SBNA Meeting Minutes – January 2025
These are the approved minutes of the South Baltimore Neighborhood Association general membership meeting.
Time: 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Location: AJ's On Hanover, 2nd Floor, 1500 S Hanover St
SBNA Meeting Notes
January 14, 2025
6:52- start
Sean – Wayward, Banditos Owner
New Concept for Mothers:
•
Programming the parking lot
o
Wayward owns half the parking lot
o
Total ownership
•
New vision- creating a family feel, patio bar, outside food bar
o
Container with kid's area and games
o
Container for food- food trucks
▪
Current connections offers
o
MD-themed menus, seasonal rotations
▪
Food-focused- not as bar-centric
o
Offering daytime programming that does not interfere with the nighttime
audience
•
No current plans for upstairs
•
No DJ Booth
•
Music would be geared more towards acoustics for brunch
•
Events person in-house for birthday celebrations
o
Opportunities for corporate parties
•
Dining area continuing with low seating
•
Potential Names: Hillside Social, Social Grounds, common ground
•
Not an amplified setting
•
Have not officially purchased the building
•
Removing the parklet
•
Price point slightly elevated
•
Food fresh and prepared daily
o
Scratch kitchens
•
Dog-friendly patio
•
Servers for outdoor patio- emphasis on the customer experience
•
Game days- quieter, not purple patio atmosphere
o
Creating a more family-friendly environment
•
Challenges with people outside of bars – cars blasting music, drugs, homelessness
Timeline
o
Takeover on Jan 30
o
12-16 weeks
▪
Knocking bar down
▪
Interior portion
o
Open around May
o
Submit permit for patio in mid-February
▪
Permit expeditor – less than four months
Notes
•
Executing the new vision is essential to creating new ideas of the area
•
Meeting with Beth from Main St. – working to establish support around the
neighborhood
•
Asking for a letter of support
•
No modification to the current liquor license
•
Hearing on Jan 30th
•
Sending MOU at a later time
•
Understands value of cooperation with fire dept, liquor board, neighbors
•
Regulatory and infrastructure challenges (primarily parking) make achieving a food-
centric culture in the neighborhood difficult
•
Tuesday-Thursday are best days for larger meeting with more members
Permitting- St. Patrick’s and Ravens
•
Possible street closure already submitted by Bull for Ravens Sundays
•
Sean- programming done well (spaces for kids, good bands, neighborhood
cooperation) is a great opportunity for
•
Owners are paying the bill for Fire Dept, DoT, Police
•
Mike – Department of Transportation should be doing more vetting around public
security
•
Andrew- challenges around City supplying permits in timely manner then causes
challenges with liquor board
•
Delia Foleys- permits pulled for all play-off games
o
Tent and supplies cost make it difficult to break even
o
Street closures and tents up for AFC championship and super bowl
o
Closing outside around midnight
•
St. Patrick’s Day permits pulled
o
Sight maps created and shared at meeting
o
Tent on Charles
o
Charles street road closure
o
Diversion of public transit
o
Detour signs already in place?
o
Closing around 9pm
o
Space available for SBNA to sell memberships- same deal available to give
•
Letter of Support for St Patrick’s (DF)?
•
CC SBNA about city’s failures around executing permits to receive extra support
from SBNA
Traffic
•
Race and Ostend
•
Three 311’s to submit
o
Crosswalks
o
Stop signs
o
Traffic calming
Liquor Licenses
•
Mugshots creating problems
o
AYCD on Christmas day
▪
Serve yourself
•
No progress transferring license to 4 East Wells
Treasury [insert treasury report]
Membership
•
Increase membership dues to $20
•
Passing vote would set dues increase into motion March 1
st
o
Opportunity for current members to renew for $10 before March 1
st
•
Vote at a later date
•
$800 required to cover annual fees
Fundraising Ideas
•
Business membership – bylaws create current challenge
•
Square space allows SBNA to email asking people to pay membership dues
o
30 cents a transaction
8:28pm -meeting end