On a previous post announcing the 6 surprise retaining walls planned for the McKenney Hills Elementary School site the Parents' Coalition received an anonymous tip that said,
"MCPS was also not transparent in sharing its plans with the community to install the large retaining walls as part of the Key MS modernization. However, at Key there was a second issue of transparency: the reason for the retaining walls.
At Key MCPS did not disclose its plan to make an extreme change in the school’s elevation and how this would impact the surrounding residents. Is this the case with the other MCPS schools that are getting retaining walls, too?"
Here are pictures of the retaining walls at Francis Scott Key Middle School in Silver Spring. And what incredible retaining walls these are!
Take a good look at these walls at Key Middle School. This is what MCPS is now doing at school sites as the buildings are modernized. In addition to Key Middle School communities are seeing these massive retaining walls at Parkland Middle School, Cabin John Middle School, and in the plans for the McKenney Hills Elementary School. 
What in the world do you folks have against retaining walls? Your fight against them is as if they are some sort of blight on the community. Are they bringing your property values down or something? I understand MCPS should be upfront about them, and they aren't. But I imagine they're using them because they need to to do the changes and modernazations that are required.
ReplyDelete@ Anonymous
ReplyDeleteBy "you folks" are you referring to the Key Middle School person who wrote to us about the walls above, or the Cabin John Middle School community who were surprised by a 14 foot retaining wall running along the front of the new school?
Maybe you are referring to the McKenney Hills community who have no idea there are 7 (Seven) retaining walls coming to their neighborhood?
The question posed by anonymous was not answered in the reply, so I'll ask it again, phrased slightly differently so there won't be a diatribe about choice of words, thus obfuscating the original question.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the problem with retaining walls?
1. Liability - attractive nuisance-students jumping/falling off
ReplyDelete2. Maintenance - don't last/must be replaced and repaired
3. Safety - provide cover/provide hangout
4. Graffiti - visual and cleaning expense
@ anonymous
ReplyDeleteSince you work for MCPS why don't you meet with the Cabin John MS community and listen to their concerns directly?
Actually, what would be great is if the Superintendent sat down and met with that community and all of the other communities now getting extensive Retaining Walls as part of their local school's modernization project.
Montgomery County residents actually have to apply for a permit to put a Retaining Wall in their front yards. Why should the process for MCPS be any different?
A possible solution may be to look at Living Retaining Walls by a landscape company in Maryland called Creative Land Design,Inc.
ReplyDeleteThese environmental retaining wall systems are aesthetically spectacular, and are designed to blend into the landscape.
They are constructed with native boulders and plants, promote transpiration, recharge ground water, and include nutrient uptake etc.
100% natural! A must See!
Video of Living Retaining Walls in Maryland
It looks like prison walls, next they will be fed Soylent Green.
ReplyDeleteEven MCPS doesn't like Retaining Walls...
ReplyDelete"The MCPS was concerned that if the trail were to pass immediately behind the school, it would require a high retaining wall that would badly impact the school."
http://www.silverspringtrails.org/?p=937