Baltimore’s housing department has shut down work on a Kingdon Gould-controlled site in Mount Vernon where contractors were building a parking lot without proper authority.

The property is a mid-block parcel on the 1000 block of North Charles Street where the once-ultra-chic Chambers Building was demolished earlier this year.

The owner is Fourth Gould LLP, an entity controlled by Kingdon
Gould Jr., great grandson of legendary “robber baron” Jay Gould, and his son, Kingdon Gould III.

Contractors were in the process of paving the land when a city housing inspector issued a stop work order last week. The lot is now half paved with asphalt and half dirt and rubble.

If the owners are unable to obtain permits for their project, city laws require that they undo the work they have already done.

Another “Missing Tooth”

The land has been the subject of concern by community residents who are wary of more “missing teeth” along a premier city street that has already had its share of surface parking lots and vacant buildings.

The lot falls within the city’s Parking Lot District, where local law prohibits owners from tearing down buildings and creating parking lots without first obtaining City Council approval, which involves a public hearing and passage of an ordinance.

The law was written to discourage owners from razing buildings to create parking lots and to make sure any new lots have approved plans for lighting, screening, landscaping and storm water management. No council ordinance has been introduced for the Gould parcel.

Because the Charles Street parcel is within the Mount Vernon Historic District, any changes also need approval from the city’s Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP).

Safety Worries and Surface Runoff

Local residents say they are concerned about neighborhood safety, including people loitering in the parking lot after dark.

“Noise and loitering have long been a problem here, especially when the bars let out,” said Jan Hardesty, who lives on the block. “Expanding the parking area without making any concessions to the neighbors about patrolling the lot is just wrong.”

She also expressed concern about surface runoff from the paved lot. “The rubble was at least permeable,” she said. “With the asphalt and the sloping grade, increased amounts of storm water will run right into Charles Street and into storm drains.”

An architect who works nearby said that appropriate lighting and landscaping was also necessary if the property were to be used as a surface parking lot.

According to the housing department’s web site, the contractors, PMI Parking and American Striping, did not have a permit when the city inspector came to the site.

The inspector immediately halted work until the contractors get a permit for the work. The inspector has checked back twice to see if any work has resumed, according to the web site.

According to Tania Baker, a housing spokesperson, the contractor needs to obtain a permit to continue work.

“There would be a $1,000 penalty surcharge for working without a permit, which would be paid at the time of getting the permit,” she said. “If a permit cannot be obtained, the contractor would need to revert the property back to its original condition, assuming it was code compliant before.”

Laurie Feinberg, deputy director of the Planning Department, added that a “non-accessory” parking lot at this location would also require a City Council ordinance and CHAP approval.

Didn’t Think Permit Was Needed

A representative for Fourth Gould, Joel Charrington, said the problem is being addressed. “There was a misunderstanding about a permit,” he said. “It’s being resolved.”

Charrington said he was not the one applying for the permit. “Someone else is seeking the permit.”

That turned out to be Mike Green, of Grady Environmental Services in College Park, who was hired by PMI Parking to pave the land.

In an interview, Green said he didn’t think he needed a permit because the rear of the Chambers property already had surface parking. “I didn’t think there would a problem with paving the whole lot,” he said.

Green said the permit application requires a site plan, which he is preparing, and that he most likely will take his application to the city’s permits section next week.

Back in 2011, Gould representatives presented plans for a three-story office and retail building at the northwest corner of Charles and Eager streets, which is currently a PMI parking lot.

Construction never moved ahead.

Earlier this year, Charrington said that Gould would likely consolidate the corner property and the Chambers site to create one development parcel. The land is zoned for commercial development, which could include offices, housing, stores or a combination.

Since then, the developer had not made public any plans for a project on the combined lot. Charrington said this week that he didn’t have any new information about the project.