On Thursday, April 30, at 9am, City Council Bill #26-0150 will go before the Land Use and Transportation Committee. 

Bill #26-0150, sponsored by Councilman Torrence, seeks variances to allow for an increase in the parking maximum of 36 to 65 spaces, including parking on W. North Avenue.

On October 16, 2025, members of the Land use and Transportation Committee, including Council persons Ryan Dorsey (Chair), John Bullock, Paris Gray, Zachary Blanchard, and Mark Parker all voted in favor of Bill 25-0065 which completely eliminated off-street parking requirements for new building projects in all residential and commercial zones throughout the City.  It was then approved by the City Council President and Mayor to great fanfare. 

Now the city would like to make exceptions to the law they just changed that they believe will correct a legacy of racist zoning laws. Why? Especially when multiple agencies have sounded the alarm of the dangerousness of on street parking on North Avenue. 

On April 6, 2026, DOT Director Veronica McBeth wrote,

…agencies including the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), the Department of Planning, and the Department of Transportation opposed the inclusion of on-street parking. Proposed on-street parking was rejected over concerns that it would diminish the effectiveness of dedicated bus lanes and create new conflicts between MTA buses and parked cars, potentially contributing to crashes. 

So why the sudden about face? They claim that the safety of pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers, and the reversal of racist zoning laws, all come second to our access to fresh food. 

But won’t the grocery store guarantee walkable access to fresh food for Reservoir Hill, Bolton Hill, and our communities to the East and West? Representatives of MCB and Blank Slate say no! Before the Planning Commission, lawyer for MCB, Drew Tildon, pleaded for easy access from the highway. She claims that the majority of shoppers will be coming from far away and that is why 29 additional parking spots are necessary, even if it means more dangerous conditions and less access for our communities.