Shady Grove Bus Depot Not Moving Anytime Soon

...In other words, he said, the Shady Grove Bus Depot is not moving anytime soon.
The decision to step back from relocating the buses at the Shady Grove Depot emerged during internal meetings with County Executive Ike Leggett, said Dise.
According to Dise, with the district’s incredible rate of growth there are challenges parking buses at all of the depots.
“They have significant overcrowding challenges that affect their ability to move them around,” Dise said.
He said there has been no timetable for the new study, which will look at transportation funding and infrastructure.
While the comprehensive analysis is underway, he said, the county will help MCPS anyway it can with maintenance.
Dise said he has notified several County Councilmembers about the county’s new study, as well as the chief operating officer at the school district and the county’s regional services centers, which deal directly with residents. He said no community meetings are planned at this time...

http://www.mymcmedia.org/county-to-now-study-school-bus-parking-districtwide-shady-grove-bus-depot-not-moving-anytime-soon/

Leggett Still Wants to Tear Down Entire School for School Bus Depot

Montgomery County officials are considering more than two sites for relocating hundreds of school buses from the Shady Grove bus depot but they’re only publically acknowledging two of them by name.

Department of General Services Director David Dise said there “may be interim sites” established for the buses but the County Council has asked staff to not select any sites until they decide on a permanent location for the buses, none of which will be named until they’re presented to the County Executive between late July and early September.

According to DGS Deputy Director Greg Ossont, he and other County staffers “need to do our due diligence” while considering sites under the new criteria established by the County Council.

 “We are looking at other sites right now,” said Dise, adding DGS officials have to look at the net buildable area for different sites as well as their environmental impact.

Dise and Ossont said Monday the Blair G. Ewing Center on Avery Road in Rockville and the former Oaks Landfill in Laytonsville are still both potential sites for moving up to 250 buses from the Jeremiah Park location.

“There is no one single site to accommodate all 450 buses,” said DGS Director David Dise.

He said County officials have so far considered more than 200 sites for relocating the buses but have ruled out most of them.

Rockville Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton said the lack of disclosure about other sites under consideration “speaks to the greater problem of transparency and lack thereof.”...

 http://www.thesentinel.com/mont/newsx/local/item/3836-county-considers-dividing-bus-depot-into-two

Breaking: Leggett Withdraws Request for Moving MCPS Bus Lot, Removes Carver and Westmore sites from Future Plan

From: Austin, Lisa On Behalf Of Kirkland, Bonnie
Sent: Thursday, June 23, 2016 11:49 AM
To: Floreen's Office, Councilmember <Councilmember.Floreen@montgomerycountymd.gov>
Cc: Jablow, Judy <Judy.Jablow@montgomerycountymd.gov>; Lauer, Linda <Linda.Lauer@montgomerycountymd.gov>; Pecoraro, Karen <Karen.Pecoraro@montgomerycountymd.gov>; Mihill, Amanda <Amanda.Mihill@montgomerycountymd.gov>; Drummer, Bob <Bob.Drummer@montgomerycountymd.gov>; Hamlin, Joseph <Joseph.Hamlin@montgomerycountymd.gov>; Farber, Steve <Steve.Farber@montgomerycountymd.gov>; Nurmi, Joy <Joy.Nurmi@montgomerycountymd.gov>; Lacefield, Patrick <Patrick.Lacefield@montgomerycountymd.gov>; Dise, David E. <David.Dise@montgomerycountymd.gov>; Kirkland, Bonnie <Bonnie.Kirkland@montgomerycountymd.gov>
Subject: Withdrawal of Executive Order 016-15, Disposition of County Service Park East

Dear Council President Floreen,

I am forwarding a memorandum from the County Executive relating to Withdrawal of Executive Order 016-15, Disposition of County Service Park East.  This PDF document is being forwarded to you in advance of the original, hard copy which will be delivered to Council.

Thank you,

Regards,

Lisa Austin, SEAA

Offices of the County Executive

101 Monroe Street, 2nd Floor

Rockville, MD  20850

240-777-2590

lisa.austin@montgomerycountymd.gov

2016 June 23 Leggett by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland

City of Rockville: Comprehensive Overview of MCPS Shady Grove Bus Depot Replacement Saga

The City of Rockville, City Manager has put together a comprehensive overview of the events that have occurred in the last few years concerning County Executive Ike Leggett's attempt to move the MCPS Shady Grove bus depot to make way for developers to build housing.  The City Manager's memo discusses the four most recent sites that have been proposed for some or all of the Shady Grove bus fleet and includes concerns that have been brought up by the public.

...Following completion of their presentation MCPS opened the meeting to public comment and questions. All of the speakers voiced opposition to the project and expressed several concerns related to the proposal. The following is not an exhaustive list of all concerns expressed, but is a summary of general themes presented:

• noise impacts associated with the operation of the proposed bus depot at this location, given its adjacency to residential uses;

• health concerns given the concentration of over 100 buses at a single location and resultant air quality impacts;

• traffic impacts on the intersection of Mannakee Street and MD355;

• multiple buses utilizing neighborhood streets in the vicinity of the proposed depot;

• impact upon the adjacent historic district and Carver High School building; and,

• incompatibility of the proposed bus depot with the surrounding neighborhood.

MCPS staff indicating that there would be a follow-up meeting on the subject, however no date was provided...

 https://rockmail.rockvillemd.gov/clerk/egenda.nsf/d5c6a20307650f4a852572f9004d38b8/d473390b99a92f7c85257fb1005b0778?OpenDocument

Breaking: Planning Board Staff Recommends Disapproval of 1000 Westmore Ave. as Bus Depot

On May 9, 2016, the Parents' Coalition broke the news that County Executive Ike Leggett wanted to purchase property in Rockville for use as a bus depot.  Leggett wanted the review of this land acquisition by the Montgomery County Planning department to be purely administrative. 

However, the full Planning Board will be taking up Leggett's plan in a public hearing on June 16, 2016, at 8:05 PM.

The Planning Board staff has just released their recommendation for Leggett's plan and their recommendation is that the Planning Board not approve the placement of a MCPS bus depot on Westmore Avenue in Rockville.

The Planning Board staff notes that Leggett's plan for this site has no specifics with regard to the number of buses that would be transferred to this site, nor did Leggett supply the Planning Board any site selection study or analysis. 

   Mr 20160281000 Westmore Ave Staff Report Final by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland

Rockville Nights: BOE puts Carver bus depot plans "on hold," Westmor...

Rockville Nights: BOE puts Carver bus depot plans "on hold," Westmor...: Rockville's Mayor and Council discussed highly-controversial school bus depot proposals for two residential neighborhoods in Rockville...

Now: Floreen Tells Board of Ed. to Halt Work on Carver Bus Depot

   2016 May 17 Halt Carver by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland

Council will Revisit Bus Depot Move in June

Today: Katz, Leventhal & Elrich Say Work on Carver Bus Depot Should Stop Immediately

   2016 May 13 Moving Bus Depot for Developer by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland

Breaking News: New MCPS School Bus Depot Coming To...

County Executive Ike Leggett wants the MCPS Shady Grove Bus Depot shut down and the buses moved to make way for developers LCOR and NVR to build 698 townhomes and apartments.

100 of the MCPS school buses  and 250 staff cars are to be moved to the front of the MCPS/Board of Education building at 850 Hungerford Drive in Rockville.

The other 300 school buses and 450 staff cars are to be moved to another location.  But, County Executive Ike Leggett and the Montgomery County Council do not want to tell you about that other location.

County Executive Ike Leggett and the County Council do not want the Planning Board to do a full public review of the location for the 300 school buses and 450 staff cars.

Instead, they want the other location to be approved by Planning Board Chair Casey Anderson through an "administrative mandatory referral review."  See the screenshot on the left for the first paragraph of the letter that County Executive Ike Leggett's staff has sent to Planning Board Chair Casey Anderson.

Below is a description of the type of properties that are to be considered for "administrative" review by the Planning Board staff.

Look at the list of things that qualify a property for "administrative" review and allow it to SKIP the full, public Mandatory Referral process before the full Planning Board.

Do you think a BUS DEPOT proposal should be allowed to SKIP a FULL TRAFFIC STUDY? Would you want 300 school buses and 450 staff cars dumped in your neighborhood without a review of the impact those 300 school buses and 450 staff cars would have on the roads you use every day? 

http://www.montgomeryplanningboard.org/agenda/2011/documents/20110915_Mand_Ref_Revised_Process_Guidelines_000.pdf

Do you think that a bus depot that looks like this will have a significant impact on traffic if it moves to a new location?  

MCPS Transportation Website

County Executive Ike Leggett does not think so.  He says that a new site for these buses can SKIP the full traffic study.  

That will be some surprise for the new neighbors and surrounding community! 

The Saga of the Bus Parking Lot at Carver Educational Center continues

The folks fighting the partial relocation of the Shady Grove School Bus Lot to Carver Educational Center are meeting with MCPS this Wednesday, May 11, 2016, at College Gardens Elementary School.

Find out the real scoop on what is happening from those who are most impacted.  Who knows, maybe your neighborhood is next.

BOE Shuts Down Mont. College Parking Lot, Finds $1.7 Million to Temporarily Park 100 Buses

Fortunately, money grows on trees here in Montgomery County!

Unable to find a permanent solution for County Executive Ike Legget's plan to boot 400 school buses from the MCPS Shady Grove Bus Depot, the Board of Education will temporarily park 100 of the buses at 850 Hungerford Drive in the parking lot that is currently used by Montgomery College.

For Montgomery College students, that's Lot 13.

Developers NVR and LCOR want the land the MCPS buses are currently using, so the buses will be moved even if there is no permanent location for them.

The cost to temporarily park 100 school buses at 850 Hungerford Drive will be over $1.7 million.

Neighbors impacted by the noise shown in yellow.

That's $17,250 per school bus for a temporary parking spot.

MCPS is going to need to find at least another $5 million to pay for temporary parking for the other 300 school buses that will be booted from the Shady Grove Bus Depot.

Next, MCPS will have to find the money to pay for a permanent solution for parking the 400 school buses at the Shady Grove bus depot.

A note to the neighbors of 850 Hungerford Drive: Get ready to fill out lots of Montgomery County Noise Ordinance Complaint forms.
The MCPS school buses will be violating the Noise Ordinance. 

   FY16 Supp Approp Depot Interim Sol CESC(1) by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland

Tour the Public School Building that the BOE wants to Demolish for Bus Depot

Ewing School

Would you like to visit the Blair G. Ewing Center?
If so, now is your chance!
MCPS is arranging two tour dates so residents can see the school for themselves:

- Wednesday (tomorrow) April 29, 2015 at 2:30pm
and
- Thursday May 7, 2015 at 3:30pm

To participate, visitors need to sign in at the main entrance. The Ewing Center's address is:
14501 Avery Road
Rockville, MD 20853

Board of Education Members Refuse to Meet with Community on Bus Depot Issue

From the Save Blair Ewing community group:

We represent several communities. Our issues involves millions of dollars, serious environmental impacts, traffic and safety issues, student needs and widespread school overcrowding. We have been demanding more openness and transparency, and better decision-making.

We have been instrumental in pushing for a delay in the declaration of "no further need" for the CSP East/Jeremiah Park property, where MCPS currently parks over 400 school buses... because MCPS clearly still needs that depot on Crabbs Branch Way.

And we have been asking to meet with the Board of Education members to discuss these issues. Their response? See below:

"Dear Mr. Smilowitz,

You recently contacted the Board office requesting meetings with individual Board members to discuss issues with the use of the English Manor property and overcrowding. I regret to inform you that Board members’ tight schedules currently make it a huge challenge to arrange face-to-face meetings. I suggest that you send the Board your thoughts via email correspondence. If you send it to boe@mcpsmd.org, they will all receive your correspondence.
Again, I am sorry we cannot accommodate your request at this time.

Ikhide Roland Ikheloa
Chief of Staff-Ombudsman
Montgomery County Board of Education
301-279-3617"

Montgomery council delays decision on bus depot land disposition until after December 31st

...Some council members said Monday that they wanted more concrete plans in place before voting to say the land is no longer needed.
Councilwoman Nancy Navarro wasn’t convinced the county should give up the land without knowing the next steps for the depot’s move. She said she understood there is a larger redevelopment plan at work.
“Nonetheless, I’m also very concerned about the fact we’re trying to pursue one particular goal while compromising another very important issue that also is a policy goal of ours, which is what we do with all these buses,” she said.
A possible short-term solution involves relocating buses to multiple properties. The school system would park buses at some high school lots, the district’s Carver Educational Services Center in Rockville and the county’s Equipment Maintenance and Transit Operations Center.
Staff also are exploring an idea to park about 130 buses on leased property. Greg Ossont, deputy director of the county’s Department of General Services, said Monday that recommendations for such sites are expected soon.
James Song, director of the school system’s Department of Facilities Management, said the district has narrowed its list of high schools that could be used for parking from 10 to nine, taking Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School out of consideration.
On Monday, Councilman Sidney Katz cautioned that figuring out only an interim plan and not a permanent plan “is not going to work.”
A few possible permanent solutions are under consideration, though council staff have said these sites need to be studied to determine if they could work.
The list includes a Montgomery Village-area site on Woodfield Road that the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission owns, the county-owned Oaks Landfill in Laytonsville, the site of the county’s old animal shelter, and the school system’s Blair G. Ewing Center...

 http://www.gazette.net/article/20150401/NEWS/150409853/1261/montgomery-council-delays-decision-on-bus-depot-land-disposition&template=gazette

County still looking for a new MCPS bus depot

ROCKVILLE – As the county considers how to make room for smart growth in Shady Grove, the selected developer has not found a solution for a key part of the development: the current Montgomery County Public Schools bus depot on the site.

 http://www.thesentinel.com/mont/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=1755:county-still-looking-for-a-new-bus-depot&Itemid=766