BHCA Committees, Groups, & Events

Bolton Hill is stronger and everyone benefits when more people are involved in the life of the community.

BHCA is run entirely by volunteers and directly or indirectly supports a number of committees, groups, events, and task forces. Some require ongoing, regular participation, while others call for one-time, short-term activity. Some just need one or two people; others require a team of people. In some cases, attention to certain issues ebbs and flows.

Please contact the email addresses below if you are interested in more information or helping out in one or more of these areas of community life.

 

Committees

Committees are the operational core of BHCA. They ultimately report to the BHCA Board of Directors.

Executive Committee. The executive committee is composed of the BHCA Officers: president, first vice president, second vice president, secretary, treasurer, general counsel, and past president. It is given authority through the BHCA bylaws to act on behalf of the BHCA Board of Directors between meetings and must report its actions or recommendations to the Directors.

Membership Committee. This committee organizes activities such as the annual new neighbor party for people who moved to the neighborhood in the past year. New neighbors are identified through realtors, BHCA membership, and word-of-mouth. If you’re new to the neighborhood and have a question about Bolton Hill or about becoming involved in an area of community life, contact newneighbors@boltonhillmd.org. The membership committee also organizes the BHCA membership drive and connects people to areas of interest, as indicated on their BHCA dues form. Contact members@boltonhillmd.org.

Nominating Committee. The nominating committee is charged with identifying candidate Bolton Hill residents or institutional representatives to serve on the BHCA Board or Directors. A new set of committee members compose the committee each year and includes three Directors and two non-Directors. Nominees are announced at the April board meeting to be voted on by the BHCA membership at the membership meeting in May. If you’re interested in serving on the nominating committee or on the Board of Directors, contact nominating@boltonhillmd.org.

Finance Committee. The BHCA treasurer chairs the finance committee to oversee BHCA funds and put together the BHCA budget for the upcoming fiscal year from May to April. Contact treasurer@boltonhillmd.org.

Greening Committee. The greening committee coordinates the work of neighborhood volunteers known as stewards, who informally tend green spaces around Bolton Hill. The committee also has a group that helps organize volunteer tree planting and pruning opportunities along the street and in parks with the help of the Midtown Community Benefits District as well as tree well expansion. BHCA’s Greening Advisory Committee advises on budgeting designated funds for maintaining or improving public green spaces in Bolton Hill, and BHCA contributes to the Bolton Hill Garden Club’s greening grant program. Contact parks@boltonhillmd.org.

Architectural Review Committee. The Architectural Review Committee (ARC) is composed of local volunteers with special expertise in historic preservation. Since Bolton Hill is a Baltimore City Historic District and on the National Register of Historic Places, all exterior changes to its buildings must be approved by the Baltimore City Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP). ARC answers questions from residents, reviews their proposed exterior changes, and provides comments to CHAP. ARC meetings usually take place on the third Wednesday of each month from 7:30-9:00 p.m. at Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church. Meetings are open to the public. Contact architecture@boltonhillmd.org.

Transportation Committee. BHCA’s transportation committee considers how Bolton Hill residents can get around better through all transportation options. The committee also works with residents around a traffic hotspot to come up with a viable traffic calming option before approaching the Baltimore Department of Transportation to try to implement it. Be advised that implementation is a slow process. If you have a specific neighborhood traffic concern or are interested in being involved in transportation issues on an ongoing basis, contact transportation@boltonhillmd.org.

Zoning Committee. This committee only meets when there’s a property owner courting BHCA for community approval of a zoning variance. Usually when a zoning variance is requested, the committee invites residents nearest to the property in question to committee meetings to deliberate on the proposal before making a recommendation to the BHCA Board of Directors. Contact zoning@boltonhillmd.org.

 

Groups

Groups are informal gatherings or activities that enhance the life of the Bolton Hill community in various ways. They attract people with particular interests over short or long stretches of time, so feel to reach out with any degree of interest.

Bolton Hill Bulletin. The Bolton Hill Bulletin contains community news and longer form content related to Bolton Hill. It is published monthly with the exception of July and August. Bill Hamilton is the editor-in-chief and additional volunteers submit content, load each issue onto the website, and keep its sponsorships updated. Contact The Bulletin with your comments or submissions here or at bulletin@boltonhillmd.org.

Social Action Task Force (SATF). In spring 2015 after the unrest following the death of Freddie Gray, Bolton Hill neighbors came together to encourage actions to support greater solidarity and community between Bolton Hill and nearby neighborhoods in the 21217 ZIP Code. SATF has organized Parties with a Purpose and compiled a Volunteer and Giving Guide to highlight the many community organizations and non-profits serving the local non-profits or projects. Whether you want to give your time, money, or needed supplies, the Volunteer and Giving Guide is a good place to start. Contact satf@boltonhillmd.org.

Safety and Security. While sometimes referred to as a committee, attention to safety and security matters depends on the interest of residents to be involved in enhancing the safety and security of the neighborhood with such efforts as improving lighting and maintaining a network of residents’ cameras for helping police solve cases. Contact safety@boltonhillmd.org.

Gray Panthers. What began as a task force of older residents in 2021 has started calling itself the Bolton Hill Gray Panthers to look for ways to create community-based support and promote resources available to residents who are age 60 or older and wanting to live in their Bolton Hill residences. Contact graypanthers@boltonhillmd.org.

Bolton Hill Rental Property Owners. Do you own a home in Bolton Hill that includes apartments? Would you like to network with others to share tips on property management, complying with City codes, and attracting stable renters? A group called Bolton Hill Property Owners Who Rent Apartments provides mutual support and information with the aim of building relationships between property owners and renters and bolstering their involvement in the life of the Bolton Hill community. While most of the group comprises Bolton Hill resident owners, it is open to any owner of a property with rental units in Bolton Hill. Contact rentalpropertyowners@boltonhillmd.org.

Sustainability. Bolton Hill, like any neighborhood, should continually assess its relationship with environmental sustainability. BHCA welcomes the involvement of anyone with ideas or an interest in projects to enhance environmental sustainability around Bolton Hill such as encouraging more use of public transportation or installing an electric vehicle charger in the neighborhood. Contact sustainability@boltonhillmd.org.

Trees. Neighborhood volunteers maintain a list of street trees that have died or stumps in tree wells or other public locations that need to be ground out by the City and replanted. They organize volunteer tree plantings in the spring and fall and tree prunings in the winter in conjunction with the Midtown Community Benefits District, which obtains trees from the City’s tree nursery and provides the equipment to do the work. Contact trees@boltonhillmd.org.

 

Events

BHCA sponsors and organizes a couple large events every year to celebrate the life of the Bolton Hill community. Volunteers are needed to make them happen!

Arts in the Parks. The family-friendly summer concert series in different parks in Bolton Hill, Madison Park, and Marble Hill. Contact greening@boltonhillmd.org.

Festival on the Hill. Festival on the Hill is Bolton Hill’s marquee block party with entertainment, food, drinks, and vendors in October. Contact festival@boltonhillmd.org.