2006 Meetings
December 12, 2006 Meeting
Summary of the December 12, 2006 Meeting
Posted by Art Brodsky, 12/18/2006
Note: This is an informal summary and does not substitute for the official minutes.
The GOCA meeting got an up-close view of how the dynamics of the County Council are likely to play out over the next four years. Our current representative, Mike Knapp, came by and, later, newly elected At-large Councilman Marc Elrich. Their views on development were strikingly different.
One topic of discussion was the proposal by Council President Marilyn Praisner for a moratorium on construction while the Council re-evaluates the Annual Growth Policy. Council review will be speeded up by a couple of months.
Knapp was non-committal on the idea, saying it was "too early to make a judgment." He said his staff was evaluating the idea, but with many projects in the pipeline, it was unclear what effect a moratorium would have.
Elrich, however, had just the opposite view. He noted that the development community acted "as if the sky was falling." But such a moratorium, which the Council hasn't yet approved, would only be "a pause" and the industry could continue to go forward with 23,000 housing units and 20 million sq. ft. of office space already approved, Elrich said. There will be a Jan. 16 hearing on the proposal. Elrich said he wasn't elected to carry out the rules of past Councils and is looking for change. He said he would "gladly reopen" the Olney Master Plan as long as construction on approved projects hasn't started. Elrich, a veteran civic activist from Takoma Park, said he will be very "hands-on" in planning matters, as he has been for years.
On other issues, Knapp said he will be chairman of the Education Committee, and plans to keep close tabs on the School Board and its $2 billion budget proposal than the Council has kept in the past. Knapp said he plans for a "more transparent" school evaluation process to look at how well the School Board was implementing its policies.
Knapp also announced that the Montgomery County Police Department will contribute $10,000 for the purchase of the satellite station in the Giant Food parking lot.
November 14, 2006 Meeting
Summary of the November 14, 2006 Meeting
Posted by Art Brodsky, 11/20/2006
Note: This is an informal summary and does not substitute for the official minutes.
Bill Roberts from developers Miller & Smith presented a "very preliminary" plan for 18 townhomes to be located on 13 acres near the intersection of Georgia Ave. and Owens Road.
Several residents of Manor Oaks who attended the meeting had questions about the development, and said they were concerned about the density of this project at a time when development to the north of Manor Oaks was also going on. The plan has not yet been shown to the Planning Department, and Roberts said many components of the plan will be filled in, including traffic studies and storm water management.
Manor Oaks residents were also concerned that the development was planned as two separate groups of town houses. Roberts said the split was necessary to preserve greenspace and to make sure the project fit under the cap for impervious surfaces.
Also at the meeting, Art Brodsky reported that the lawsuit filed by David Troutner against Park and Planning over the language of an easement in the Pulte development on Route 108 may be settled out of court. Lawyers from Park and Planning are speaking with developers to reach a settlement so the green space in the development will remain open. GOCA is a party to the lawsuit.
October 10, 2006 Meeting
Summary of the October 10, 2006 Meeting
Posted by Art Brodsky, 10/16/2006
Note: This is an informal summary and does not substitute for the official minutes.
There appears to be a growing dispute between the County Council and the Planning Board, with GOCA in the middle. At the October meeting, GOCA Pres. John Lyons explained that we had at first thought that our participation in a lawsuit concerning the disposition of green space on the Pulte property on Route 108 would only deal with that one site, because the Council passed a Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) changing the rules governing transfer of land.
However, in court papers the Planning Board said that it didn't have to abide by the ZTA because, in the Board's opinion, the state law creating the Board trumped the County's action. Lyons said at this point GOCA should consider withdrawing from the suit, to prevent a judge from ruling in favor of the Planning Board.
In other activity, GOCA delegates unanimously voted not to support the Olney Shopping Center's design for a new sign at the southwest corner of Georgia Ave. and Route 108. The sign would replace the old, rusted pylon. GOCA members said that the other three corners of the intersection are used for community purposes, and that the shopping center sign design did not.
Also at the meeting, the Police Department's new 4th District commander, Nancy Demme, spoke briefly. In her "second day and 20th hour" on the job, Demme said she was working with traffic engineers and her officers to determine whether a new pattern was needed at the intersection of Georgia Ave. and Emory Lane following a recent fatal accident.
September 12, 2006 Meeting
July 11, 2006 Meeting
Summary of the July 11, 2006 Meeting
Posted by Art Brodsky, 7/17/2006
Note: This is an informal summary and does not substitute for the official minutes.
The county police and the property manager from the Olney Shopping Center will work together to try to curb the gathering of drunk individuals near the corner of Georgia Ave. and Route 108. At the July 11 meeting, Police Capt. Patricia Walker and Property Manager Patricia Sandlin said that much of the problem appears to be coming from the sale of liquor from a store in the center to men who were already drunk.
Office Dan Gunn, an Olney resident, said he has devoted much personal time and attention, in addition to his official duties, to try to alleviate the problem. GOCA representatives discussed various solutions to the problem, concluding that trimming trees at the intersection isn't an answer, because the trees are trimmed sufficiently high not to obscure the drinking activity, and because much of the activity takes place during daylight.
Walker said her department can ask the liquor store owner not to sell single beer containers, an approach that has worked elsewhere. She also said it's against the law for shop keepers to sell to "habitual drunkards."
In other activity, GOCA Vice President Barbara Falcigno and GOCA Pres. John Lyons reported on the apparent change of heart by the Washington Sewer and Sanitary Commission (WSSC) to development on the Hyde property near Good Counsel. When once the agency was opposed to using grinder pumps on the site to connect home sewers to the line served by Good Counsel, the agency has apparently had a change of heart. Lyons said the community "got outfoxed" by the developers who "didn't put their cards on the table" and were planning to have the property served with a sewer all along, even though they didn't admit it publicly. The Planning Board has deferred a decision on the sewer category change.
Also, Lyons criticized the rather large sign at the 6-12 property, saying it was "extraordinarily aggressive and intrusive." The sign is for County Councilman Mike Knapp's re-election campaign. And Victoria Springs delegate Veronica Everett said the shopping center near her development at the Silo Inn site "seems more massive" than it did on the plans her community approved. "No one is complaining, but this is a big structure," she said, adding she thought it would be set more into a berm.
June 13, 2006 Meeting
Summary of the June 13, 2006 Meeting
Posted by Art Brodsky, 6/20/2006
Note: This is an informal summary and does not substitute for the official minutes.
GOCA decided at the meeting to send letters to the Planning Board supporting Park and Planning staff analysis on two issues related to the Master Plan.
In one instance, GOCA will oppose a State Highway Administration proposal to widen Georgia Ave. to six lanes from Norbeck Road up to Old Baltimore Road. The Planning Board staff opposes the construction as contrary to the Olney Master Plan, and GOCA agrees.
The second letter, also in support of the Planning Board staff, deals with the question of how to develop the Hyde property in the Southeast Quadrant near the Our Lady of Good Counsel High School site. GOCA President John Lyons said that the Master Plan said that the sewer system shouldn't be expanded. Centex Homes, which wants to build on the property, wants to install a sewer line through either a long connection which would go through the woods, or with grinder pumps among the houses that would then connect to the sewer at Good Counsel. The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) opposes the pumps as a matter of general principle.
Development on the site would be more dense with sewers, allowing perhaps 20-30 homes, than if it stayed on well and septic, which could support six or seven. Also at issue is the attempt by developers to transfer density development rights from the Good Counsel site to the residential area. The Hyde property is one of seven projects along Batchellor's Forest Road, Bob Tworkowski of SEROCA reported.
Also at the meeting, Paula and Danny Sayag presented their plans for an 8,500-ft. strip center on Hillcrest Ave. behind the shopping center. The center will host a hair salon, which the Sayags will own, and other commercial tenants. GOCA decided to support Aunt Hattie's House, a foster home for young men, that will be located on Norbeck Road. Dr. Hattie Washington, the founder of the program, discussed details with GOCA.
An agreement has been worked out so that the State Highway Administration will build berms on Brooke Manor's property to shield the development form the ICC. An alternative would have been to acquire property through condemnation. The neighborhood and SHA worked out the agreement in a meeting held at the Buffington Building.
Danny Benn reported that the Olney community raised $267,0000 in its Relay for Life event.
May 9, 2006 Meeting
Summary of the May 9, 2006 Meeting
Posted by Art Brodsky, 5/15/2006
Note: This is an informal summary and does not substitute for the official minutes.
At its May 9 meeting, GOCA heard from the last three applicants to build projects on the 32 acres on Bowie Mill Road. We heard from Winchester Development and Jeff Kirby in April. The May meeting featured presentations from Porten Development, Mid-City Urban LLC Development and Montgomery Housing Partnership.
In general, all five proposals have some design elements in common. All have large, single-family homes around the edge of the site to blend in with the existing neighborhood. They also have more dense development in the interior of the site.
They are also very close on the number of total units, and number of subsidized units, in each project. Here's a brief comparison. Porten and Mid-City each plan for 118 units; Montgomery Housing Partnership and Kirby Development for 117, and Winchester for 108. Of those totals, Porten and Montgomery Housing each plan 74 subsidized units -- 50 workforce, 24 MPDU. Mid-City plans for 71 -- 47 workforce and 24 MPDU. Kirby plans for 69 -- 48 and 21, and Winchester for 65 total. They didn't specify the distribution, but the math works out to 43 workforce and 22 MPDU.
There are also differences in details of each unit, including lot size and the size of the homes. But the presenters also took pains to distinguish themselves from the others by other characteristics. Kirby's project has two gyms for recreational use. The gym, under current plan, would be administered by Olney Boys and Girls Club. Mid-City pitched its programs to come up with innovative financing plans to make the units affordable. Montgomery Housing said its contribution would to have a long-term commitment to the community by sponsoring computer programs, literacy classes and counseling.
GOCA President John Lyons noted that GOCA is not going to endorse any particular project.
Also discussed at the meeting: 1) Although the state may build the ICC underpass, it now appears that said underpass will be more shallow than previously thought, raising the potential noise levels and lowering the relief from traffic. 2) GOCA will write a letter to Kirby about his senior development north of Georgia Ave. There is considerable parking on Georgia Ave. at the site, despite Kirby's promises that there would be adequate parking.
April 11, 2006 Meeting
Summary of the April 11, 2006 Meeting
Posted by Art Brodsky, 4/16/2006
Note: This is an informal summary and does not substitute for the official minutes.
The 32-acres on Bowie Mill road would be built up with more than 100 homes which could sell in the $1 million range, according to two of the bidders for the site who gave presentations at the April 11 meeting. Five companies put in bids.
Jim Long, land acquisition manager for Winchester homes, said his proposal included 108 homes, with 38 single-family homes and 70 clustered townhouses. If sold today, the single-family homes would sell for $700,000-$800,000 and the townhomes sold on the open market would be between $400,000 and $500,000. However, any sales would be about three years away.
Winchester would shift some of the moderately priced townhomes from its site on Bowie Mill Road to land it also owns at the corner of Georgia Ave. and Norbeck Road, so that a higher percentage of the MPDUs would be at that site in the form of townhouses or "two over two" buildings.
Jeff Kirby, another bidder for the site, said he planned 117 units of housing as well as a recreation facility. The Olney Boys and Girls Club is working with Kirby on his plan. Kirby said the single-family homes under his plan could cost about $900,000, while the market-rate townhomes would be about $600,000.
The recreational facility would be about 25,000 sq. ft., including 2 gyms, some lockers and meeting space.
Also at the meeting, Montgomery General Hospital Pres. Peter Monge detailed some of the expansion plans for the hospital, including relocating and enlarging the emergency medical department. State Del. Herman Taylor (D) gave a wrap-up of the just-concluded legislative session.
March 14, 2006 Meeting
Summary of the March 14, 2006 Meeting
Posted by Art Brodsky, 3/19/2006
Note: This is an informal summary and does not substitute for the official minutes.
GOCA at its March 14 meeting voted to join a legal action challenging a Planning Board order approving a preliminary plan for the Reserve at Fair Hill Farm.
At issue is whether the order properly characterized the use of open space on the development, which would use the new Rural Neighborhood Cluster (RNC) zone. Our understanding is that the cluster development was supposed to allow for greater density in return for leaving the open land alone, however the Park and Planning order was somewhat ambiguous whether the land would be left as open space or could be used as park land, which could then at some point be used for another purpose.
There was a lively debate over a resolution from Barbara Falcigno that GOCA join the legal challenge filed by David Troutner to the order. Barbara and others argued that the land should be left open in perpetuity because that was the agreement made with the county in exchange for higher density. Brenda Egeland and Dave Eskenazi argued that Park and Planning should have future flexibility to use the land.
GOCA voted 14-2 with one abstention to become a party to the legal action. The resolution as amended reads: "Whereas the Upper Rock Creek and Olney Master Plans have numerous properties zoned RNC and whereas GOCA believes the open space required in the RNC zone must be left open as open space in perpetuity and held under a conservation easement; Be it resolved that GOCA join the petition of David Troutner for the judicial review of the Montgomery County Planning Board opinion on preliminary plan 1-04110, the Reserve at Fair Hill.
Also at the meeting, GOCA approved a motion from Susan Petrocci supporting County Council legislation that would place a six to nine-month moratorium on the use of sand mounds in the Agriculture Reserve. The motion called for a letter to be sent to the Council, and that was subsequently done.
Art Brodsky noted that the membership forms for 2006 have been posted to the Web site, and that no one at the meeting had yet downloaded them. he suggested they do so.
February 21, 2006 Meeting
Summary of February 21, 2006 Meeting
Posted by Art Brodsky, 1/15/2006
Note: This is an informal summary and does not substitute for the official minutes.
The winners of the annual GOCA awards were announced at the meeting. Barbara Falcigno is the Citizen of the Year. John Kramer and Anthony Watkins share Contributions to the Community award jointly along with Terri Hogan and Kelsey Rood. Bob Gill will receive the Heritage Award. Art Brodsky is the GOCA worker of the year. The awards will be presented at the March 5 ceremony at Longwood.
There was also discussion of the development near the Oak Grove neighborhood in the Marian Brothers property. The developers want to share a stormwater management pond that would serve new homes with an existing one. Jon Morrison from Oak Grove said the arrangement has been discussed for a number of months, and the homeowner association hasn't yet taken a position on it yet.
John Lyons reported that the first meeting of the Town Center Advisory Committee, established by the Planning Board staff, is expected to take place on March 7. John will be GOCA's representative.
Elections for 2006 were also held, with the non-surprising, unanimous results: John Lyons re-elected as president; Art Brodsky, continuing at exec. vp; Barbara Falcigno will be the new first vp, replacing Susan Petrocci; Jay Feinberg will be the second vp; Roy Peck will continue as treasurer; Jackie Benn will be corresponding secretary and Danny Benn will be recording secretary
January 10, 2006 Meeting
Summary of January 10, 2006 Meeting
Posted by Art Brodsky, 1/15/2006
Note: This is an informal summary and does not substitute for the official minutes.
It is rare that the concept of "cosmic irony" is linked to GOCA, but that's what happened at the January meeting.
Much of the meeting was taken up by a presentation by Planning Board Chairman Derick Berlage, who promised that the Planning Board would tighten up its procedures in the wake of the Clarksburg scandals. "We will need to sweat the details on every project," he said. Among the capabilities he listed for improvement was the need to "better hone community outreach skills."
GOCA President John Lyons noted that while our relationship with the community planning department is good, "outreach at the critical stage of development review is non-existent. It's like night and day." Berlage agreed that the Planning Board had done a poor job of publicizing the crucial review meetings, at which developers meet with agency representative while keeping better records and allowing for more transparency.
Later in the meeting, Corresponding Secretary Jay Feingold noted he had received plans for the new Norbeck Crossing development that would contain more than 300 homes. The irony appeared when it turned out the development review meeting was on Jan. 9, the day before the GOCA meeting, and no one knew about it.
During his presentation, Berlage rejected the idea that the Clarksburg scandal was caused by a cozy relationship between developers and planning staff. It may have been "overwork and incompetence," but not corruption, he said.
Also at the meeting: (1) Ike Leggett, candidate for county executive, addressed the group, outlining his views on a variety of issues. (2) Lyons noted that the Sandy Spring Master Plan has as its goal to maintain the rural character of Ashton, which appeared to be in contrast to the proposed 97,000 sq. ft. development at New Hampshire Ave. and Route 108. (3) Art Brodsky announced dates for the Olney-centered candidate forums. The Council District 2 forum will be May 11 at Sandy Spring Museum. The Council District 4 forum will be May 18 at the Buffington building. The County Executive forum will be May 24 at the Buffington building (a change from the date announced at the meeting.)