FIB #2: Interim Superintendent says Cell Tower Lease would not impact long term planning of school site. But it already has!

On August 24, 2021, the Montgomery County Board of Education will be presented with a Memorandum from Monifa B. McKnight, Interim Superintendent of Schools. The Memorandum starts out with a fib and continues on to end with a fib:

WHEREAS, Staff in the Department of Facilities Management believe a new telecommunication lease with SBA Communications Corporation, under specific renewal terms, would not impact the current use or long-term planning of the Woodwards Road future school site;

We know that "WHEREAS" paragraph is false because the use of this empty future elementary school site as a cell tower compound has already prevented the land from being used for an elementary school at least three times.  

Here is one example from 2011:  The cell tower leases took priority over the classroom needs of Montgomery County Public School students and caused the Woodwards Road Future School site to be passed over as the location for a much needed elementary school. [Cell tower compound shown in red circle in image at left. Image shows entire Woodwards Road Future School site.]

...The Woodwards Road Elementary School property would require access  from Emory Grove Road, the road frontage of which is limited. This factor could limit the number of driveway curb cuts for optimum vehicular circulation.  The site is leased to four telecommunications companies and one utility company. Further study would be needed to determine whether there would be adequate space for the existing telecommunications operations to continue operations on the site...

 https://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2011/12/cell-tower-compound-prevents-use-of.html

The cell tower leases also kept the Woodwards Road Future School site from being used for an elementary school last year.  Instead of using their existing, dedicated, paid for, elementary school site the Board of Education paid over $1 million dollars to the City of Gaithersburg to get them to tear down a neighborhood park for an elementary school.  Kelly Park is right down the road from the Woodwards Road Future School site.  

Kelley Park in the City of Gaithersburg was destroyed so that the Woodwards Road Future School site could remain a cell tower compound for the use of private companies.