Committee approves multiple street-closings and property sales to allow university consolidations

The Land Use and Transportation Committee on Thursday voted to recommend favorable several city street-closing and associated sale ordinances that city officials said are necessary to consolidate adjacent parcels for campus redevelopment by University of Maryland, Baltimore and Johns Hopkins University, and approved a separate street closing tied to a parcel adjoining National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) property.

Tyler Schnell, deputy director of government relations for the mayor, said the University of Maryland, Baltimore owns the abutting tracts adjacent to a six-foot portion of West Saratoga Street and a small alley and intends to consolidate the block to support planned fields and potential larger redevelopment. He described the street strip as “already appearing as if it were part of the property” because it sits inside the curb line and is fenced; the closing will allow property consolidation.

Planning and finance staff told the committee there is no anticipated significant fiscal impact from the closings; the Department of Finance said proceeds from any sale would be deposited into the City’s surplus-property fund and that the sale should facilitate future development. The Planning Commission had already taken action or was scheduled to take up some of the items: one street-closing item passed a Planning Commission consent finding that the road bed was no longer needed and another required only department-level review because the Planning Commission’s required 60-day window had elapsed for notification.

Separately, the committee voted favorable on bills to close portions of streets and alleys bounded by Riggs Avenue, North Payson Street and Amtrak-owned land, and to sell property within the same area — the sponsor explained the street closure was a prerequisite to the sale. For the North Chapel Street closing, counsel for Johns Hopkins told the committee the university already holds title that extends to the center line of the street, so no separate sale ordinance is required.

All items were recommended favorable and will be forwarded to the full City Council at the next meeting, the committee recorded.