[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6551842,"mediaKeyId","5325620-382e19ec02334a2c55470bd3913e11bd","parentId",5325620,"title","City revokes State Theater temporary permits; owners and arts community ask council for three-month extension","audioSeconds",3465,"startMs",2675000,"endMs",6140000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5325620-382e19ec02334a2c55470bd3913e11bd&start=2675&end=6140","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5325620-382e19ec02334a2c55470bd3913e11bd/thumbnail_2675000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6551842/Havre-de-Grace/Harford-County/Maryland/City-revokes-State-Theater-temporary-permits-owners-and-arts-community-ask-council-for-three-month-extension","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6551842-d3868e96af03198c738664aee4006856/orig.mp4?Expires=1770843952&Signature=AaDVfnHqltHsiOsdlTmn8rfoAta2SWWG2xJoKRiBhaMFmDMqQMox9VcfNbWiEundftgER39qM6C8i6zVdktbh3ngeB~A76fSc~XtrgN3HKOFjSPi8RrI77ON65YUuJPNuVj4K8JT-JliMJv~gMBKjdIORIpgnCjhwvZPfvdAW5~GwUnZle5jkB8~dPL-wAHLzb90XiuYnkHBtbDyNuMGn~hX3SgzbQMDhJaylEM-5xXliSHxHa8Wloe6n9Zou3Rthe3vW3H8QK4tlqW3X8acWfLukuAplbFeh9z6jpfaPZHiR1ebGjmCTxdfUHTJJaXIeu2UsgAr5A8PRNaU792YDg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Havre de Grace, MD","date","2025-07-08T03:05:43Z","article","Havre de Grace’s administration revoked temporary use-and-occupancy approvals for the State Theater after the city concluded required building and fire‑safety work remained incomplete, and the theater’s sprinkler system was not operable. Owners and dozens of supporters urged the city council during public comment on July 7 to grant a three‑month extension so the venue could finish the work and reopen.

The dispute centers on a sprinkler system that the city says cannot operate because the required four‑inch water meter has not been installed; the city reports it has held the meter in its DPW shop since January 2025 and that the theater operator has not requested delivery or hired the contractor to connect it. Christopher Ritchie, Havre de Grace director of administration, read letters to the council dated June 17 and July 2, 2025, saying the business applied for building permits in 2018, that the county and fire marshal required sprinkler protection after a 01/24/2020 inspection, and that, because the outstanding work remains undone, the city will not issue any further temporary use‑and‑occupancy permits for 325 Saint John Street.

The State Theater’s managers said they were blindsided by the meter issue and the additional costs involved and told the council and the audience they were close to finishing. Katie Ngo, who identified herself as representing the State Theater, said the venue and its partners had “hosted over 600 events, brought in tens of thousands of attendees each year,” and asked the council to “reconsider with a 3 month extension tonight.” Co‑owner Jared Noe said, “In 5 days, we raised…we've raised $20,000, guys,” and that organizers had near‑term bookings and community groups that rely on the theater.

Ritchie told the council and the public the city had repeatedly extended temporary approvals since 2020 while the theater worked toward compliance, allowed the business to operate under those temporary permits, and helped the owner apply for a $100,000 reimbursable grant to cover sprinkler work. Ritchie said the grant was structured as a reimbursement but that the city arranged an MOU so the city could disperse funds directly once required fees were paid and permits issued. He said the city released grant funds to pay contractors after the owner paid capital cost recovery fees on 01/05/2024, and that invoices show the city paid contractors in January 2024. Ritchie said the only remaining items blocking a final use‑and‑occupancy permit are (1) an HVAC rough‑in/final inspection record (permit MC‑004‑004172‑2022) and (2) installation/activation of the sprinkler system tied to the four‑inch meter the city is holding. He read to the record that the theater owner had 30 days to appeal the administrative decision to the city’s board of appeals or to complete the outstanding items; failure to comply would lead to municipal citations and possible abatement.

Dozens of residents, entrepreneurs and arts‑community leaders asked the council to act. Speakers ranged from small‑business owners saying the theater brings customers to Washington Street bookstores and restaurants, to performers and nonprofit theatre groups that said productions and fundraisers had already been canceled. Riverstone Theater Company board member Chuck Hamrick described a cast and production team that were mid‑rehearsal and asked the council to “allow not only an extension, but to understand the parameters of our production would have probably less than 200 people in the space.” Resident speakers described the theater as a safe community space for families, seniors and queer residents. Several public commenters told council they had donated to the theater’s GoFundMe; an organizer said the GoFundMe total during the meeting was $20,675.

Mayor Martin and city staff said the question of an extension is an administrative matter tied to code compliance and the city attorney’s advice, not a separate council vote. The mayor asked staff to provide a public timeline and background on how the city and the theater reached the present point and what specific steps, inspections and receipts are needed to reopen. Ritchie said the city would publish that timeline and reiterated that “if you choose to comply with the 2 outstanding items, the city of Havre de Grace will issue a final use and occupancy at that time.”

A clear next step left on the table is procedural: the owner may appeal to the city’s board of appeals within 30 days, or hire contractors, obtain final inspections for the HVAC permit and pick up or request delivery of the four‑inch meter the city has available for installation. No formal council motion or vote to grant a three‑month extension occurred during the July 7 meeting; several speakers urged council members to lobby administratively for an extension, and the mayor asked staff to publish the path to reopening.

City and county permit references cited at the meeting include permit application 2019‑0173 (building/occupancy application filed 11/13/2018), the fire marshal’s inspection dated 01/24/2020 calling for automatic sprinkler protection, and a listed HVAC permit (MC‑004‑004172‑2022). The administration repeatedly emphasized that the inoperable sprinkler system — for which a four‑inch meter is required to connect the building to the city main — creates the public‑safety justification for insisting on completion before issuing a final certificate.

The administration’s letters and the public transcript together show the dispute is procedural and technical rather than a new code change: the city says it has provided repeated temporary allowances while the business worked toward compliance; the proprietor and allies say timeline changes and unexpected meter and contractor costs prolonged completion. No final legal outcome was reached July 7; the owner was told the administrative path and the appeal rights and the city said it would publish a timeline of necessary inspections and steps to get a final permit.

If the theater completes the two outstanding items and passes the required inspections, the city will issue a final use‑and‑occupancy permit; if not, Ritchie warned, municipal citations and abatement measures are the administration’s next options. For now the building remains without a final certificate and without further temporary approvals from the city.

Ending: The theater, its supporters and city administration left the meeting with clearly divergent accounts of the final steps required. Theater operators say funds and community support are in hand to finish the work within months; city officials say the remaining connection work and HVAC approvals are still undone and must be completed or appealed through the board of appeals before the building can be certified for ongoing assembly use.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Havre de Grace City Council July 7, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Havre de Grace’s administration revoked temporary use‑and‑occupancy approvals for the State Theater after the city concluded required building and fire‑safety work remained incomplete, and the theater’s sprinkler system was not operable.","taxTitle","Havre de Grace, Harford County, Maryland","taxId",52147,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6551828,"Residents press council to fix signs, wrong‑way traffic and safety at Stokes and Franklin intersections",254,3498000,3752000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5325620-382e19ec02334a2c55470bd3913e11bd&start=3498&end=3752","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5325620-382e19ec02334a2c55470bd3913e11bd/thumbnail_3498000.jpg","/articles/6551828/Havre-de-Grace/Harford-County/Maryland/Residents-press-council-to-fix-signs-wrongway-traffic-and-safety-at-Stokes-and-Franklin-intersections","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6551828-ac43e0e2ee532bdb3beadbaea0c81cd0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770843952&Signature=lrBEngWMb8~VXGPuYvcQesnGKeJGIWIpGUl6~KmCfKPk4GJTEXdiNdK0rauFnpM2NXzhARZajTYttLE8P0LzZsShUldcFpvB51mjG9LTOpagdUiMTxGQF-A-6cDi3yQupLghcITHvBgkH0RfPfuaUguVPnx7Cjw3hcspf9cuF-T4gsMIVJvB13i3j8gqSAme7gbDqk5SjlEbw~QziRAoloRuhFK16gIiG7DqcNZmtPwrFgXxWuUA7psE9XkLi6BCgBp30L8HG6xrjvYoM-pcYxpkfKhgH3vGXZvZq-86rI0skL0Q35zukl6lFw~4DotTq0lKyAPKBAtV70ZKmvBVuw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Several neighborhood residents told the Havre de Grace City Council on July 7 that pedestrian and vehicular safety problems persist on Stokes Street and the Franklin‑Stokes intersection. Speakers described drivers traveling the wrong way on one‑way blocks, inconsistent signage heights and obstructed signs that, they said, have contributed to near collisions and at least one crash they cited from Dec. 9, 2023.

Resident Beth Baker said she has lived at 402 North Stokes Street for 29 years and described repeated instances of drivers traveling the wrong way on Stokes Street and inconsistent sign placement and heights. Baker said the lack of consistent “wrong‑way” signs at intersections and missing or obscured one‑way signs had contributed to a crash at Franklin and Stokes on Dec. 9, 2023 that sent two people to the hospital. Another resident, Suzette Jackson, provided photographs showing signs obscured by parked vehicles and landscaping and asked the city to move or replace signs and to consider “wrong way” pavement markings.

Council and staff asked residents to submit their PowerPoint and photographs to the city (to Adam in the city offices) and said Public Works and the police department would review sign placement and enforcement practices. A staff member said the city will bring the issue before its Street and Traffic Safety meeting (the fourth Monday of the month) and requested the resident materials to prepare for that meeting.

Ending: City staff accepted the residents’ materials, said they will review sign heights and obscurations and bring the issue to the city’s street and traffic safety meeting for further action and potential sign replacement and enforcement measures.

","Multiple residents told the council about near‑collisions, inconsistent one‑way signage and obscured stop signs on Stokes Street between Franklin and Otsego. City staff said they will route the concerns to the street and traffic safety committee for the August meeting and asked residents to submit photos and a PowerPoint to the city.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6551833,"Mayor forms two short‑term committees to study downtown street closure and 'red tape' for businesses",62,3836000,3898000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5325620-382e19ec02334a2c55470bd3913e11bd&start=3836&end=3898","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5325620-382e19ec02334a2c55470bd3913e11bd/thumbnail_3836000.jpg","/articles/6551833/Havre-de-Grace/Harford-County/Maryland/Mayor-forms-two-shortterm-committees-to-study-downtown-street-closure-and-red-tape-for-businesses","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6551833-b21aa5af68bb1adcc622bdf34903e459/orig.mp4?Expires=1770843952&Signature=VDX3u4fvOHS0CAq-HN0QlADwKgeVCYvDbo5-RQfQdKuC0L1dTEfCb49c1fEcCiKtMp7qrlClLK-AnXO9QorakrLsZh73jvfavK1vS4Bkh1MlVhl0DzBmH8JmdEriQeQW2K6W-kteaYSec92IT3iFXmX4DvqUDo5kCFs9yX-fw9ZF2~NiespVpyt0a7Bz1kXE9TqTvPa8nsvX-Ckjy8vtlNZQVLz-KL4boGIuUfPaKPBFGZAntldIyKTh3iPgwFCND~Bs0JKIuvpufVIiz0Fc0NrjVGslqgzkK1xVa6my3XonTEIjLq2tKfViGf~rez5e71OfbPKRKONhCg5IFFrD~w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mayor Martin announced at the July 7 meeting that he would form two temporary committees to study separate but related downtown issues: (1) whether portions of North Washington Street should be pedestrianized for events or permanently altered, and (2) whether city code, permits and administrative processes impose unnecessary burdens on prospective developers and businesses.

The mayor said the Washington Street committee will be chaired by Lori Orzowitz, tourism manager, and will solicit input from downtown merchants, the Chamber, the public and city departments. The committee will evaluate options ranging from weekend‑only closures and removable bollards for events, to permanent closures, and will report back with recommendations no later than Sept. 1, 2025. The mayor emphasized the committee will hold public meetings, be subject to the Open Meetings Act, and that council would have the final authority over any permanent changes.

A second temporary “red tape” committee will examine the city’s permitting, fee and inspection processes to identify provisions that are outdated, duplicative or stricter than state requirements. The mayor named Charlie Hyner (BCH Realty), Clark Turner (local builder), Jim Miller (former council member) and Scott Elliott (banking) as members, and said the committee will meet at least twice a month and report to the council at the first meeting in January 2026 with recommendations for streamlining procedures.

The mayor framed the effort as an attempt to balance customer‑facing economic development with the city’s obligation to enforce codes: “It’s very hard to get your hands around this perception,” he said, referencing concern that some prospective businesses perceive Havre de Grace as not business friendly. The committees will accept public comment and posted meeting schedules; any council action on recommendations would follow the committees’ reports.

Ending: The mayor signed the executive orders and directed staff to post committee schedules and solicit public input; council members can act on any recommendations the committees return.

","Mayor Martin signed executive orders creating a temporary 'Washington Street' study committee and a six‑month 'red tape' committee to examine pedestrianization options and administrative hurdles for businesses. The Washington Street committee will report by Sept. 1; the red‑tape group will report by early January 2026.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6551838,"Council approves eight appointments, including youth commission student member Julian Wolf",290,2034000,2324000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5325620-382e19ec02334a2c55470bd3913e11bd&start=2034&end=2324","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5325620-382e19ec02334a2c55470bd3913e11bd/thumbnail_2034000.jpg","/articles/6551838/Havre-de-Grace/Harford-County/Maryland/Council-approves-eight-appointments-including-youth-commission-student-member-Julian-Wolf","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6551838-401abdfa70cd6bb9f167ca52c8cd37e4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770843952&Signature=aC2iY40j5IKg8KdDZ0LjDR52~z~b5jEzWr7OrEKUZmOMJOflapDP8WOev6-jpm0NK5iEKERg9zVX~OOhRXr9-QqFHSkSmKKZHpZXd~00G1tqVEBqgFv0xoX6pHAtCO0h-wLJOxtKv4IMVUSeLx2Vd-8Xcy75O~eU67yToeXfhgnHPbkxH-oaByvAJIEtuQ-pgBuiFkInoZ8J6tqYoXoN-bEpniuYWK2akaVcR4oOhRmOJVMW1cDARDpUIb4W8h9UVLfpKLFDskGfGdNdptj1EkoeYzricTGL9tL0kz1CTqlaiDou2YHo78Z-tLnnarvHGyA68CQWLVIR2RaG6KCiEg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Havre de Grace City Council approved a consent calendar on July 7 to appoint and reappoint eight local residents to city boards and commissions, including an inducted student member to the Youth Commission.

Councilmember Boker moved and the council president seconded the consent motion to appoint or reappoint the following volunteers: John Keaton to the Arts Commission; Wanda Boker, Maura Burton, Morgan Jones, Chris Stathis and Deborah Stathis to the Cultural Exchange Commission; Jean Johnson reappointed to the Historic Preservation Commission; and Julian Wolf appointed as the student member of the Youth Commission. The motion passed 6‑0.

Council members and staff publicly recognized John Keaton as a local artist and US Air Force veteran and read two letters of recommendation for Julian Wolf, the student member from Havre de Grace Middle School. Julian’s teacher, Miss Fisher, and Councilmember Ellis provided written recommendations that city staff read into the record. Councilmembers and the mayor welcomed the new and returning volunteers and encouraged more residents to apply to volunteer on commissions through the city website.

Ending: The appointments were approved by unanimous vote; the newly appointed commissioners and the student member were introduced and publicly recognized during the meeting.

","Havre de Grace City Council voted unanimously to approve a consent calendar of eight appointments and reappointments to local boards and commissions; the council also introduced and recognized the student member of the Youth Commission, Julian Wolf.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City revokes State Theater temporary permits; owners and arts community ask council for three-month extension

Residents press council to fix signs, wrong‑way traffic and safety at Stokes and Franklin intersections

Mayor forms two short‑term committees to study downtown street closure and 'red tape' for businesses

Council approves eight appointments, including youth commission student member Julian Wolf