Letter To City Leaders From Fells Point Business Leaders (6.8.21) - Final

June 8, 2021
Attention: Mayor Brandon Scott

Council President Nick Mosby
Councilman Zeke Cohen
Madam State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby
Commissioner Michael Harrison
Dear City Leaders:
We represent dozens of businesses and countless residents who call Fell’s Point home. We have lived
and raised our families here for decades. We run stores and restaurants and small businesses that
provide hundreds of good jobs for people across the region.
What is happening in our front yard — the chaos and lawlessness that escalated this weekend into
another night of tragic, unspeakable gun violence — has been going on for far too long. We have
struggled through a global pandemic, enduring restaurant shutdowns and mask mandates. For
months, we have been holding on by a thread, waiting for daybreak, worrying whether we will make
it or if we will be the next business to shutter our doors for good. Through this adversity, at great
expense to ourselves, we have sacrificed for the sake of our customers, employees, and community.
We have done this because we love Fells Point and believe it represents the very best of Baltimore.
But we have reached our breaking point. Our elected leaders have closed their eyes and ears and
turned their backs on our community for long enough. We are fed up and frustrated, and we now
realize that nothing will change unless we demand action.
So, to compel our leaders to do their job and to stand up for neighborhoods all across Baltimore, the
undersigned parties are prepared to withhold our city taxes and minor privilege and permit fees and
place those funds into an escrow account, which we will not release until and unless basic and essential
municipal services are restored.
1) Pick up the trash. The trash that piles up every week drifts into the Inner Harbor and hurts
the environment, attracts rodents and fosters disease, and stinks up the streets and damages
the beauty of our wonderful waterfront community. Every neighborhood, residential and
commercial, is entitled to regular and reliable trash removal. This does not happen in Fells
Point (and many other parts of the City), and we’re sick of it.
2) Enforce traffic and parking laws through tickets and towing. Cars, motorcycles, dirt bikes, and
a wide range of legal and illegal vehicles have discovered that Baltimore City’s traffic and
parking laws are, at best, erratically enforced in Fell’s Point. This contributes to illegal activities
that impede traffic, drive noise pollution, place riders and bystanders at risk, and make the
neighborhood hostile to children and families.
3) Stop illegal open-air alcohol and drug sales. Many of us have obtained expensive liquor
licenses and are subject to routine code inspection. We are carefully regulated and pay taxes
on the proceeds of our liquor and alcohol sales. Yet, there are individual vendors in Fells
Point illegally selling large volumes of alcohol, marijuana, and a range of other illicit substances
directly in front of our establishments with no consequences or penalties. These are not
concealed, clandestine operations by sophisticated gangs with suppliers and lookouts. These
are brazen individuals who conduct their business in plain sight because they know Baltimore
City will do nothing to prevent or punish them. This hurts the family fabric and tourist value
of the community; it leads to a wide range of more serious problems like what we saw this
weekend; and it is profoundly unfair to the legitimate businesses and our employees who are
working around the clock to make a living.
4) Empower police to responsibly do their job. It is harder than ever to recruit and retain quality
staff. On top of everything else, some of our employees are now scared, and we are scared
for our employees. In a city with organized crime and soaring gun violence, we appreciate the
extraordinary demands on our police. Our officers cannot and should not use the power of
arrest to address every situation. At the same time, police cannot be directed to ignore
manifest lawlessness that happens right before their eyes. When it comes
to prostitution, public urination and defecation, and the illegal sale and consumption of
alcohol and illicit drugs on the streets, we know these crimes are not as serious as the
carjackings, shootings, and homicides that have become routine. But, as this past weekend
proved, a culture of lawlessness rarely remains confined to petty offenses and invariably leads
to the kinds of violence and tragedy we witnessed late Saturday night.
These demands are as simple as they are vital to our community’s future: Ask police to do their job,
stop illegal alcohol and drug sales on the streets, enforce basic traffic and parking laws, and pick up
the trash. Frankly, it is pathetic that we have to beg for these basics. But this is where we are.
Fell’s Point is one of the crown jewels of Baltimore. It has become the heartbeat of city commerce;
its rich history, stunning views, and cobblestone streets make it a landmark destination for residents
and tourists alike; and, at its best, it reflects the remarkable diversity and magic of Baltimore. But if
there is a cautionary tale in the decline of the Inner Harbor and Baltimore’s Downtown, it is that
where small issues go unchecked, it is only a matter of time before deeper problems take root and a
neighborhood collapses. No one wants this to happen to Fells Point, least of all the people and
families who have devoted themselves to creating a residential and commercial district that is
welcoming, prosperous, diverse, and safe, where you can raise a family, build a business, savor a meal
and enjoy the splendor of our city in peace.
Bottom line: Please do your job so we can get back to doing ours.
The Fells Point businesses that have joined this letter to date are alphabetically listed on the next page.
Businesses in Fells Point that have joined this letter to date are alphabetically listed below:
Marigot Miller Darin Mislan Tom Rivers

Abbey Burger Admiral’s Cup Ale Mary’s
Carrie Podles Claudia Towles Shane Gerken
Alexander’s Tavern aMuse Toys Barcocina
William Packo Andy Norris Mike Beckner
Barley’s Backyard Bertha’s BOP Pizza
Denzel Washington Marka Browning Doug Yeakey & Lance Sovine
Denzel’s Shark Bar Grill Dogwatch Tavern EC Pops
Luana Kaufmann Essayas Hable Alison Schuch
Emporium Collagia Fells Point Creamery Fells Point Surf Shop
Ginny Lawhorn Patrick Russell Jascy Jones
Friends and Family Koopers Tavern Luna Garden
Ron Furman Charlie Gerde Susan Singer
Max’s Taphouse Papi’s Party Dress
Murat Mercan Kelley Heuisler Kevin Havens
Pie in the Sky Poppy & Stella Red Star
Mike Katris Kaite Russell Nick Johnson
Rodos Bar Slainte SuCasa
Candace Beattie Ted Jabara Alex Smith
Thames Street Oyster House The Admiral Fell Inn The Choptank
Eric Mathias Erica Russo Essayas Hable
The Horse You Came In On The Point The Pretzel Twist
Bryan Burkert Kevin Havens Sean Brescia & Jennifer Olivia
The Rockwell The Waterfront The Wharf Rat
Beth Hawks
Zelda Zen

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June 8, 2021

Attention: Mayor Brandon Scott

Dear City Leaders:

Marigot Miller Darin Mislan Tom Rivers

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