Neighborhood Institute Workshop Spotlight – Ensure Equitable Development

As an active community member, it can be difficult to negotiate with large businesses and property owners. Kelly Pfeifer of the Community Law Center will share some of the legal tools available to residents, such as Community Benefits Agreements, that help promote more equitable neighborhood development.

Tell us about your background and why you chose to lead this particular workshop?

I am the Supervising Attorney at Community Law Center, a nonprofit public interest law firm that provides legal representation to Baltimore’s community associations and nonprofits. My work focuses on assisting community organizations with concerns about development in their neighborhoods, ranging from representation at zoning hearings to negotiating community benefits agreements. I believe CBAs are underutilized tools and would love to see more of them come to fruition, empowering Baltimore’s communities along the way.

What do you hope participants will gain from attending your workshop? What actions will they be more prepared to take?

Participants will learn about equitable development and community benefits agreements. Specifically, participants will learn what CBAs are, how they are negotiated, what terms they should include, how communities should engage developers in talks about CBAs, and how to build coalitions for the purpose of entering into CBAs. Participants will be prepared to build CBA coalitions and know how to take steps toward implementing CBAs in their neighborhoods.

Why do you love most about living in Baltimore?

I love that Baltimore is a city of diverse and varied neighborhoods.

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