Community calls for reconsideration of site for new Bethesda-area elementary school

...“[Grosvenor] has a history as an elementary school, and a local community that supports its reopening and reassignment of their children to Grosvenor,” Walter Johnson High School cluster coordinator Emily Beckman said.

The Grosvenor site has many benefits, primarily that it is large and is centrally located to where crowding problems are, Beckman said.

Wendy Calhoun, a former Walter Johnson cluster coordinator, highlighted that the school board has voted three times to undergo a site selection process for a new elementary school since 2016. Once, the process never started. Other times, it was never finished.

This time, Calhoun said, the school district is not listening to the community’s input...

https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/community-calls-for-reconsideration-of-site-for-new-bethesda-area-elementary-school/

Help Wanted: Home for 450 Yellow School Buses

And so the battle continues.  Where to put those 450 annoying school buses that are currently occupying prime real estate next to the Shady Grove Metro.

Answers from the developers and county politicians only answer some of the questions.  Proposals include putting some at Carver Educational Center, some more at the Westmore site right outside of the City of Rockville's boundaries, and some - scattered through the county parked at various high schools.

But really folks, we need a solution that addresses all buses - not just a few scattered here and there.

Until the good taxpayers of MoCo get an accounting to relocate ALL those Shady Grove buses, we don't really have any viable solution.

Lets be helpers.

Why not the site of the White Flint shopping center?  Right now its just an eyesore on Rockville Pike - its already commercially zoned, contains a school site, and looks like its all paved and ready to be - surprise - a PARKING LOT.

Right now, the site is tied up in litigation, between the developers - the Lerner family, and the Lord and Taylor department store.  According to  newspaper reports, Lord and Taylor is asking for more money, and the Lerners aren't happy at all.  In fact, the Lerners threaten to not go through with their $800 million development plan until all the appeals are settled and may shelve the project entirely if the courts do not rule in their favor.

So - looks as if White Flint will be tied up in litigation for years to come.

Hey Lerners - do you have room for a few hundred buses that can temporarily use your property?  Be good citizens - and help your fellow developers solve the Shady Grove bus dilemma.  After all, isn't it all developers really want to do is build?

Citizens’ association rejects proposal to build school in White Flint Neighborhood Park

http://www.gazette.net/article/20131122/NEWS/131129497/1124/citizens-x2019-association-rejects-proposal-to-build-school-in&template=gazette

Could White Flint Wegmans Be Source Of School Site Battle?

Bethesda Now: Could Wegmans, the supermarket chain long rumored for the redevelopment of White Flint Mall, be behind the quarrel over the site for a planned White Flint Elementary School?

Proposed White Flint Elementary School Meeting 7pm Nov 20

White Flint Elementary School

7:00 p.m., Wednesday, November 20

Garrett Park Elementary School

4810 Oxford Street

Kensington, MD

Planners from the Montgomery County Planning Department  will participate in a general meeting of the Garrett Park Estates/White Flint Park Citizen's Association at the Garrett Park Elementary School on Wednesday, November 20 at 7:00 p.m. Up for discussion is the  proposed White Flint elementary school on the White Flint Mall site. The meeting is open to the public.

A total of approximately 9,800 new residential units are expected as the White Flint District develops.  MCPS had estimated approximately 450 new elementary school age children, and, as follows,

The Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Division of Long-Range Planning

estimates that the 9800 residential units will generate-

- 321 High school students for Walter Johnson HS

- 380 Middle school students for Tilden MS

- 410 Elementary school students for Garrett Park ES and Luxmanor ES.

Montgomery school board lobbies for White Flint school site swap

Wants to co-locate elementary school with park

Rapid transit in Montgomery County

Rapid transit in Montgomery County: could "Bus Rapid Transit" be the answer to Montgomer County's traffic nightmares. Dr. Paula Bienenfeld and Dan Reed join us in the studio to shed some light on the proposed plan. Allison Seymour reports

But wait, there's more...

...And more development in the WJ Cluster. This time its Lerner Enterprises, and the Tower Companies owner of the White Flint Mall property, who have sent out their plans for development in the White Flint Sector (please note, now we live in 'White Flint, MD') and here it is, below. All in the WJ Cluster. So let me see, that's 339 residential units + 2459 residential units + ?? Oh my.

NOTICE OF SKETCH PLAN APPLICATION

Sketch Plan No: 320120040
Name of Plan: White Flint Mall Redevelopment
Current Zoning: Cr-4, C3.5, R2.0, H-250', CR3, C1.5, R2.5, H200' and CR1.5, C0.25, r1.5, H50'
Geographical Location: Southeast quadrant of the intersection of Executive Boulevard (extended) and Rockville Pike in White Flint, Maryland
Plan Proposed: 2,059,985 sq ft of commercial development (office and retail), 2,911,815 sq ft of residential development (approximately 2,459 residential units), 279,175 sq ft of hotel, and multi-level parking garage structures, for a total maximum density of 5,250,975 sq ft.
Date: February 15, 2012

The above-referenced Sketch Plan application has been filed with the Montgomery County Planning Board. ...You may participate in this review by sending written comments at any time to the Development Review division, M-NCPPC, 8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910-3760, or by contacting the M-NCPPC Lead Reviewer, whose name you can get by calling 301-495-4595

The Montgomery County Planning Board will also hold a public hearing on the above-referenced plan application to obtain public comment. Written notification of the public hearing date will be sent no later than ten days before the hearing.

And More Development in WJ Cluster

Hi all,
I received the following notice for development in the White Flint Sector, below. All the development will be in the WJ Cluster. I believe 'east of Woodglen' means those children will go to Garrett Park ES.
Paula Bienenfeld

Notice of Public Hearing, March 1, 2012
A hearing for the Preliminary Plan and Site Plan referenced below will be held March 1, 2012 in the Montgomery County Planning Board’s first floor auditorium at 8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring. You may testify before the Planning Board by signing up in advance at daicsearch.org/planning_board/testify.asp, by calling 301-495-4600, or by filling out the yellow form at the public hearing.

Name of Plan: North Bethesda Market IIZoning: Split Zoned CR3 C1.5 R2.5 H150 & CR4 C3.5 R3.5 H300
Acres: 4.41
Location: Located in the southeast quadrant of the intersection of Nicholson Lane and Woodglen Drive
Proposed Use: 290,282 sq ft of commercial uses and up to 382,986 sq ft of residential uses for up to 339 units, including 12.5% MPDUs; modifications from the approved Sketch Plan for this site include changes in building massing and public benefits.

The staff report will be available online via the link to the Planning Board’s Agenda at http://www.montgomeryplanningboard.org/ on Monday, Feb 20, along with an approximate time that this item will be heard, or call 301-495-4600 for more information.

For information about the staff recommendation or to offer comments on the plans, please contact Patrick Butler via email at Patrick.butler@montgomeryplanning.org or by phone at 301-495-4561 for the preliminary plan, or Joshua Sloan via email at Joshua.sloan@montgomeryplanning.org or by phone at 301-495-4597 for the site plan.

Written testimony should reference the agenda item and must be submitted at least one full business day before a scheduled hearing, i.e., by COB on the Tuesday before a scheduled Thursday hearing, may be emailed to MCP-Chair@montgomeryplanning.org or faxed to 301-495-1320.

More Development in WJ Cluster -- Planning Board Hearing Tomorrow

Hi all,
Here is the notice of public hearing for the Federal Realty plans for Mid-Pike Plaza (where Toys R Us, CVS, etc. are currently located). This is another enormous development with residential/commercial that will affect our traffic, pedestrian and bicyclist safety, schools and existing infrastructure and demands on our parks and libraries, police, etc. This is in the WJ cluster. Please take a look at the plans and see if this amount of density is appropriate for our current infrastructure and schools. While there may be an additional elementary school built eventually there are no plans for a new middle or high school. If you are concerned please write to the Planning Board today. The hearing is tomorrow, Thur, Feb 23rd.

Thanks.
Paula Bienenfeld

Name of Plan: Mid/Pike Plaza
Zoning: Split Zoned CR3 C1.5 R2.5 H200 & CR4 C3.5 R3.5 H300
Preliminary Plan No. 120120020 $& Site Plan No. 820120020
Master Plan: White Flint Sector
Location: northwest corner of the intersection of Old Georgetown Road and Rockville Pike
Acres: 24.38 acres (6.77 acres - Site Plan)

Proposed Use: Five (5) lots (2 temporary) dedication for two new roads and additional right-of-way along three perimeter roads for ultimate construction of up to 3,442,888 square feet of mixed-use development over multiple phases; phase 1 to include 605,057.5 square feet for commercial uses and 818,507.5 square feet for residential uses.

The staff report is available online via the link to the Planning Board's agenda at http://www.montgomeryplanningboard.org/ along with an approximate time that this item will be heard, or call 301-495-4600 for more information. If the approval of a final water quality plan is required, the Board will consider such plan at this public hearing.

For information about the staff recommendation or to offer comments on the plans, please contact Patric Butler via email at patrick.butler@montgomeryplanning.org, or by phone at 301-495-4561 for the preliminary plan or Joshua Sloan via email at Joshua.Sloan@montgomeryplanning.org or by phone at 301-495-4597.

This County Still Needs an Escalante Public Charter School

Last month, Jaime Escalante died.  You can find an outstanding Los Angeles Times obituary here: http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-jaime-escalante31-2010mar31,0,7083760.story.

Back in 1999, when a handful of county teachers, parents, and other concerned citizens came together to present the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) with its first charter school application, we named ourselves after Jaime Escalante.  I was the co-president of the group through two different charter applications.  And if MCPS has been wise enough, as well as brave enough to vote to open the county’s first charter, we also would have named the school after Escalante.  Why Escalante?  Because we believed that he truly challenged poor brown students not just to aim high academically but to also accomplish real academic feats that no one imagined possible.

By the way, we did get Escalante permission to name the school after him.  I’m somewhat surprised that a public school still has not been named after him.  (If I’m wrong about this, blog readers should definitely post a comment.)

In a nutshell, the Escalante charter school wanted to take poor black and brown students and turn them each into International Baccalaureate (IB) scholars.  Each scholar would be required to sit for all the required IB exams that would lead to the IB diploma.  If things had gone well—if MCPS had opened the Escalante Public Charter Schools—it currently would be graduating annually about 60 IB diploma holders/scholars.

Now, I’m aware that MCPS has significantly increased its numbers of poor students taking IB courses, as well as College Board Advanced Placement (AP) courses.  That is a good thing.  But I would wager that the numbers of poor black and brown poor students earning the IB diploma is extremely small—as in we would be lucky to fill one average high school class with their numbers.  Just guessing here but that number might hover around 30 students.  Of course, since MCPS refuses to share these kinds of data with the public, who really knows how many poor black and brown students earn an IB diploma on an annual basis.

A couple of weeks ago, Jay Mathews of The Washington Post asked me if I thought MCPS would open a charter school anytime soon.  I said no.  By the way, Mathews wrote a 1988 book (Escalante: The Best Teacher in America) about Jaime Escalante, and during the Escalante charter school applications, he wrote several Post pieces that praised our application.

Even though I cannot see a charter opening in the county anytime soon, I did share a general charter school observation with Mathews.  I’ll repeat the observation in this blog.

I can honestly see charter schools filling a creative void for MCPS—of course this would require MCPS and others to think outside of the box.  So, for example, make charters part of the county's Smart Growth Initiatives.  If I ran the world, I wouldmake the White Flint and Gaithersburg Science Complex developers build small dedicated spaces so that charters could operate small comprehensive school.  What is small?—facilities housing between 400-500 students.  The White Flint charter could be associated with Strathmore—make it a performing arts charter.  The Gaithersburg charter could be some kind of science school.

But I told Mathews that no one is thinking like this.  Instead, what we will get to spring up around these new massive complexes are the traditional old-fashion brick and mortar MCPS buildings.

And I can even think of other charter school ideas for the Gaithersburg complex.  I could envision a comprehensive K-12 school on the complex that was just for employees' children.  Think about how great that would be.  Think about the time families would save.  And if we are truly interested in "Smart" anything, think about how f__king smart that would be.  Isn’t that a no-brainer?

Yet, unfortunately, there are no county leaders thinking about schools like this.  We only think and focus on what we have and maintaining only that model.  And this doesn't mean I'm against the normal squared brick school house.  I'm not.  I'm simply saying that there is a role for charters in shaping the county's future of what schooling might be.  And those new models actually fit other thoughts and plans we say we have for the future of Smart Growth.

Joseph Hawkins

Board & Council Lunch caught on video

Watch the MCPS Board of Education and Montgomery County Council's lunch meeting on September 15, 2009 as they discuss:

0:00 Introduction of agenda - MCPS enrollment trends
1:55 Highland Elementary School
3:47 Weast on construction costs, stimulus money, cheapest interest rate on bonds, 34th year as superintendent, cheap construction,
5:56 MCPS' Bruce Crispbell on MCPS enrollment
10:22 Knapp on declining County revenue projections, Weast on why this is the time to build
22:00 Berliner question on White Flint sector plan school issue
26:00 Ervin on census
29:16 Leventhal on MCPS position that Smart Growth impacts school system needs. Does Smart Growth put school construction at risk?
31:00 Floreen "my pay grade is not up to being on Board of Education" and "confusion about who does what"
38:00 Berthiaume if we are going to do "Smart Growth" let's do it in a smart way
39:00 Leventhal on big construction projects for county, do they put school projects at risk?
44:24 Leventhal "...I have nothing but sympathy for the poor oppressed people of North Bethesda. I know how difficult it is when your kid gets to attend WJ..."
46:22 Andrews "what are trends in special education enrollment"
51:00 Weast hours based staffing, better staffing, higher expectations
52:12 Ervin on meeting with Weast and State's Attorney on truancy, as high as 5% of MCPS population is truant on any given school day
54:00 Leventhal on Latino Youth meeting, task force recommendations in about a year

http://vimeo.com/9769114 on Vimeo.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009 - Montgomery County Council and MCPS Board of Education meet for lunch in Council conference room.

Meeting is not televised by either elected body.

Video was obtained by a member of the Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland attending the meeting and filming.

Meetings of these two bodies are open under the Maryland Open Meetings Act unless an exception is invoked under the Act.

Weast on school for White Flint sector plan

The following video clip is from a September 2009 lunch between the Montgomery County Council and the MCPS Board of Education. In this clip, Councilmember Roger Berliner asks about the school capacity issue for the White Flint sector plan. Later in this clip the upcoming census is discussed.


The Council and Board has been meeting for lunch (taxpayer supplied) for some time. However, these meetings were not listed on the MCPS Board of Education agenda until 2009, and only rarely on the County Council agenda.

Neither body records these meetings. This clip was taken by a member of the public in attendance at this meeting. By law, meetings of these elected officials are under the Maryland Open Meetings Act. The entire video of this lunch meeting is available here.

Time to Speak Up on Commercial/Residential (CR) Zone

We received the following in an email and pass it along for action by Monday February 22.  Meredith Wellington is a past member of the Montgomery County, MD Planning Board.

Dear Friends,


It is time to speak up again about the CR zone. The Full Council took it up yesterday, and is supposed to have its final vote next Tuesday, February 23rd in the afternoon. In a three and a half hour work session, it became clear that the CR zone is inferior to existing zones, and that it carries with it a serious set of problems, as explained in the attached memo. We ask that you send an email to Nancy Floreen, Council President (Councilmember.Floreen@montgomerycountymd.gov)--it should arrive no later than COB on Monday, February 22-- that includes some of the following ideas:

The CR zone should be rejected because it is untimely, untested, legally deficient, overly complex, and contrary to Montgomery County’s tradition of public participation. Further, it is a “one size fits all” zone when, in fact, one size does not fit all in communities as different as White Flint, Kensington, and Takoma/Langley. The imposition of the zone throughout the entire County will result in fewer significant public benefits throughout, and, in certain parts of the County, little, if any, benefits at all. Please reject this zone, and look to existing zones, like the TMX, that do not have the problems currently found in the CR zone.

Please feel free to forward this to other civic organizations.

Thanks very much,
Meredith Wellington

White Flint Sector Plan: Congestion Pricing?

Get ready for it folks! The Montgomery County, Maryland Planning, Housing, and Economic Development (PHED) Committee is now taking up ‘Transportation Issues’ for the proposed White Flint Sector Plan. And what are the recommendations of the PHED staff, in the staff report by Glenn Orlin, the Deputy Council Staff director?


Well, let’s see how our great ‘vision’ for a lowered carbon footprint, ‘sustainable’ urban’ ‘pedestrian-friendly’ development fares. First Mr. Orlin makes clear, “Incorporating a new or expanded transportation project in a master plan does not even guarantee it will be built in the long term.”

Yep, there you have it in black-and-white on the first page of the staff report. We may never get any new public transportation. 20,000 new jobs, with people needing to go to and from work sites? We’ll get those. 9800 new residential units on 400 acres? We’ll get those. 7.49 million new square feet of commercial/residential space? We’ll get that. But the public transportation needed to support the tens of thousands of new residents and job holders? Well, not so fast…

Instead, Mr. Orlin states that ‘A plan in balance does not mean the traffic conditions at build-out will be deemed ‘good’ or even ‘fair’ more likely the traffic congestion will be at the borderline between ‘tolerable’ and ‘intolerable.’ Finally, an honest public employee. The traffic will be at the borderline between tolerable and intolerable.

How does the ‘Plan’ envision achieving even the most pitiful ‘tolerable’ traffic? Well, the non-auto-driver mode share for employees in White Flint would have to increase to 50 percent. Or, as Mr. Orlin posits it, “…so this would mean the proportion of commuters to White Flint not driving would have to nearly double.”

How could it reach 50%? How about congestion pricing? How about removing the median on Montrose Road between I-270 and Montrose Parkway and replacing it with a reversible lane, as is done on Colesville Road or Georgia Avenue? How about widening Rockville Pike from 6 to 8 lanes between Edson Lane and the Beltway? That is what the Planning Board and Mr. Orlin envision for our community. The roads should look more like the roads that represent some of the worst traffic nightmares in the region.

If you can’t wait for this traffic disaster to come your way, just sit tight and it will. IF you don’t quite see this ‘vision’ for your neighborhood, or for our county, please email the County Council immediately. Tell them you don’t want the ‘intolerable’ traffic that the Council staff says will happen. Tell them you don’t think the FAR is in balance with the infrastructure. Tell them you want the density decreased so our infrastructure can support it and tell them not to approve unachievable density plans. This is not sustainable.

Who is on the PHED Committee? Councilmembers Mike Knapp, Nancy Floreen, and Marc Elrich.

To contact the council email county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov; to read Mr. Orlin’s report, go to  http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/council/pdf/agenda/cm/2009/091130/20091130_PHED2.pdf

White Flint Sector Plan: Town Hall Meeting TONIGHT

All,


It is very important that we all be at the Town Hall meeting tonight, which is for the residents, to let our councilmembers know we do not want inappropriate development, overcrowded schools, and dangerous traffic.  We do not want our children breathing in dangerous air quality.  We want to REDUCE our carbon footprint, not increase it with tens of thousands of new cars.
As a resident of Luxmanor, I live in a community of some 800 homes on 400 acres. On about the SAME amount of property, the Planning Board wants to put 9800 residential units.

Thanks,
Paula Bienenfeld

DATE: TONIGHT Nov 18
TIME: 7:30PM
LOCATION: TILDEN MIDDLE SCHOOL, 11211 OLD GEORGETOWN ROAD

Here is the information (below):
Montgomery County Council to Host White Flint / Kensington / Garrett Park/ North Bethesda Areas Town Hall Meeting On Wednesday, Nov. 18

Residents Invited to Express Their Views on Issues, Ask Questions of Councilmembers at Tilden Middle School

ROCKVILLE, Md., November 9, 2009—The Montgomery County Council will continue its efforts to find out what issues most concern residents when it hosts a Town Hall Meeting for the White Flint / Kensington / Garrett Park / North Bethesda area on Wednesday, Nov. 18. The meeting at Tilden Middle School will start at 8 p.m. A pre-meeting reception will begin at 7:30 p.m.

This will be the third Town Hall Meeting hosted by the Council in 2009. The Council is composed of President Phil Andrews, Vice President Roger Berliner and Councilmembers Marc Elrich, Valerie Ervin, Nancy Floreen, Mike Knapp, George Leventhal, Nancy Navarro and Duchy Trachtenberg. The Council previously held Town Hall Meetings this year in Germantown/Boyds and West Gaithersburg/Darnestown areas. Most meetings have attracted more than 200 residents.

Tilden Middle School is located at 11211 Old Georgetown Road between the Wildwood section of Bethesda and the southern area of Rockville, adjacent to White Flint.

The meeting will allow residents to let the Councilmembers know how they feel about specific issues and will allow them to ask questions of the Councilmembers in an organized, but informal, setting.

Topics expected to be of interest include the proposed White Flint Sector Plan, schools, public safety, traffic, growth, the County budget and taxes.

“In many ways, our County is facing one of its most difficult periods in a very long time. We are all in this together and we want residents to tell us about their most important concerns as we approach making important decisions about growth in this area,” said Council President Andrews. “This Council has made a priority of having better direct communication with residents, and Town Hall Meetings have proven to be an excellent way to do just that. For the citizens, these meetings provide a forum where they can see their elected officials in a different format than a televised meeting or through a news release.”

The meeting will be taped for later broadcast on County Cable Montgomery (CCM—cable Channel 6 on Comcast and RCN, Channel 30 on Verizon). Susan Kenedy, a producer for the county station, will moderate the meeting.

For more information about the Town Hall Meeting or about the broadcast times, call 240-777-7931.

White Flint Sector Plan: Public Hearings Oct 20 and Oct 22

The County Council will be taking public testimony on the Draft White Flint Sector Plan this coming Tuesday, Oct 20 and Thursday, Oct 22nd, starting at 7:30 pm at the Council offices, 100 Maryland Ave, Rockville.


I would encourage you to go so our representatives on the Council knows how important this is to our communities. I know it is difficult, what with work, commuting, kids, grocery shopping and the like.

If you can't make it please make sure to email the council, at county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov .

District 1 Council Representative Roger Berliner's email is:
councilmember.berliner@montgomerycountymd.gov.

To remind you of the issues as stake, the following are points raised by members of the White Flint Community Coalition, a true grassroots coalition of residents consisting of: Crest of Wickford Condominium Association, Garrett Park Citizens Association, Garrett Park Estates–White Flint Park Citizens’ Association, Luxmanor Citizens Association, Sterling Homeowners Association, Timberlawn Homeowners Association, and the Wickford Community Association. If you agree with any or all of the points below we urge you to communicate with the Council and its members.

1. Do not approve a change in the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance.

2. There is already too much congestion and there are already too many failed intersections surrounding our community. Do not change congestion standards to allow for the proposed increase in traffic.

3. Too much density is proposed. A change that is over six times the current no. of residential units is too much, with no library; no school location proposed within the new sector; and no additional public transportation is not sustainable.

4. The plan calls for too much density that is not supported by the public transit system.

5. Do not redesign Wall Park without substantial community input.

6. The plan needs to address compatibility with existing surrounding neighborhoods, and needs to have explicit steps and implementation dates to protect our streets from cut-through traffic.

7. Do not change the adequacy of public school facilities test to allow for a higher level of overcrowding. We do not want our Walter Johnson schools to become overcrowded.

8. We endorse the following:

§One central core of appropriate density, mixed-use development focused around Metro;
§ Surrounding development clusters that are secondary to the central core and compatible with existing neighborhoods;
§ Walkable and cyclable destinations;
§ A public green and green spaces throughout;
§ Sustainable development consistent with 21st-century climate goals;
§ High-quality, uncrowded schools in the Walter Johnson cluster;
§ A clear transportation plan, commenced contemporaneously with commercial and residential development.

The County Council needs to hear from you. And again, read the plan! At http://www.whiteflintplanning.org/. If you have questions please comment here and I will respond.

Thanks.
Paula Bienenfeld
Luxmanor Citizens Association Planning and Development Chair

White Flint development worries parents, school officials | Washington Examiner

White Flint development worries parents, school officials | Washington Examiner

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White Flint: Overcrowded Schools Coming Your Way Part 3

The White Flint Sector Plan is coming, folks! More congestion, overcrowded schools, bet you can't wait! How can that be? Why, your county government "plans" to get rid of that pesky Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance. No, not YOU! You can go back to watching TV. Just you folks in the White Flint Sector" area. Oh, and you folks at B-CC too. oh, and Seneca Valley. and Clarksburg...

According to a recent memo from Dr. Weast, Superintendent at our Montgomery County, Maryland Public School system,

"The draft sector plan envisions 9,800 more residential units in the White Flint
area. This number of units is estimated to generate 410 elementary school
students, 380 middle school students, and 330 high school students at full
build-out in 20 to 30 years."

Where will those children go? What kind of education will they receive? The White Flint ‘Plan’ does not identify any place for them to go. That’s right folks, no school site is identified. At a public meeting held recently, Royce Hanson, the Planning Board chair, was heard to state, not to worry, there won’t be more than a dozen or so children...So, no schools. Oh wait; right…we need a school…where? Who knows? Not the Montgomery County ‘planners.’ That is not their concern.

How about a library where we and our children can sit, relax, and read, and learn to collect information and write their school papers? How about a library where they can snuggle and hear stories, and imagine life outside their own? The plan speaks glowingly about an ‘express library…’ so, no chairs. No books. No tables. No librarians. More like a book ‘ATM’ where you can place your order and the library system will let you know when it has arrived. This library is based on the fast-food McDonald’s type model. Step up, place your order, and we will let you know when your book is ready--via computer. What a vision! More like a nightmare.

The White Flint Sector Plan is snaking its way through your County Council. Please speak up NOW and tell the County Council WE DON’T WANT THIS FOR OUR CHILDREN. Our children deserve real schools and real libraries. Our children deserve real parks -- not express parks. Our children deserve a real rich environment, not one planned by Cronyist government employees who have never been to our neighborhoods.

Tell the County Council:

The proposed plan has too much density. 9,800 new residential units are unsustainable. 20,000 new jobs and no new public transit are unsustainable.

12.98 MILLION Square Feet of non-residentail space is unsustainable.

The proposed plan does not accommodate our children.

The proposed traffic congestion levels and street grid with increased idling increases particulates in the air and are dangerous to small lungs.

The White Flint Sector neighborhoods should not be excluded from our county’s Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance with shoddy cut-rate libraries and overcrowded schools.

Contact the Council at:

county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov

Contact your Councilmembers NOW:

councilmember.andrews@montgomerycountymd.gov

Councilmember.trachtenberg@montgomerycountymd.gov

councilmember.elrich@montgomerycountymd.gov

councilmember.navarro@montgomerycountymd.gov

councilmember.floreen@montgomerycountymd.gov

councilmember.knapp@montgomerycountymd.gov

councilmember.berliner@montgomerycountymd.gov

councilmember.ervin@montgomerycountymd.gov

The Arrogance of Planning

Roger Lewis, in today's Washington Post, writes about master planning. Using the language of the developers, so familiar now to those of us in Montgomery County, Maryland, he admonishes us for being so selfish as to only care about traffic and ease of getting from point A to point B. Mr. Lewis testified at the Gaithersburg West Master Plan Public Hearing last Thursday night, September 17. After his testimony as he walked up the aisle, developers crowded around him to shake his hand. Having never met Mr. Lewis before I have no idea if he has spent much time in the county. Does he take the red line? Who knows. Did he take a bus or metro to get to the hearing? Who knows. Those of us concerned about inappropriate unsustainable density, however, have many more concerns than increasing congestion. We are concerned about overcrowded schools. Mr. Lewis never mentions our schools. We are concerned about the quality of our infrastructure, having seen watermains burst along River Road and most recently in Dundalk, Maryland. He never mentions our failing infrastructure. Mr. Lewis is not concerned about restoring the natural environment. He has no concerns about the increase in particulates that our children will be breathing in as the traffic increases to such a degree that the planners themselves, in order to shoehorn in the developments they want, adjust the amount of congestion allowed in the proposed high-density developments.

Mr. Lewis is another example of how Montgomery County is being ‘governed,’ from the top down, by supposed experts who know more than we about our quality of life. The arrogance is unbelievable.