The Carver Coalition Demands Answers on the Bus Depot and Gets

A big turnout at their meeting tonight. A lot of emotion.   A lot of politicals.

But did they get anything else?

Maybe, maybe not.

Kumar Barve spoke on behalf of the District's State Representatives.  The four reps, Delegate Barve, with Del. Gilchrist and Del. Platt, and presumably Senator Kagan, are writing the County Council to let them know that they are opposed to the plan to relocate the MCPS bus depot partially to Carver.  Barve, Glichrist, and Kagan were in attendance tonight.I say presumable to Kagan because she sent a letter to many homes last weekend saying that the matter was no longer "urgent,"  She then posted on her website (how many read her website?) that she made a mistake and was misinformed.  Lets hope that the District 17 reps don't make another mistake.  But do they have any say in the matter?

The County Council was also represented - by Councilmembers Sid Katz, Marc Elrich, and George Leventhal, who stated that they are opposed to the Carver site as a bus parking lot.  According to Leventhal, the numbers don't add up, and he doesn't see any urgency to relocate the buses.

Rockville Mayor Bridget Newton also stated that the City of Rockville is opposed to locating the bus depot at Carver.  She was accompanied by Councilmembers Julie Carr and Mark Pierzchala.  Mayor Newton also asked that the deciding powers NOT pit Rockville neighbors against each other.  Good for Mayor Newton.  Rockville residents successfully fought off relocating the site on Avery Road, and are now told that the remaining buses that don't fit on the Carver site will be relocated to the Lincoln Park neighborhood - on the other side of the Red Line Railroad tracks.

And then the Board of Education spoke up - Phil Kaufman, accompanied by Rebecca Smondrowski and Jill Orman-Fouse, also are apparently in opposition to the relocation of the bus depot to Carver.  But what will they do with 100 buses if the County Council orders them off the property - maybe not on January 1, but some other future date when they don't have a plan?

So - who gets the deciding vote?  Why hasn't anyone offered a resolution to stop this circus?  How will these elected officials really vote - we know the County Council unanimously voted a few days ago to give MCPS money for preliminary studies.  We also know that despite all the mandatory referrals and other procedural nice things said in public, when push comes to shove, MCPS ignores the City of Rockville (as folks from Wootton and RM Clusters well know). Why study if this is dead in the water?  Why vote for the funding if you think this is a bad idea?

Bigger question.  How did we get here?  Remember, a developer wants the current bus depot site, so MCPS has to relocate 450 buses to another location.  Why are we still giving public land to developers?  We know here in MoCo our kids are educated in "learning cottages" - and now our buses need to find a new home too, because some developer has decided that housing is the way to go.

How 'bout some portapotties with those buses?

For those of you who thought that our previous post about the buses that will be parked on the Carver school site was not your concern, think again.

Apparently, while MCPS has to move 400 buses to make way for Bob Youngentrob's housing development on Crabbs Branch Way, you've got to see the plans!  Toilets!  Gas Tanks!  A hazardous waste site - and that's only the plan for 100 of these buses.   Bob doesn't care - his kids went to private schools and should be driving their own cars!

Here is additional information from the neighborhood group:

Worse Than We Knew: Fuel Tanks, Portable Trailers and Bathrooms

For those of you not able to have attended our neighborhood meeting last night, here is a summary.

First, the most troubling news. In response to our requests, MCPS provided the City with a project scope summary. If you’re not upset enough at this, please consider the following: In addition to 100 buses and chain link fencing, they are planning above-ground diesel storage tanks for fueling, three portable trailers and enough standalone portable toilet facilities to accommodate drivers and bus attendants. Construction is slated to begin in September.

Nowhere in any of the previous memoranda and other documentation was there any talk about above-ground fuel tanks and trailers and a row of portable toilets. So if you were not upset enough at the prospect of 100 buses and their noise and fumes parked and then traversing the neighborhood, now it has grown into a fueling station and trailer and toilet facility.

Once there, the buses and tanks will be there for a long time if not permanently. Barbed wire and night lighting can’t be far behind. Please join us in stopping this from going forward. Volunteers are needed to collect signatures, email officials, appear/testify at meetings and conduct research, among other activities. 

To volunteer, contact KJKarton@msn.com.

Proposed Next Community Meeting: Tuesday April 19th at 7 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 100 Welsh Park Drive, Rockville

Why do they need port-a-potties?  Can't the folks at Carver share with their fellow MCPS staffers or are they too high brow to share with bus drivers?

Same for the portable trailers/  Can't MCPS find a a few rooms in Carver for our dedicated bus drivers and attendants?

What about the other 300 buses?  Do the sites for these buses also require portapotties, trailers, and fencing?  Did MCPS share this with the neighbors?

Has anyone contact the hazardous materials folks?  Seems as if we have a violation or two or three.

And finally, where are all those MCCPTA folks supposed to park when they lose their spots?  Not to mention the folks who actually work at Carver?   Judy Docca and Pat O'Neill - you better start training for a really long walk when the bus drivers take over the Carver parking lot.