Homeowners who live within the Mount Royal Terrace Historic District and/or Reservoir Hill are required by law to obtain approval from Baltimore City’s Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP) prior to making certain exterior improvements, or when seeking the state’s historic revitalization tax credit. See all the FAQs here.

The first step in the CHAP permitting process is to apply for an Authorization to Proceed, which requires approval from the city’s Historic Preservation Planner for our neighborhood. As of 2023, that is Lauren Schiszik. See a further list of CHAP staff here: https://chap.baltimorecity.gov/staff.

As a neighborhood association, we’re able to advise our membership from our collective knowledge and experience. Every aspect of restoring and maintaining these wonderful, fragile historic homes–from plastering and repointing to sourcing custom millwork in stone or wood–is complicated and strictly regulated, but in all honesty, it’s pretty fun, too. Friendships in this neighborhood grow from trips to the hardware store, borrowed ladders, and conversations about caulk.

The HMRTA can aid in the writing of your CHAP application, help you to understand the Historic Preservation Guidelines as they apply to the Mount Royal Historic District, and provide written commentary. As the Baltimore City’s CHAP site explains, “Neighborhood associations play an advisory role in the review process by reviewing applications regarding exterior changes and providing written comments. Only the Commission and the CHAP staff can approve any applications. It is not necessary for an applicant to obtain approval from the neighborhood association in order to move forward with the CHAP Design Review process. The neighborhood association should apply the Design Guidelines to applications it reviews. Representatives of the neighborhood association are also encouraged to testify at public hearings.”

Again: Only the Commission and the CHAP staff can approve any applications. As of 2024, there are no longer ANY neighborhood-level “CHAP Reps” in the city of Baltimore who are not full-time employees of the city. The board members and officers of the Historic Mount Royal Terrace Association, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, are listed on our homepage, at mountroyalterrace.org.

We’re here to help, not to hinder. For CHAP assistance in the Mount Royal Terrace Historic District, fill out the form at the bottom of this page.

The specific boundaries of the Mount Royal Terrace Historic District are below. Properties within the blue lines are subject to Baltimore City Historic District Ordinances 62 6/11/76; 59 5/14/84; 705 5/13/91, and are certified for Tax Incentives 6/9/80.

CHAP
417 E. Fayette St., 8th floor
Baltimore, MD 21202
410-396-4866
Fax: 410-396-5662

Baltimore City Permits Office
417 E. Fayette St., Rm 100
Baltimore, MD 21202
410-396-3360