The final presentation of the future Roland Water Tower Park plans were presented on Sunday June 26th with more than 50 people in attendance. People were excited and energized to see the plans for a park for people of all ages and a vibrant space for community activities.

A multi-neighborhood team of volunteers worked for two years to coordinate community input and manage the process to come up with this plan. There have been multiple on-site meetings, surveys and presentations, and multiple reviews and approvals of the plans by city and state agencies.  

The final park design does not include a road through the park. The committee took almost a year listen to community concerns about traffice and to research if the road could be partially opened in the long-term. However, they found no reasonable path forward to fund a safe, well-maintained road. 

To ease traffic congestion now, the north side of the Roland Water Tower is open one way from Roland Avenue to Evans Chapel. This is a temporary measure until the park construction starts, to allow time for traffic improvements to be in place, and to accommodate the considerable utility construction underway in Hoes Heights and Heathbrook. Traffic signs have been installed and barriers are in place to keep pedestrians in the park safe from car traffic. 

Check out this great article about the park in the Baltimore Fishbowl.

Want to get involved in the next steps and events? You are welcome to join the Friends of the Roland Water Tower. Contact rolandwatertower@rolandpark.org for more information. 

You can view the drawings and presentation boards below. 

Please join us for an update on the Roland Water Tower Park project and learn what’s in store at your park. Community meeting will be held at the tower. See attached flyer for more details.

Saturday June 25 9 am to 1 pm

Come to a Summer Fling flea market at the tower! More details in the attached flyer.

Peregrine falcon babies, that is.
Chicks or eyases, as they are called.

As some of you may remember, one of the concerns with repairing the Tower, was that it could disrupt the nesting schedule of the falcons who were living in the roof.  The Roland Park Community Foundation decided to take on this project out of concern that the City might not be able to work around their schedule. The City brought in Craig Koppie to advise us.  He is a raptor specialist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife.  The roof was repaired in construction but Craig thought we could build a box for them in the belvedere, closed to the inside of the Tower but open to the outside. Because the Tower is a historic structure, we could not attach anything to it.  Craig found a way to build a nesting box, or scrape, as they are called in the birding world. It sits in the Tower but is not attached. Craig built the box and we waited.

The falcons left when the scaffolding went up and came back for occasional visits to check on the progress.  Once the scaffolding came down, they arrived back.  

The father was first banded by Craig Koppie at a lighthouse near Hart Miller Island and the mother was banded when she was 3 weeks old on the Brooklyn Tower of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge,  so the neighbors have affectionally named them Brooklyn and Hart Miller, or Hart or Miller, depending on the person.  Peregrine Falcons mate for life.  What a Baltimore love story.  

We crossed our fingers that this crazy experiment of taking away their home in the roof to establishing a new box in the belvedere would work.  Sure enough, we have TWO BABIES.  Craig took this photo a few days ago and thinks they were born around May 15th.  He says they will hop to the ledge in 28-30 days.  The Tower is an octagon.  If you are facing the doors of the Tower, the box is  one panel to the right, up in the belvedere.

Learning about the falcons is also learning about the circle of life.  Craig found remnants of Blue Jays, Mourning Doves, Purple Gackles, Flickers and other miscellaneous feathers in the scrape. It looks like they are being well fed.  

A huge thank you to Craig Koppie for his wisdom and support. 

Have questions or thoughts, email rolandwatertower@rolandpark.org and we will try to answer them in our next bulletin.  

The Friends of Roland Water Tower meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Meetings are on Zoom from 7 pm to 8 pm. All are welcome to attend! Each meeting provides a recap by the group’s committees, including events and fundraising. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84489617547 Meeting ID: 844 8961 7547

Come enjoy live music at the tower on May 3, 2022 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm. Bring your own chair/blanket and food/drink. Hope to see you there!

The Friends of Roland Water Tower meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Meetings are on Zoom from 7 pm to 8 pm. All are welcome to attend! Each meeting provides a recap by the group’s committees, including events and fundraising.

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84489617547

Meeting ID: 844 8961 7547

Please join us at 3 pm for the ribbon cutting at the Roland Water Tower.
Light refreshments will be served.

Here are all of the fun things to do at the Tower that day-

8 am- 3 pm Chalk artist Michael Kirby will be creating a chalk wonder at the Tower.  Come watch the magic unfold and then create your own design on the roads around the Tower.

1-2 pm Baltimore Hoop Love will be supplying lots of hula hoops for you to play with and celebrate the day with a twist.

3 pm Ribbon Cutting-the big event, we have waited 10 years for this one!!

4-6 pm Bring a chair and listen to the Powell Brothers unique blend of R&B and Soul.  “Purveyors of Hot Buttered Soul for nearly a decade”.

Questions?  Email rolandwatertower@rolandpark.org. 

Friends of the Water Tower–
Spread the word — jazz at the water tower!
 
Tuesday, November 24:00-6:00pm

Roland Water Tower (4210 Roland Ave.)

Organized by Friends of the Roland Water Tower
Read more about the Baltimore Pop-Up Jazz Jam here: https://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/arts/bs-fe-baltimore-pop-up-jazz-jam-20210727-7qibwgvdevbivia6nt6tz6ptaa-story.html?outputType=amp

Hope to see you there!
Emily