LIVE ENTERTAINMENT and Dangerously Delicious Pies

November 30, 2006

In the last couple of days, Federal Hill Main Street has received a number of emails written on behalf of Dangerously Delicious Pies in protest of the prohibition against live music.  We are very pleased to see people become so passionate about the Federal Hill business district, and we thank everyone for taking the time to write.  We understand and respect the opinions of Dangerously Delicious Pies’ customers.  In this case, however, the protest effort is entirely misdirected. 

Live entertainment is illegal in Federal Hill.  It is prohibited by the Baltimore City Zoning Code.  Federal Hill Main Street would like to see that Code changed to allow for limited live entertainment in Federal Hill – precisely the kind of experience that was offered by Dangerously Delicious Pies.  And among the many other things that Federal Hill Main Street does, it is working with Baltimore City in the hopes of eventually changing that law.  The Planning Department on its own has, in the past, proposed changing the law to allow for “limited live entertainment.”  So far, however, the residents of Federal Hill have turned out to testify against changing the law and have managed to stop the process every time.  Nevertheless, Federal Hill Main Street continues to work with all of the players at the table – businesses, residents and government agencies – to find a workable solution.  

Change is a slow process, however, and in the meantime, all of the bars and restaurants in Federal Hill are prohibited by law from having live entertainment.  They comply with that law, even though they would rather not. Those businesses object when one merchant among them has illegal live entertainment, while they, as law-abiding business owners, cannot.  The objections do not come from the residents alone.

Note:  Several people asked how the 8x10 Club could have live music if none of the other businesses in Federal Hill were permitted.  When the Zoning Code was changed to what it is today, (and I don’t know when that happened – it was before Main Street came to the neighborhood), the 8x10 Club already had a license for live entertainment, therefore, they were “grandfathered in.”  They were the only establishment in Federal Hill that had an existing license at the time, as a result, they are now the only establishment “grandfathered in” and allowed to have live music in Federal Hill now.   

Federal Hill Main Street is not an enforcement authority and cannot do anything about the situation, one way or the other.  However, we have received many complaints from residents and business owners, not so much about the live music at Dangerously Delicious Pies, but about the fact that they are breaking the law by having live music and actually advertising the fact in their store window.  Representing Federal Hill Main Street, I have had one conversation with the owners of Dangerously Delicious Pies about live entertainment, and that was over a month ago.  We simply wanted to advise them that live entertainment is illegal in Federal Hill; they are new here, we assumed they didn’t know.  Since then, however, they have continued to advertise live entertainment in the store window.  I believe it was one of the area neighborhood association presidents who spoke to the owners at Dangerously Delicious Pies earlier this week.  Frankly, as long as the ad stays in the window and the illegal behavior continues, I expect the objections from neighborhood associations and other businesses will continue as well.

Federal Hill Main Street would like to see limited live entertainment in Federal Hill.  But we will only go about trying to make that happen through appropriate legal channels.  Unfortunately, when a neighborhood business knowingly violates the current law and advertises that fact, they will most certainly hurt any legal effort to change the law and bring live entertainment to Federal Hill, not help it. 

Federal Hill Main Street is § 501(c)(3) nonprofit business revitalization program.  We are primarily a volunteer organization.  Hundreds of volunteers have put in thousands of hours to improve the Federal Hill business district over the last six years.  In that time, over 70 new businesses have opened and stayed open in Federal Hill; with our help, over 40 building facades were improved, (including the building that houses Dangerously Delicious Pies).  We have installed 40 pedestrian streetlights, rehabbed the Rec. Center Park, expanded the historic district, and much, much more.  We also work very hard to promote all of the businesses in Federal Hill, including Dangerously Delicious Pies, which we consider to be an asset to the neighborhood.

Please explore our website, read more about Federal Hill Main Street, and see our latest newsletter, (which includes an announcement of the opening of Dangerously Delicious Pies). 

If you really want Federal Hill to be a unique and entertaining business district that meets the community's needs, we invite you to work with Federal Hill Main Street to bring about change in a legal, effective and positive way.  

Thank you.

  Sincerely,

 



Bonnie Crockett
Executive Director