By Dawn Budd

 

This month, we travel to the southern end of College Park to the Calvert Hills Citizens Association (CHCA). The neighborhood of Calvert Hills, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002, consists of mostly single-family homes nestled in what the CHCA website (https://calverthills.weebly.com) describes as “a cohesive residential neighborhood.” Calvert Hills is located between the town of Riverdale Park, to the south, and Old Town College Park, to the north. Baltimore Avenue is the neighborhood’s western border, and the WMATA Metrorail/B&O Railroad right of way borders on the east. 

According to Rose Greene Colby, president of the CHCA, the association meets quarterly. “We have a robust agenda,” she noted. Much of the group’s focus is on environmental issues — tree canopy preservation, stormwater issues and the impacts of development are all topics that the association has examined. CHCA is focused on community actions and has established a committee, the Green Team, to address environmental issues. The team will collaborate with Sustainable Maryland, a certification program which is funded by the Chesapeake Bay Trust. The association aims to encourage residents to plant trees and install rain gardens, and hopes to hold a recycling event to educate the community. CHCA is also focused on recreation areas in the neighborhood. Many residents — pedestrians, dog walkers, and scooter and bike riders — use the nearby trolley trail. The city manages some of the parks in the neighborhood, and others are managed by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. CHCA works with both entities to ensure that the parks have amenities to serve the multi-generational needs of the neighborhood.

Because construction and development in the city and on the University of Maryland campus often impact the neighborhood, CHCA works to engage with councilmembers and university leaders.

Residents connect through the CHCA’s email group to share information, from curb alerts and bird-watching tips to meeting schedules. In addition to Colby, the CHCA’s  officers are Dan Oates and Seth Statler, co-vice presidents; Stu Adams, secretary; and Sarah Lau, treasurer. The association meets quarterly, on the first Wednesday of March, June, September and December. Membership is open to all residents of Calvert Hills ages 18 and over. The cost is $20 per household. To join, or if you have questions about CHCA, email the association at calverthillscitizensassn@gmail.com or Colby at rgreencolby@gmail.com.