FSR letter regarding DSAI

May 19, 2025

Jennifer J. Mielke, Director

Baltimore City Government & Community Affairs

Government, Community & Economic Partnerships

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine

Dear Jennifer,

We thank you and JHU Facilities for the May 8th presentation and discussion with Friends of Stony Run (FSR) board representatives regarding design and construction of the JHU Data Science and AI Institute (DSAI) overlooking the Stony Run. We appreciate this spirit of open dialogue as we perform our due diligence with respect to the mission of our all-volunteer stewardship group: to preserve and improve the public natural resources of the Stony Run stream valley.

In our meeting, FSR expressed our concerns about potential adverse impacts to the Stony Run stream (stormflow, erosion, sedimentation), to the extensive forest conservation slope area between the construction site and the Stony Run stream, and to all forms of wildlife and stream habitat. We also raised questions about impacts on the urban tree canopy, including the trees along Remington. You addressed our immediate concerns with a detailed level of design documentation and clarification.

We are highly encouraged by JHU’s retention of third-party contractors to monitor conditions and the hiring of environmental consultant Steward Green, Bridgewater, NJ, for four years to monitor the stream and woodlands and collaborate with FSR naturalists. We see a tremendous opportunity for FSR to be an active partner throughout the process and would like to schedule regular update meetings with you and the environmental consultants to express immediate and long-term concerns.

FSR has also been party to many neighborhood-level discussions around DSAI and the important concerns raised by Remington residents. While FSR’s concerns rest primarily with protection of the Stony Run watershed, we respectfully request that all reasonable transparency and assistance be afforded neighbors throughout the construction process.

Thanks again for the productive dialogue. We look forward to FSR’s continuing involvement and partnership with JHU on protecting and preserving Stony Run, advancing improved standard of development for the corridor, and extending JHU’s world-renowned environmental science legacy.

Sincerely,

James D. Wolf, President

Friends of Stony Run

jamesdwolf@gmail.com