PlanBaltimore is first step to future

When Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke and the Baltimore City Planning Department released the draft of PlanBaltimore on April 22, we were gratified to get widespread coverage in Baltimore's media.

This coverage was important in our effort to engage citizens in a dialogue about our city's future. That dialogue is under way.

For it to move forward, citizens must have a clear understanding of what PlanBaltimore is and where the process goes from here.

PlanBaltimore is not a block-by-block blueprint of Baltimore's physical future.

It is the first step in creating such a plan: the policies and goals that will shape the more detailed planning to come.

And it proposes a process, the Neighborhood Planning Program, which will pull together residents, nonprofits, businesses, foundations and other stakeholders to develop more detailed physical plans, which will be tailored each area's special conditions.

Some people have wondered why the Planning Department didn't simply produce such a blueprint and present it to citizens. Planners have learned that residents don't want planners to give them precast molds for their neighborhoods.

They want to participate in planning their future.

City residents participated in 12 public meetings that preceded development of the PlanBaltimore draft.

Their hopes and ideas, along with those of city agencies, form the basis of our current draft.

However, that draft is only a starting point, and we are until June 30 in a review process, seeking additional input from everyone with a stake in Baltimore's future.

Our public meetings May 4 and May 18 attracted more than 200 residents, many of whom took the opportunity to express their views to the planning commissioners.

One concern we continue to hear is about how the city will find resources to implement PlanBaltimore, especially since the new mayor may not have participated in or be committed to the planning process or the resulting plan.

While we recognize this concern, we feel strongly that the new mayor will value the many hours Baltimore residents have dedicated to this planning process.

Though he or she will certainly want to revise some of the recommendations and determine the priorities, we believe the plan will be a useful tool for the next administration.

Although the city's fiscal limitations are well documented, we think the plan will help direct our resources more effectively and lay out a path that may attract additional funds from various sources.

The Planning Department continues to solicit ideas, comments and, yes, criticism, from across our community on our draft plan.

Only by broadening our outreach will the plan get as close as possible to what people want to see happen in Baltimore over the next 20 years.

Citizens can write to the city's Planning Department, call our hot line on 410-396-8351, or e-mail us at planbaltimore@yahoo.com.

Stelios Spiliadis, Baltimore

The writer is chair of the Baltimore City Planning Commission. The letter was also signed by eight other members of the commission.

Historic Trust's position on west side belittled

I was disappointed in The Sun's editorial on the proposed redevelopment of downtown Baltimore's west side, "Gems at risk; West-side plan: The city would not be better off if rundown area were left alone" (June 17).

The editorial misrepresents the National Trust for Historic Preservation's position and belittles the plan's impact on the area.

Contrary to what The Sun's headline suggests, the National Trust is not suggesting that the west side be "left alone." We are simply saying it is not necessary to destroy the neighborhood in order to save it.

The 20 architecturally significant buildings that will, by law, be preserved under the plan hardly compensate for the more than 150 buildings that could face the wrecking ball.

Preservation and revitalization are not an either/or proposition: They can and do work together to rebuild communities.

In cities all over America -- Denver, Boston, Cleveland, St. Paul and Baltimore itself -- preservation has played a key role in rehabilitating the historic hearts of urban downtowns.

The west side has much to offer Baltimore; to refer to this bustling community as a "wasteland," as The Sun's editorial did, paints a distorted picture of the area and of the vigorous spirit of the residents, merchants and shoppers who make this a vibrant part of Baltimore's downtown.

We encourage Baltimore to develop a plan that preserves the community's historic buildings and adds in-fill compatible with their character.

We also recommend that the city promote existing tax incentives for rehabilitation that could make the west side a real asset to the city.

The National Trust's list of "Americas 11 Most Endangered Historic Places," which this year includes the west side of downtown Baltimore, has proved to be a successful tool to generate the attention and resources needed to save historic sites.

In 1994, the U.S.S. Constellation appeared on that list, because it was in such poor condition that it was in real danger of being lost. Now the ship is being restored, and we're all looking forward to its return to the Inner Harbor.

Downtown revitalization is a good thing, but it shouldn't come at the expense of a community's heritage.

Unless all of us become aware of the importance of our heritage, and take action to preserve it, America's past -- and Baltimore's past -- won't have a future.

Richard Moe, Washington

The writer is president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

There's much to love and improve 'downyoshun'

Ocean City offers something for all ages and abilities, rain or shine. I've been a temporary citizen in the summer since 1954. The one year we didn't get there just didn't feel normal.

What keeps us coming back? The quick trip possible through "Reach the Beach," the wide array of entertainment, the boardwalk experience, clean beaches and friendly people.

What does O.C. need? My suggestions concern families without enough income to attend attractions such as casinos and IMAX.

I'd like to see public restrooms kept clean, a big outdoor pool open to the public, some publicly supported shady spots on the beach so seniors and other sun-sensitive souls don't have to rent the outrageously priced umbrellas. Family-oriented shows, like those in Myrtle Beach, would also be great.

Mary Ann Laing, Columbia

The Sun asked what changes would improve Ocean City. I'd like to discuss some of the possibilities it mentioned.

Tax-free shopping: I don't think most people who go to Ocean City go there to shop, except for beach necessities. Shopping is a waste of Ocean City time.

Aquarium or IMAX theater: Any city -- Baltimore or even inland cities -- can have these. Why go to Ocean City for them?

Casinos: This is positively the last thing Ocean City needs. Cities that have them turn into slums, except for the glitz of the casinos. They benefit no one except the millionaires who own them. Keeping casinos out should be a priority.

Ocean City's biggest asset is the best beach in the United States. Why worry about other distractions that are not needed?

Henry Seim, Parkville

Our family has been returning "downyoshun" for more than 50 years. It is a tradition -- summer would not be complete without it. The Ocean City area's growth over the years has been remarkable -- not always welcomed but always present.

Family-oriented attractions are always positive additions and activities that entertain and amuse certainly add to the allure of the beach.

I think one of Ocean City's most pressing needs is a work force to serve the public: to make your meal or shopping experience a pleasing one.

Too many times, especially at the end of the season, service is harried and not offered with a smile. Because many businesses are understaffed, long waits and exasperated attitudes are often what greets you.

The business community needs to take an example from other resorts and make serving the vacationer with a smile its main goal.

The city could improve the situation by providing dormitory-type living facilities for employees; giving college students an opportunity to earn extra money; and providing training in and bonuses for good service.

We will return to the ocean no matter what, but congenial servers and store clerks would certainly add to our enjoyment.

Barbara Bogart, Ellicott City

Maybe business people in Ocean City would not have so much trouble getting help if they stopped ripping off the kids who go down there.

My son has never received anything near the amount of his security deposit back.

He was charged $25 per person for visitors who stayed beyond 10 p.m., $350 for steam-cleaning rugs after renting for four months, $39 for a broken plastic chair that can be bought almost anywhere for $10 and cheated out of a week's pay for failing to go to an exit interview.

After working in Ocean City one summer, one learns that room and board costs eliminate any possibility of saving some money.

M.M. Wilhelm, Baltimore

With no casinos and gambling, Ocean City remains a great family vacation spot and I hope it remains that way. If you are a gambler, go to Delaware or New Jersey to throw away your money.

I believe vacationers come to Ocean City for the best the city has to offer: the sun, the sand and the ocean, plus the many attractions to enjoy off the beach -- great places to eat and fun for the whole family.

After vacationing in Hilton Head, S.C., last year (we hated it), we are really looking forward to returning to Ocean City this year.

More and free parking would be nice. Tax-free shopping might also help, but I don't think state Comptroller William Donald Schaefer will ever accept that. Besides, tax-free shopping and gambling are available right up U.S. 1 in Delaware.

Fewer people and smaller crowds would be nice, too, but Ocean City officials wouldn't like that.

The other sorts of attractions The Sun mentioned might attract some people, but they would have no impact on my decision to vacation in Ocean City.

The city does not need gambling: Keep it a family-oriented resort.

Lawrence R. Sibley, Shrewsbury, Pa.

If Marylanders are to continue to take pride in their most treasured beach community and the family atmosphere it offers, an improved public transportation system is a must.

The bus system offers little respite from the daily gridlock on Ocean Highway after sunbathers have left the beach.

Too many visitors spend countless hours stuck on coastal roads attempting to reach the boardwalk and other night spots.

A light rail system would allow future Ocean City visitors to park their vehicles when they enter the city and let "O.C. Light Rail" do the driving.

While a modest tax hike may be needed to finance this new system, it would help the city much more than short-term solutions such as tax-free shopping and more attractive venues.

A light rail system would be a small price to pay for maintaining one of Maryland's favorite summertime traditions.

Douglas Higgins, Ellicott City

Weighing merits of Second Amendment arguments

Because I thought several recent letters the Second Amendment were inadequate, if not misleading, I decided to enter the discussion.

The basic principle for interpreting the Constitution and Bill of Rights is this: No word may be discounted, but all must be given due weight.

Thus the initial clause in the Second Amendment about a "well-regulated militia" provides a framework for interpreting the rest of the amendment.

This does not restrict the meaning of the amendment to the militia, but it does mean that the words "to keep and bear arms" must in some way relate to the maintenance of a militia.

For instance, federal law prohibits possession of sawed-off shotguns because they are not suitable for militia use. The Supreme Court has upheld this rule.

Furthermore, what is protected is the right to "keep and bear arms." Since two words are used, they cannot mean the same thing and the Supreme Court has recognized the distinction.

To keep means to possess. To bear means to carry weapons outside one's domicile. The court has ruled that the right to bear arms is subject to licensure by the state.

Some people now argue that the right to possess a firearm is rooted in the natural right to protect one's self and family.

All humans have the natural right to protect themselves and their loved ones. But the Declaration of Independence holds that we create governments to better protect our natural rights.

In this social contract, we yield some natural rights so that the state might better protect us. One way to secure this public protection might be restrictions on the possession of lethal weapons.

To insist on the naked right to keep weapons to protect ourselves puts us back in the "state of nature," where British philosopher Thomas Hobbes called life "nasty, brutish and short."

Some argue that the spread of weapons would increase our protection. But this ignores what we know about violent crime in cities during the Middle Ages.

In medieval cities, where every man walked around with a dagger or a sword on this belt because there was no police force, the murder rate was much higher than anything we have suffered in today's crime-infested cities.

It is only logical to believe that more unregulated lethal weapons means more indiscriminate killing and threats of violence.

Nicholas Varga, Parkville

The writer is professor-emeritus of history at Loyola College.

City High funding well-spent

As a new alumnus of Baltimore City College High School, I'd like to defend my alma mater against the most recent attack on its budget, which Gregory Kane described in his column "A call for greater equity in funding of high schools" (June 13).

No one disputes that City High receives more money than the Polytechnic Institute and Western High. But City must pay for services that Poly, Western and other public schools enjoy for free, such as MTA bus service.

Also, it is in an older building than most schools, one plagued by maintenance problems. And City is in a higher-risk neighborhood than Poly and Western and requires more security.

Perhaps most important, City remains true to its mission as a magnet school, preparing Baltimore's brightest students for college.

Proof of its success is abundant, starting with the new International Baccalaureate program and the impressive list of elite public and private universities City graduates will attend this fall.

However, City is by no means elitist. Much of its budget goes to the Summer Scholars program, which takes below magnet-level middle school graduates, and works intensively to prepare them for the rigors of upper-level academics.

Thus City College High extends a first-rate public education to a wide and diverse body of students. It elevates students who, under a tighter budget, would have been excluded.

Inadequate funding is a problem for all Baltimore City Public Schools. This year the issue has been brought to attention by Poly and Western, just as it was by City College last year when the school board threatened cuts at City and the School for the Arts to help cover a budget deficit.

City College is not the reason Poly and Western have insufficient funding. The reason for that can be found in the city budget, which devotes only 29 percent of expenditures to public education, as the city itself suffers from a reduced tax base due to migration to the suburbs.

No public school in Baltimore City receives enough money to develop students to their full potential, but focusing our rage on each other can only make our collective situation worse.

Jonathan Akchin, Baltimore

The writer was City College student president, 1998-1999.

Pub Date: 6/26/99