Dozens of Turners Station residents, newcomers and long-timers both, arrived with ideas that ranged from adding new amenities to preserving the cultural roots of the 188-acre enclave that is one of the country's oldest African-American communities.
The residents were helping to launch an intensive planning process, organized by Baltimore County, to revitalize a neighborhood that was established back in 1888 for workers at Sparrows Point and their families. To do that, though, they had to look not backward but forward.
"We have to get people thinking about the future," said Dunbar Brooks, a planner with the Baltimore Metropolitan Council who has lived for 30 years in Turners Station. "We have the new generation, the seniors and the many about-to-be seniors. This is a small, close-knit community that needs new opportunities especially in housing."
Erica Stewart moved just eight months ago from the city to the eastern Baltimore County neighborhood, surrounded on the north by Dundalk Avenue and by water in the other three directions. But already she feels strong ties to it.
She said she came to the Fleming Center Thursday for the first of the five-day planning sessions, known as a charrette, wanting "to know what is happening in this community, what its new look could be and to help out whenever I can."
Another participant, Gloria Nelson, was raised in Turners Station, and only the need for a home larger than the modest townhouses and ranchers in the neighborhood drove her away. But she finds herself back in the old neighborhood several times a week and serves as the vice president of the Turners Station Conservation Teams.
"They can't design for us if we don't provide them anything," Nelson told residents. "We have to provide input and believe that nothing is too much to ask for."
County officials are asking residents to work with urban planners to create guidelines for new development and revitalization of a community, "The charrette is dedicated to preserving the historic character of the community, while improving the quality of life for the current and future residents," said Pat Keller, county director of planning. "The plan calls for increasing home ownership opportunities and encouraging improvements to existing homes. It is critical to get residents activated, energized and involved."
The event, which began with a walking tour and community work session Thursday, runs through Tuesday, when organizers will offer design presentations.
