action as pressure mounts and the weekend approaches, but critics say leaders are still not addressing major parts of the problem.
Kelly Navas-Migueloa said she and her family are prisoners in their homes on the weekends.
They can’t sleep they won’t bring their kids outside and they don’t feel like police or city government is doing anything about it.
“Last weekend the streets that were blocked off did not help us at all,” said Navas-Migueloa. “Our street became a freeway. It was just jam packed with traffic motorcycles going up the lanes of traffic creating dangerous situations. We saw cars going the wrong way.”
On Thursday, Mayor Brandon Scott plans to hold a public meeting to hear community members concerns.
RELATED: Virtual Town Hall to be held Thursday following recent crime in Fells Point
Business owners wrote a letter to the Mayor and other city leaders demanding some changes or they will stop paying taxes.
Wednesday we learned police will shut down additional roads this weekend, and the city will roll out strict parking enforcement starting at 4 pm.
Also State Highway Patrol said they will work with BPD to run a sobriety checkpoint between 9pm and 3 am along Boston Street— although neither department would say if this operation is in response to the outcry from the neighborhood.
The people I talked to said— roads have been shut down and it hasn’t stopped the parties from happening.
“It went on until 3 and 4 in the morning, nobody could sleep,” said Fells Point resident Anne Gummerson. “There were gunshots, there were lots of people with their trunks of their cars open selling their own booze out of the back.”
Munir Bahar the founder of the COR Health Institute in East Baltimore commits his time and energy to building up young people.
He said incidents like this don’t surprise him because of the lack of investment in so many neighborhoods in Baltimore.
“When we fail our neighborhoods the trickle effect points to or results in things happening in our business or commercial districts,” Bahar said. “We can’t just ignore the residential aspects of Baltimore and think the business districts, or the business corridors of Baltimore are going to remain operating as a way in such that it’s completely isolated from the failures of the residential sector.”
He said the results of decades of disinvestment are spilling over into every neighborhood in this city and causing the people who live here to suffer.
Here is a full list of road closures and restrictions put in place for this weekend from DOT:
Starting on Friday, June 11, 2021 and continuing each evening through Sunday, June 13, 2021, all through traffic will be restricted in Fells Point from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. within the following geographical boundaries:
- South of Aliceanna Street
- North of Thames Street
- East of S. Bond Street
- West of S. Ann Street
In addition, the following parking restrictions will also be implemented in Fells Point on Friday, June 11 through Sunday, June 13, 2021 each day from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.:
- Broadway from Aliceanna to Lancaster Streets
- Broadway from Shakespeare to Thames Streets
- 1600-1800 blocks of Thames Street
- 1600-1700 blocks of Lancaster Street
- 1600 block of Shakespeare Street
Fells Point visitors and residents should pay close attention to all posted parking restrictions and avoid parking in restricted areas. Residential Permit Parking (RPP) will be strictly enforced throughout the weekend in Fells Point (RPP Area 16) and vehicles parked in violation will be ticketed.
Fells Point Residential Permit Parking in Area 16 will be enforced along the following roadways:
- Aliceanna Street • Broadway
- Fleet Street • Shakespeare Street
- Ann Street • Thames Street
- Lancaster Street • Dallas Street
- Bethel Street • Wolfe Street
- Register Street • Durham Street
- Bond Street • Fell Street
To ensure that Fells Point residents have access to parking near their homes, residents will be allowed to access areas closed to through traffic with their valid Area 16 Residential Parking permits.
Motorists should be aware that additional road closures and parking restrictions may be implemented in the vicinity of Fells Point throughout the weekend if needed. Motorists traveling in this area should be on the watch for changing traffic patterns and are encouraged to use alternate routes.
