07/06/07 |
07/05/0705/08/04 Dear Wheaton Hills Neighbor, A reminder and a new internet link that may be of interest to you, but I'll begin with the most fun announcement -- 1) A neighborhood-wide block party is scheduled for early next month. Here are the details: Come Join Us for the 4th Annual Galt Avenue Block Party Date: Saturday, June 12th Time: 5:00 - 11:00 p.m. Place: 11700 block of Galt Avenue All residents of Wheaton Hills are welcome to join us this year for another great block party. If each family brings a dish and a beverage, we can provide grilled hot dogs, hamburgers, buns, cups and paper goods for just $2 per person. Please R.S.V.P. by emailing catherine_stanton@yahoo.com or by calling (301) 942-5047. Let us know if you would like to help us plan this fun event! Volunteers are very welcome! 2) We can now report streetlight outages online. Here's the link -- http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/trstmpl.asp?url=/content/dpwt/operations/traffic/Streetlight-mtc.asp 3) J.Liefer has updated out message board regarding Wheaton's new Redevelopment Director. There's a lot of information in that message including an offer to present concerns to the Board so please remember to visit our message board regularly both to glean information and benefit from your neighbors' connections. Stay well, Pat Sheehan 04/04/04 Happy daylight savings time! The move is complete. Twelve out of thirteen of you said suggested we take advantage of the kind offer of free server space so thanks to your neighbor, Josh Carpenter, we now have free hosting of our web site. On the surface, the site looks pretty much like it always has, but it has been completely recoded. It should load a bit faster than before, be compatible with more web browsers, offer more reliable Spanish translation, and - in general - just be better. Thanks to suggestions from many of you the new rules for the message board are - o All posts (except administrative ones) will be deleted after 60 days; and o Posts require the inclusion of a valid Wheaton area street name and zip code or they risk being deleted. (This rule can be followed with discretion, meaning, if an obviously legitimate post is on the board but someone forgot to include that information it can remainÉ but it gives a good reason to remove those posts put on by "spammers" who use software to drop messages on hundreds of bulletin boards in one fell swoop.) To that end, you'll see a new link at the top of the message board page that reads "Administration." I'll do my best to keep up with errant posts on the board, but if anyone would like to volunteer to be a co-administrator of it I'll gladly share the username and password and write up some instructions on how to use the administrative backend that I've added to the board, so that we can have more than one person able to delete offensive posts. To provide a little historical perspective of our loosely-knit community group I've added all of these past emails that I could find to the news area. If you have a copy of anything that I've sent out that is not there, please forward it to me and I'll add it as well. For example, I can't find the first few so we just go back to November of 2000. Beginning with this email I'll keep a copy of each outgoing correspondence on the web as our current news item. Issues/suggestions mentioned in your emails include: "The idea I specifically had in mind is to improve the entrances to our neighborhood. Throughout the Rock Creek area, neighbors volunteer to "garden" in common areas and access points, with barrel planters and seasonal flower beds that really make the area look nice. I live very close to the Veirs Mill/Newport Mill entrance, and could easily see doing something like that at the north-eastern corner of the intersection, where the stop light post is. It's just a muddy, barren patch of land right now that is regularly littered with snack wrappers and plastic juice bottles (as well as the occasional broken glass beverage container) by the kids walking home from school. I'm not sure who we would have to receive clearance from, or if it would cost anything beyond purchasing materials for the planter, but I think it would be really nice to put up a neighborhood sign, "Wheaton Hills", surrounded by some low-maintenance plants, with a quality waste receptacle (similar to what you'd find in a nice park) for pedestrians to dispose of their trash. I bet if we asked everyone in the community to donate funds--anywhere from $10-$50, depending on the overall cost estimate--we could put in improvements like this in each of the entrances to Wheaton Hills. I only mention the one nearest to my house because that's the only one with which I'm familiar, but I think it would benefit everyone who lives here if we did similar things to each entrance, giving the neighborhood a more cohesive, "this is a nice, safe place to live" appearance." "I think we should accept your neighbors generous offer of hosting the domain . I also think that a door to door introduction such as a flyer may be useful. I also would be willing to help with publicizing the website. We are starting our plans for another block party and possibly a block yard sale. It would be great to have a website to promote this event." "I also think a door-to-door flyer with info on the website is a good idea. As the weather improves maybe we can pull this together." "Going door to door to place leaflets about the site would be a good idea and I would be willing to deliver flyers on my block (Galt Ave). I wonder if we could get one volunteer to cover one street until all the streets are covered? I could probably print enough fliers to cover the houses on my block. It wouldn't hurt to keep our eyes out for houses that go on the market on our streets and send a flyer over when it sells to keep everyone - even new comers - in the loop." "Let's have a neighborhood yard sale this spring or summer." Perhaps we can now use our message board to flesh out and discuss some of these suggestions. The message board and contact form are each working properly. The circulation of this email is itself a test of our subscriber email software. Each of these programs is new so I ask you to please message me if you find any "bugs" anywhere, and to please let me know if you receive this email so I can be certain it has been distributed properly. Thanks you for your time, Pat Sheehan 03/06/04 Dear Wheaton Hills neighbor, When I wrote you last it was to present to you a choice, essentially, of "pay to keep our domain hosted for another year or host our site for free on a sub-domain." Fourteen of you responded and twelve wrote that they favored the idea to move the site to the no-cost, sub-domain option. Several of those people also offered to contribute money toward continued hosting on a domain if that was the majority consensus. It is the response from the other two people, however, that is leading me to write you once again for your opinion. Like I am, one of your neighbors is affiliated with a web server and has offered the following: "I use several hosting companies. One of them charges a flat rate for 2 gig of data. I gather Wheaton Hills does not have that much data so maybe we can work out a deal to host on my server on the cheap or free. You could have 10-20 meg of disk space for the project (and more if you need it). The Web space has no frills or fancy features, just space on a server and e-mail addresses. There is a forum system." The other neighbor owns a web server and has offered the following: "I run a small hosting cooperative know as [EDIT]. I started it to house all the domains that I was formerly paying retail for, and dabbled with commerciality, but finally settled on using it just for friends, family, preferred clients, etc. I would be delighted to add "neighbors" to that list! I can host the wheatonhills.org domain for free indefinitely as it would cost me no more than I already pay my wholesale provider." Thank you to both neighbors for making these offers, they are very generous. As far as such issues as server reliability, etc. I know as much about these servers as you do. But my thought is that since the second offer expressly costs us nothing we should accept it. The only fee that we'll need to pay will be the annual cost of our domain name and that is so low that I am happy to purchase it for us each year for the foreseeable future. If the consensus of the majority of folks who respond to this message is the same as mine, I'll ask the neighbor who offered this service if he wishes to have his name made public and I'll also begin transferring the files for our web site to his server. I'll also renew our domain name for another year. My last email also engendered some other responses that I'd like to provide for your consideration. One neighbor wrote: "Have you ever had a door-to-door introduction to the Web site? I didn't even think to look for it until I had lived here for more than 2 years, and there are a lot of new arrivals to the neighborhood. If you'd be interested in something like that, I'd be willing to help. Some of the closer-in neighborhoods have been able to pull in a lot of people (RockCreekPalisades, for example), and as a result, they've been able to start some really simple but effective neighborhood beautification projects." Please let me know your thoughts regarding this. I'll gladly share them with the group. Another wrote: "Would it ever be possible to edit the bulletin boardsÊfor content?Ê I'm annoyed to seeÊbusinessesÊbeing pushed on the board and offended by the sick references to rape that's showingÊup on the site all of the sudden.Ê What's that about?"Ê My understanding of current "cyber-law" as it has played out in a limited number of jurisdictions is that web site owners are being held liable for posting on "moderated" message boards but not on "unmoderated" ones. For us that's a, sort of, double-edged sword. If we moderate the board -- meaning we have someone regularly review it and remove offensive posts -- we open ourselves up to two types of liability. The first is: we remove something that we find offensive, but that the poster -- a Wheaton Hills neighbor -- does not deem offensive and then (s)he sues because of our action. The second is: we intend to remove offensive/illegal posts when they appear but, since they can be posted any time of day or night, posts are on the site for a given amount of time prior to our removal of them. If someone acts on such a post and is injured, we can presumably be held liable for not removing the post in a timely fashion. The other side of that sword, though, is what we now have... which is a message board full of "spam" (unsolicited business advertisements) and puerile posts interspersed with our neighborhood-related posts. Not a very pretty site, nor valuable service. We expressly state that the board is not moderated and each post is solely the responsibility of its poster. The easiest option for us to now is to remove the message board, but I do believe that it can be a valuable service to the community. I propose the following: We make it a requirement that anyone posting a message to the message board add their Street Name and zip code to the start of their message. I'll add text to the message board itself reading that all posts require a Wheaton Hills street name and zip code and if one is not included they will be removed. That will most likely solve our problem since most of the spam and offensive posts are being added in a nearly random, automatic, fashion. HOWEVER, that does mean that if someone wants to write something offensive AND includes a street name and zip code I cannot remove it. It also means that if a neighbor forgets to add the street name and zip code to the post the post will be removed. Whatever we decide to do. When I change the site to its new server (whether you opt for the sub- domain or our neighbor's server) I'll clear out all of the current posts from the message board. Stay well, and thank you for taking the time to read through this lengthy email; and thank you in advance for taking the time to reply to the issues raised here, Pat Sheehan 02/26/04 Dear Wheaton Hills neighbor, On April 10th the domain name wheatonhills.org will expire. The best deal that I've found that will allow us to continue with the site carries a host fee of $99 per year and $14.95 per year for the domain name. While that isn't much money I think that it probably isn't worth our while to try to gather it and pay for the domain each year. I run a commercially-supported web site at wheatonnet.com that has sufficient space and bandwidth to host our current website, its message board and its mailing list. I'll gladly host our site as a subdomain there for free. That change would mean that there would no longer be wheatonhills.org email addresses available (something that almost no one has requested) and that the address for our web site would change to www.wheatonnet.com/wheatonhills. Some "old timers" may recall that this was the arrangement we used for the first year of the site's existence, prior to receiving a grant from the County several years ago. My thought is that since we don't use the site for much more than occasional mailings via this announcement list it probably isn't worth our while to continue to pay for our own domain. That having been said, I'll gladly cede to the wishes of the majority of those people who receive this email. Stay well, Pat Sheehan 10/08/03 Dear Wheaton Hills neighbor, As you know, emails sent via our community mailing list are few and far between. This one is a bit lengthy and covers a VERY wide range of topics so please take a moment to review it. In summary it contains: some concerns about "quality of life" issues in Wheaton that were submitted to the Wheaton Hills contact form; pedestrian safety/traffic speed concerns; air-quality issues in Wheaton; time-sensitive information regarding the relocation of the Rescue Squad; and a Halloween invitation. In each case the information included below was emailed to the Wheaton Hills site or posted on its message board. If you have an interest in any of these issues please send an email to the site as well and/or post on the message board. Mention was made earlier this year that some folks were interested in turning our ad hoc neighborhood group into a bona fide citizens' association chartered (or at least sanctioned) by the County. If you have information regarding any progress made on this endeavor please post it to our message board. Stay well, Pat Sheehan ________________________________ Quality of life issues noted from a web site visitor - Public drunkeness Traffic congestion Overcrowding Over development Wheaton's appearance Increase in criminal activity ________________________________ The response to a neighbor regarding the process for adding stop signs or speed bumps to slow the speed of traffic on Fenimore Road - Thank you for contacting us about this problem. I forwarded you letter to Dave Loughery, the Pedestrian Safety Coordinator in the Department of Public Works and Transportation. By his suggestion, I contacted Gregory Leck of the Division of Traffic and Parking Services, to see about evaluating for a stop sign. However, if you would like to pursue speed humps, you will have to gain the support of the local civic association. A large majority of the residents in that area must be in favor of speed humps in order for them to be installed. Contact me again if you would like more information on the speed hump application and procedure. Sincerely, Anna Hargrave Pedestrian Safety Assistant ________________________________ An air-quality concern - Kendl Philbrick, Acting Secretary Maryland Department of the Environment 1800 Washington Blvd. Baltimore, MD 21230 Dear Secretary Philbrick: I am writing to bring your attention to air pollution from two restaurant facilities in the Wheaton area of Silver Spring: El Pollo Rico and Super Chicken at 2541 and 2531 Ennalls Ave, respectively. As a local resident, I value highly the ethnic diversity in Wheaton and appreciate having so many different kinds of cuisine in our neighborhood, including some of the best barbequed chicken in the area from El Pollo Rico. Nevertheless, I am concerned about what appear to be exceedingly high levels of particulate emissions from both restaurants. What appears to be ash from charcoal fires spews from the roof of the building throughout the day. Depending upon the wind direction, the smoke and ash blow in the faces of pedestrians who may be walking home from the Metro, as I do five days a week. The fact that these restaurants are located at one of the highest points in the area is the only reason this smoke and ash are able to dissipate. The smoke from these restaurants compares with that of an open fire and the cumulative impact of the constant charcoal fires must be significant. El Pollo Rico charges more than $10 per chicken. This should provide the restaurant with sufficient resources to install some kind of pollution controls to reduce these emissions. I am writing to request your attention to this matter and to learn 1) whether these emissions are regulated and, if so, 2) what standards the restaurants are required to meet, and 3) whether these restaurants are in compliance with state and federal laws. Thank you for your attention to this matter. ________________________________ Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad Relocation Status - You won't find this information on the WVRS website, since WVRS has not updated the web page on their site dedicated to their relocation since April 16, 2002: As you should know by now, the Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad (WVRS)is relocating to the corner of Georgia and Arcola Avenues. According to Nkosi Yearwood of M-NCPPC, WVRS filed their site plan with Parks and Planning (part of the mandatory Referral Process) during the week of August 22, 2003. If you have questions about the site plan it or want to submit comments, contact Nkosi Yearwood at 301-495-1332 or nikosi.yearwood@mncppc-mc.org. MR. YEARWOOD DOES NOT RESPOND TO HIS E-MAILS THOUGH, SO CALL HIM INSTEAD. Also, it is possible that WVRS made their submission earlier, as Mr. Yearwood seemed a bit unsure of the exact date of the filing when I last spoke to him. Persons living in the immediate vicinity - i.e. those living on Georgia Avenue across from the library and Good Counsel, as well as those living on Grandview Avenue and Arcola Avenue immediately behind these homes should use this opportunity to make comments so that the impact of WVRS' relocation will be minimized. According to Mr. Yearwood the review period is 60-days, which means that the Public hearing for this project will likely occur in October. Construction may begin by the end of the year. At the end of July, I received a letter from WVRS indicating that they intend to begin construction by the end of 2003. Persons living directly across from the site should have received the same letter, others on Arcola may have received this letter as well. ________________________________ Halloween Invitation - We would like to organize Trick or Treating for kids in our neighborhood. We think it would be a lot of fun to have a "treasure map" of participating families to visit for treats. Everyone who signs up should have one adult to escort the little ghosts and goblins to participating homes in the neighborhood, and another adult waiting at home to hand out treats between 6 and 8:00 p.m. Anyone in Wheaton Hills with a child under age 12 is welcome to participate. Just send an email to acanterbury@yahoo.com before October 24 and we'll put you on the map! Please spread the word to any of your neighbors with children. Also, let us know if you have any questions or a spooky suggestion. Maps and more info will be available the week of Halloween. 08/30/02 Dear Neighbor, I've been asked to provide you with this information regarding an upcoming opportunity to attend a meeting to garner information about which candidates will best improve the schools in our area. Have a safe and happy Labor Day weekend, Pat Sheehan ______________________________________________________________________ Meet the Candidates for the Montgomery County Board of Education! Mark your calendar for the night of Thursday, September 5. This is your chance to meet and learn a a bit about the 13 candidates vying for four "open" seats on the Board of Education. Sponsored by the Montgomery County Civic Federation (MCCF) and the League of Women Voters (LWV), this BoE Candidates Forum will be held at the Crossway Community in Kensington (3015 Upton Drive, across University Blvd. from Wheaton Plaza). The forum will start at 7:00 P.M. and end at 9:30 P.M. There will be a moderated series of brief opening and closing remarks by each candidate, with ample time for questions from the audience. In addition, MCCF/LWV will provide printed copies of each candidate's response to a set of questions posed to them in advance, so you'll have a chance to compare all the candidates "on the same playing field". Of course there will be plenty of campaign literature available and - even though the formal program is scheduled to end at 9:30 - we'll bet you'll be able to buttonhole at least one candidate afterwards to get an answer to your most burning question! So be there Thursday evening, September 5, and take advantage of this opportunity, provided by MCCF and LWV, to assess the candidates for election to the County Board that has a lot to say about how our children are educated. [Directions to Crossway Community: From Rockville, take Viers Mill to University Blvd. Turn right, then right at first light (just after MacDonalds). Then an almost immediate left onto Upton and proceed to large parking area at end of street. There will be signs!] 08/12/02 Dear Neighbors, At the request of the Department of Police I am forwarding to each of you the following information: _________________ Each year a number of companion animals in the County test positive for rabies. Owners of cats, dogs and ferrets that have not been vaccinated for rabies are subject to a $500 fine per violation. Owners of dogs and cats that have not been registered with the Police Division as vaccinated are subject to a $100 fine per violation. Additional information can be found here -- http://www.co.mo.md.us/services/police/animal/animalhp.htm . Registration forms are available here -- http://www.co.mo.md.us/services/police/animal/lic_app.htm . To request additional information via email, contact POLICE.CLEMEDIA@co.mo.md.us . _________________ Stay well, Pat Sheehan 07/28/02 Dear Neighbors, A hearty welcome to the 20 new recipients of this, very occasional, email alert. Thank you for signing up at yesterday evening's block party on Galt Avenue. Those persons who have provided their email addresses to the Stanton's for inclusion on their block map have also been added to the list. As always, should you wish to stop receiving these emails you can unsubscribe at any time at the Wheaton Hills web site http://www.wheatonhills.org . Please note as well that @wheatonhills.org email addresses remain available and are absolutely free. You can have a stand alone POP3 email account, and/or if you're an AOL member or have an established email address already your @wheatonhills.org email can be forwarded directly to your existing account. The accounts have become increasingly handy for folks who've found that more common accounts such at hotmail or msn are occasionally blocked by some ISPs because of their high incidents of "spam." _____________________________________ And now, the news: The Planning Board has approved the Good Counsel developer's townhouse proposal to build densely situated townhouses, but it cannot go ahead unless the zoning board and County Council approve the zoning change. The hearing before the zoning board about the proposed rezoning of the Good Counsel site from single family to dense townhouse levels will be held on Sept. 5 where citizens can speak if they register to do so. Anyone can also write to the chairperson Francoise M. Carrier, Director Office of Zoning and Adminsitrative Hearings for Montgomery County Maryland 100 Maryland Avenue Rockville, MD 20850 or FAX it to 240-777-6665 The complete hearing schedule is: September 4 (for the developer's presentation), September 5 (for the citizens' participation) and September 6 (half day, for any cross-examination). Much more detail about this matter is now posted in the "news" section of the Wheaton Hills website. -- http://www.wheatonhills.org/ Stay well and enjoy a safe summer, Pat Sheehan 07/03/02 Dear Wheaton Hills neighbor, The information below was provided by the President of the Kensington Heights Citizens Association and it may be of interest to you. If concerns developments planned for the Westfield Shoppingtown Wheaton (Wheaton Plaza) site. Have a happy and safe Fourth of July, Pat Sheehan _______________________ At a meeting last night, June 26, Westfield representatives announced that plans to renovate Westfield Shoppingtown Wheaton have moved forward with great speed in the past month, after many months of no movement since mid-September 2001. The following was announced, with maps and aerial photos: - A deal has been reached with Giant to begin construction of a new supermarket in January 2003, with expected completion by September 2003. It will be located on the land immediately to the right of the current entrance at Midvale and University ("our" entrance to the Plaza). - The Midvale entrance to the Plaza will be closed, the traffic light removed, and the median cut closed, and the new Plaza entrance will be one block to the west, at Valley View Drive. This entrance will allow immediate access to the new Giant. A traffic light will be installed at that location and pedestrian access will be improved at both Midvale and East/Upton (where McDonald's is). Two left-turn lanes westbound on University will turn into the Plaza at Valley View, much as it is now at Midvale, only with a one-block-longer "stacking" lane. The median on University will be 8 feet wide in order to accommodate trees and other landscaping. This construction will begin "as soon as possible." - Macy's has lifted its moratorium on new construction, in place since last September, and has reiterated its desire to locate a new store in the Plaza. A deal is all-but-signed with Westfield. Macy's would be located in the area that is now the Giant; a completely new building will be constructed from the ground up. Obviously, Macy's cannot begin construction until Giant is dismantled; completion of Macy's is expected some time in the latter half of 2004. There is contention and concern, from people who live in the neighborhood including Midvale, about the removal of the Midvale median cut and traffic light. Westfield hired a traffic consultant to try to figure out a way to keep that traffic light and median cut, but the consultant concluded - and the State Highway Administration agreed - that that was not tenable given the new entrance at Valley View. What this means for KH is that there will likely be more traffic doing u-turns at Drumm Ave. as they come out of Midvale and want to go east on University, assuming they cannot jump into the left-turn lanes at Valley View. More info as it becomes available, and we'll keep you apprised of any public meetings. Westfield folks say they genuinely want to work with the community, and I made certain to introduce myself to and talk with the Westfield reps to let them know that Kensington Heights residents are excited and also concerned about expansion of the Plaza. 06/24/02 As a follow-up to last week's emails, I send you this notice of an upcoming hearing: "The Planning Board will consider the application for rezoning from R90 (single family) to R15 (dense townhouse) on Thursday, June 27 at about 3:00 PM. Some folks from the neighborhood assn. across Georgia are going, and their lawyer said it would be helpful to have as many residents as possible just show up and show that they care about this (so the Board doesn't feel it can just do what the developer wants because the residents are not interested). People who get there at 2:30ish (before consideration of this item begins) and sign-ups can speak for up to 3 minutes (or several people can sign up and cede their minutes to someone else who speaks longer)." I've placed this information as well as the background information from the previous emails on the News page of our website. Have a good week, Pat Sheehan 06/20/02 Hello all. As spring winds to a close it looks like summer isn't the only thing heating up in Wheaton. Today I received the email below [edited] and the letter referenced in it. Per the request of the sender I'm forwarding it on to each of you. Stay well, Pat Sheehan ___________________ Somewhat out of the blue, the developer of the Good Counsel site has gotten a very quick hearing before the planning board for changing the zoning from R90 (single family) to R15 (a very dense townhouse designation that is denser than the zoning for almost all the townhouses in the county). The Board is meeting tomorrow, and the forwarded letter (from the civic assn on the other side of Georgia) is urging folks to fax letters to the Board expressing opposition to this degree of density and to commiting to rezoning without addressing land-related issues of what will happen to Wheaton's Rec Center and the REscue Squad. The possibility of closing the Rec Center for several years -- or totally -- has been seriously mentioned by different officials. FYI, the Steering Committee heard a presentation from the developer last night, and voted to give a recommendation to the Planning Board, which says in essence, we want at most an R12.5 zone (requires more green space so less density) and no triplex apartments designed to look like townhouses (but which hold three families/units - these are what many see as a blight on the townhouses on University). The developer currently envisions about 25% of the 201 units will be these, 6 or so will be single family homes, and the rest townhouses of varying sizes. We also asked for more park space, and parking space than the devel. offered. All of these would be binding requirements on the developer. ... ONe point that doesn't affect zoning but could have a HUGE impact on us is that currently the plan calls for the major opening to the complex to be at Dawson St. If traffic patterns are not attended to, Dawson in Wh. Hills could become a throughway for cars heading west. In addition, the thinking is to have through streets that cut across the complex into the other side of Wheaton, so people could start coming east on Dawson as an alternative to Viers Mill and cut through the complex. Since each of the 201 units will have a 2 car garage and a driveway, that could be a real blow to the peace of this area, especially to the folks on Dawson itself. Now, and as the Planning Board gets to later stages of review, I think we need to hammer hard at this potential problem. ___________________ Joan Rubin wrote: Hi Everyone, I just talked to our lawyer and he indicated that it would be very important to send a letter supporting our position on the zoning. The letter should be faxed by tomorrow morning to be included in the packet giving to the Planning Board. If you can't get it in by then, do send one anyway since it will then be attached as a supplement. But write and get your neighbors to write NOW. The position we are taking is that before there is a decision on the zoning, the whole issue of (1) where the Rescue Squad will go needs to be resolved and (2) what will happen to the Rec Center. We are strongly promoting the use of the WMATA site, as you know, since it is closer to the Central Business District, the site is large enough to accommodate the needs of the Rescue Squad to have a Community Center as a revenue generator, and it will have the least impact on other important community facilities, namely, the Library and the Rec Center. The Rec Center must be maintained because it serves so many youth every day and is used as overflow for the library after school. What needs to happen is that the Rec Center needs to be renovated and perhaps expanded but it must be maintained. We cannot go 3-4 years with no service to the ever-expanding population that Wheaton is confronting. So our position is, why the rush, let's talk about all the pieces and then go for rezoning. In fact, no building will occur for 3-4 years at the very least. If the Rescue Squad moves, as it should, to the WMATA site, it would be helpful for it to have a little more land on Georgia Avenue so it can exit via Dawson. That would require some trading with the land now owned by the Rescue Squad or with the county giving the back part of the WMATA site to the Rescue Squad. But as we understand, once the zoning is decided, there will be no swaps or chance to arrange for the proper attention to all 3 parts. Do not believe what Kaufman said last night, the rezoning is where the most important decisions occur. SO PLEASE WRITE TODAY. FAX (301-495-1304) your letter to The Planning Board attn: Nkosi Yearwood 8787 Georgia Avenue Silver Spring, MD BE SURE TO ASK THAT IT BE MADE PART OF THE RECORD. Also, please send me a copy as well. Thanks for being part of a better Wheaton. 04/09/02 Happy Daylight Savings Time! Just a quick note to let you know of an up-coming meeting that may be of interest: There will be a community briefing on the relocation of the Wheaton Rescue Squad/Good Counsel High School at Crossway, 3015 Upton Street, on April 15 at 7 p.m. The briefing is a follow-up to the December 4 community meeting at which the Rescue Squad made its presentation to the community. If you have any questions, please call the Wheaton Redevelopment Office at 240-777-8121. Stay well, Pat Sheehan 03/10/02 Dear Wheaton Hills resident, In addition to the Planning Board meeting mentioned in last week's update, a new meeting has been scheduled regarding development of the Wheaton Lumber lot. This meeting will be held by the builder on Tuesday, March 19 at 7:00 p.m. at Crossways Community (3015 Upton St. in Kensington, off University Blvd). There is now an 8 page "slide show" of information about that builder's history and previous projects on our website. The slide show also includes a site plan for the new development in our neighborhood. The show is linked to the home page of WheatonHills.org and also to the news page. *** Many of our neighbors do not have access to the internet. As developments such as this occur in Wheaton, and also to help disseminate information on other matters; it would be helpful if some folks would like to volunteer to hand out printed flyers to their neighbors. Wheaton Hills comprises approximatly 40 blocks, so if even just 20 people stepped forward to help, each would only need to walk to the few homes that are nearest their own to get information out to everyone. If you're willing to become a "Kneighbor in the Know" :o) please send a response to this email and I'll forward your information on to Jeff Fredericks who is coordinating this effort. As always, thank you for your time and concern regarding our neighborhood. Sincerely, Pat Sheehan 03/06/02 Dear Wheaton Hills resident, On Thursday, March 14 the Montgomery County Planning Board's agenda is scheduled to include a hearing regarding the development of the Wheaton Lumber site. Specific details about the hearing are not currently available on the County's website, but they will be made available on Monday, March 11 at this address: http://www.mc-mncppc.org/meetings/ As I obtain more information I'll also add it to the WheatonHills.org website. Sincerely, Pat Sheehan 01/17/02 Dear Wheaton Hills resident, Two updates in one week. It doesn't rain... it pours. In response to the last update we've received the following piece of information that may also be of interest: Notice of public hearing: Regarding a proposed subdivision for 2 lots in the R90 zone. The property is located on the south side of Blueridge Ave. approximatley 100 feet east of Narin Road. The hearing will be thursday Jan 17 sometime after 2:30. Staff recommendation is for "Approval with conditions for only one lot." Also, as of a few moments ago, the News page of the http://www.wheatonhills.org website has been updated to reflect the notes of an attendee at last night's meeting regarding the planned Wheaton Lumber townhouse development. Sincerely, Pat Sheehan 01/25/2001 Good news! It's official, the County has approved our grant request for a web domain, emails, graphics, flyer distribution, etc. A check for 50% ($875) has arrived. Thank you to everyone who provided me with information to include in our funding proposal. Perhaps at our meeting Wednesday night we can spend some time talking about the domain name we'd want to get (for example, www.wheatonhills.org is currently available), content ideas for the new site, and how we want to handle the record-keeping/banking of the money. I'll be away from tonight until Tuesday, but I hope to see you all at Highland Elementary School at 7:30 next Wednesday evening. Thanks again for your help with this! Pat Sheehan 11/30/2000 Hello to all. A quick reminder that our next meeting will be at Highland Elementary School on Wednesday Dec 6 at 7:30. If you can volunteer to help distribute flyers, please contact Jeff Fredericks at 301-949-1309. If 15-20 people can cover 40-50 houses each this weekend it would be a big help. I hope to see you at the meeting, Pat Sheehan 11/09/2000 Hello again, I want to bring your attention to a mailing that you should have received from the County recently called The Mid-County Sparkler. In it they mention a Community Grant Program. These grants are for a maximum of $2,500 per entity per year and the applications for them must be tendered by November 15 (next Wednesday.) Listed as eligibility for the grants are "emerging community groups." I will gladly obtain and complete the required application form and request funds to obtain a domain name and hosting/maintenance costs for a web site for the Wheaton Hills Civic Association and in-coming e-mail addresses for community members who want them (realistically a purchase of a maximum of about 100). (I estimate the costs for this to be $800 for the year.) I'll gladly donate my time for designing and coding the web site, but I know that as an Association we are only in our very nascent stages. So I certainly don't want to do this without the approval of some of the others on this e-mail list or with the disapproval of anyone. Please let me know your thoughts on this matter as soon as possible. If this is something we want to do I'll write the proposal over the weekend and submit it by the 15th. Thank you for your time, Pat Sheehan |
Recent problems identified in an email sent via the Wheaton Hills contact form --
Mention was made earlier this year that persons were interested in turning our ad hoc neighborhood group into a bona fide citizens' association chartered by the County. If you have information regarding any progress made on this endeavor please post to our message board.
CLICK HERE for Wheaton Lumber site slide show.
A continuation of efforts regarding the Planning Board's approval of the planned dense townhouse development at the Good Counsel site are outlined below.
There will be a hearing before the zoning board about the proposed rezoning of the Good Counsel site from single family to dense townhouse levels. The Planning Board has already approved the developer's townhouse proposal, but it cannot go ahead unless the zoning board and County Council approve the zoning change. Citizens can speak at the Sept. 5 hearing if they register to, and they can write to the chairperson --
Francoise M. Carrier, Director
Office of Zoning and Adminsitrative Hearings
for Montgomery County Maryland
100 Maryland Avenue
Rockville, MD 20850
Or FAX it to 240-777-6665 September 4 (for the developer's presentation), September 5 (for the citizens' participation) and September 6 (half day, for any cross-examination.
Below is a copy of an email sent from citizens with houses adjacent to the Good Counsel site:
> Hi Everyone, > > The hearing for Good Counsel has been postponed again! It is now > scheduled for > September 4 (for the developer's presentation), September 5 (for the > citizens' participation) and September 6 (half day, for any > cross-examination). The reason is that there is a possibility that all > the parties involved (including the Rescue Squad) may get together and > see if there are some points of agreement before the hearings (don't > count on it!) > > I believe this is better for us. It gives us an opportunity to > (1) Write that letter to Francoise Carrier--if you have not already done > so, do it this weekend > > Remember the address is: Francoise M. Carrier, Director > Office of Zoning and Adminsitrative Hearings for Montgomery County > Maryland 100 Maryland Avenue Rockville, MD 20850 > > Or FAX it ; 240-777-6665 > > (2) Prepare more detailed and pointed testimony (those of you who plan > to do) > (3) Save the dates of September 5 and 6 to attend the hearings (at least > part of the time) > > One last word, many thanks to all of you who have contributed to the > lawyer's fund. We are covering our expenses thus far. However, we > anticipate that we may need more (especially for that all important site > planning hearings). So if you haven't written that check yet, please do > so (John Drew, Treasurer, WRPNA--with > Lawyer's Escrow Fund, in the "For" section) and drop it off at my house. > > Keep rooting for making this the best looking development ever! > > Joan
A flurry of letters have come in regarding proposed development changes for the Good Counsel lot. Information regarding an upcoming meeting is directly below, followed by additional background info.The Planning Board will consider the application for rezoning from R90 (single family) to R15 (dense townhouse) on Thursday, June 27 at about 3:00 PM. Some folks from the neighborhood assn' across Georgia are going, and their lawyer said it would be helpful to have as many residents as possible just show up and show that they care about this (so the Board doesn't feel it can just do what the developer wants because the residents are not interested). People who get there at 2:30 ish (before consideration of this item begins) and sign up can speak for up to 3 minutes (or several people can sign up and cede their minutes to someone else who speaks longer).
Somewhat out of the blue, the developer of the Good Counsel site has gotten a very quick hearing before the planning board for changing the zoning from R90 (single family) to R15 (a very dense townhouse designation that is denser than the zoning for almost all the townhouses in the county). The Board is meeting tomorrow, and the forwarded letter (from the civic assn on the other side of Georgia) is urging folks to fax letters to the Board expressing opposition to this degree of density and to commiting to rezoning without addressing land-related issues of what will happen to Wheaton's Rec Center and the REscue Squad. The possibility of closing the Rec Center for several years -- or totally -- has been seriously mentioned by different officials. FYI, the Steering Committee heard a presentation from the developer last night, and voted to give a recommendation to the Planning Board, which says in essence, we want at most an R12.5 zone (requires more green space so less density) and no triplex apartments designed to look like townhouses (but which hold three families/units - these are what many see as a blight on the townhouses on University). The developer currently envisions about 25% of the 201 units will be these, 6 or so will be single family homes, and the rest townhouses of varying sizes. We also asked for more park space, and parking space than the devel. offered. All of these would be binding requirements on the developer. ... ONe point that doesn't affect zoning but could have a HUGE impact on us is that currently the plan calls for the major opening to the complex to be at Dawson St. If traffic patterns are not attended to, Dawson in Wh. Hills could become a throughway for cars heading west. In addition, the thinking is to have through streets that cut across the complex into the other side of Wheaton, so people could start coming east on Dawson as an alternative to Viers Mill and cut through the complex. Since each of the 201 units will have a 2 car garage and a driveway, that could be a real blow to the peace of this area, especially to the folks on Dawson itself. Now, and as the Planning Board gets to later stages of review, I think we need to hammer hard at this potential problem.
Joan Rubin wrote:
Hi Everyone,
I just talked to our lawyer and he indicated that it would be very important to send a letter supporting our position on the zoning. The letter should be faxed by tomorrow morning to be included in the packet giving to the Planning Board. If you can't get it in by then, do send one anyway since it will then be attached as a supplement. But write and get your neighbors to write NOW.
The position we are taking is that before there is a decision on the zoning, the whole issue of (1) where the Rescue Squad will go needs to be resolved and (2) what will happen to the Rec Center. We are strongly promoting the use of the WMATA site, as you know, since it is closer to the Central Business District, the site is large enough to accommodate the needs of the Rescue Squad to have a Community Center as a revenue generator, and it will have the least impact on other important community facilities, namely, the Library and the Rec Center. The Rec Center must be maintained because it serves so many youth every day and is used as overflow for the library after school. What needs to happen is that the Rec Center needs to be renovated and perhaps expanded but it must be maintained. We cannot go 3-4 years with no service to the ever-expanding population that Wheaton is confronting. So our position is, why the rush, let's talk about all the pieces and then go for rezoning. In fact, no building will occur for 3-4 years at the very least.
If the Rescue Squad moves, as it should, to the WMATA site, it would be helpful for it to have a little more land on Georgia Avenue so it can exit via Dawson. That would require some trading with the land now owned by the Rescue Squad or with the county giving the back part of the WMATA site to the Rescue Squad. But as we understand, once the zoning is decided, there will be no swaps or chance to arrange for the proper attention to all 3 parts. Do not believe what Kaufman said last night, the rezoning is where the most important decisions occur. SO PLEASE WRITE TODAY.
FAX (301-495-1304) your letter to
The Planning Board
attn: Nkosi Yearwood
8787 Georgia Avenue
Silver Spring, MD
BE SURE TO ASK THAT IT BE MADE PART OF THE RECORD. Also, please send me a copy as well. Thanks for being part of a better Wheaton.
Thanks for making us aware of the need to write letters TODAY, and for outlining one major theme which needs to be addressed in those letters. But don't you think the letters should also include our comments and concerns related to the actual plans laid out in the Developers zoning application? Shouldn't each of our letters include specific recommendations to the planning board such as:
- No condominiums.
- No "1 over 1" or "2 over 2", etc. construction.
- The need for "binding" agreements related to the number of units, price and quality (e.g. "luxury") of housing constructed.
- Our genuine concern for the impact of dense development on our schools (further over crowding, adding to already poor performance).
- Turning the Rafferty (sp) center into a public facility along with keeping our community rec center.
- The need to include plans for parking at the Rafferty Center.
Some info from a community group on the other side of Veirs Mill road provides an update to planned changes at "Wheaton Plaza."
KHCA: Wheaton Plaza News Hot Off the Press! At a meeting last night, June 26, Westfield representatives announced that plans to renovate Westfield Shoppingtown Wheaton have moved forward with great speed in the past month, after many months of no movement since mid-September 2001. The following was announced, with maps and aerial photos: - A deal has been reached with Giant to begin construction of a new supermarket in January 2003, with expected completion by September 2003. It will be located on the land immediately to the right of the current entrance at Midvale and University ("our" entrance to the Plaza). - The Midvale entrance to the Plaza will be closed, the traffic light removed, and the median cut closed, and the new Plaza entrance will be one block to the west, at Valley View Drive. This entrance will allow immediate access to the new Giant. A traffic light will be installed at that location and pedestrian access will be improved at both Midvale and East/Upton (where McDonald's is). Two left-turn lanes westbound on University will turn into the Plaza at Valley View, much as it is now at Midvale, only with a one-block-longer "stacking" lane. The median on University will be 8 feet wide in order to accommodate trees and other landscaping. This construction will begin "as soon as possible." - Macy's has lifted its moratorium on new construction, in place since last September, and has reiterated its desire to locate a new store in the Plaza. A deal is all-but-signed with Westfield. Macy's would be located in the area that is now the Giant; a completely new building will be constructed from the ground up. Obviously, Macy's cannot begin construction until Giant is dismantled; completion of Macy's is expected some time in the latter half of 2004. There is contention and concern, from people who live in the neighborhood including Midvale, about the removal of the Midvale median cut and traffic light. Westfield hired a traffic consultant to try to figure out a way to keep that traffic light and median cut, but the consultant concluded - and the State Highway Administration agreed - that that was not tenable given the new entrance at Valley View. What this means for KH is that there will likely be more traffic doing u-turns at Drumm Ave. as they come out of Midvale and want to go east on University, assuming they cannot jump into the left-turn lanes at Valley View. More info as it becomes available, and we'll keep you apprised of any public meetings. Westfield folks say they genuinely want to work with the community, and I made certain to introduce myself to and talk with the Westfield reps to let them know that Kensington Heights residents are excited and also concerned about expansion of the Plaza.
There will be a community briefing on the relocation of the Wheaton Rescue Squad/Good Counsel High School at Crossway, 3015 Upton Street, on April 15 at 7 p.m. The briefing is a follow-up to the December 4 community meeting at which the Rescue Squad made its presentation to the community. If you have any questions, please call the Wheaton Redevelopment Office at 240-777-8121.
The second meeting will be held by representatives of the proposed builder on Tuesday, March 19 at 7:00 p.m. at Crossways Community (3015 Upton St. in Kensington, off University Blvd). This SLIDE SHOW is a presentation of information provided by the builder including a drawing of the planned development.
Notice of public hearing: A meeting will be held on Thursday, March 14th at the Montgomery County Planning Board meeting held at the Maryland National Capital Park & Planning Commission's office at 8787 Georgia Avenue. The meeting begins at 9:30 A.M. and the projected time for consideration of this matter is at 1:30 P.M. Call (301) 495-4600 to learn of any schedule changes.
"Preliminary Plan Review No. 1-02035 - Grandview Townhomes; CBD-1/R-60 Zones; 47 lots (47 single-family attached residential dwelling units); 2.08 acres; southwest quadrant, intersection of Grandview Avenue and Blueridge Avenue; Kensington/Wheaton
-- Approval with conditions."
The President of the Wheaton Regional Park Neighborhood Association, has developed several tools to help her neighbors speak out about some current concerns:
Copies of those tools saved in Microsoft Word format are available for download below.
- Wheaton Lumber townhouses
- Good Counsel townhouses
- possible loss of the Recreation Center for several years during the Rescue Squad move, etc.
Wheaton Action Toolkit Status of Wheaton Redevelopment Wheaton Address List Wheaton Letter Writing Suggestions
The Wheaton Lumber project was "unveiled" at the Redevelopment Steering Committee meeting on Wednesday night, 1/16/01. Here's a summary from one of the attendees at the meeting:
Plans for Townhouses on the Wheaton Lumber Lot: 40 Upscale Homes in Four Streetscaped Clusters, Perhaps with Park
Douglas Cooper of Union Realty Partners described his firm's approach to developing the Wheaton Lumber lot at a January 16,2002, meeting of the Wheaton Redevelopment Steering Committee. The D.C. firm has specialized in entrepreneurial projects such as the renovation and reuse of an old printing plant in a formerly blighted area of New York Avenue, a project that attracted additional development and jump-started neighborhood improvement.
The vision for the townhouse grouping features:
- Forty-three homes in four separated strips: a strip of 9 facing Blueridge Ave.,14 (in two groups of six and eight, separated by an entrance road) facing Grandview, 8 facing Kensington Pkwy, and 12 facing the water tank.
- Three-story townhomes, some with lofts, 20 feet wide and 38-40 feet long with two-car garages.
- Stylish brick exterior (all brick, not brick and vinyl as the University Blvd. Townhomes turned out), similar in design to the Cameron Hill homes on Second Ave. in Silver Spring.
- An urban feel, with entrances facing the sidewalks, streetscaped with trees and plantings according to the County's Wheaton streetscape guidelines.
- The possibility, favored by County Park and Planning, of a park on the currently unused space across Blueridge from Wheaton Lumber. It could encompass the whole 11,000 square feet, but current drawings show a new single family home on the westernmost 6000 square feet, with the park in the 5000 square feet facing Grandview. Citizen input would be sought to determine how the green space should be configured and used.
The target customers for the houses are young professionals and empty nesters who value easy Metro access and semi-urban living. The developer does not anticipate that families with children would find the homes suitable, and no child-specific amenities are planned. The homes will be priced in the upper $200s to $300,000 plus.
The Steering Committee voiced concern about potential street parking disruption from visitors to the complex or residents. Because the two-car garages and some in-complex parking are planned, the design exceeds parking standards set by the County. It is not clear whether visitor parking would become a problem, given the fair number of on-street spaces in the area. Three clearer concerns were raised during Committee questions.
First, the number of houses in some of the strips exceeds County regulations designed to avoid a "stockade" feel. Many developers are allowed to avoid these rules, however, and the Cameron Hill project has very long strings of homes. However, since the project borders single family homes on Blueridge, the string of nine homes on that side might be particularly out of character with its surroundings.
Second, the potential for storm water runoff into Wheaton Hills is a challenge that the developer has not solved to date. The water tanks and the configuration of pipes in the area complicates the task. Since the project is uphill from the surrounding neighborhood, this is an important issue at least for properties nearby.
Third, current zoning does not prevent home-based businesses. Some purchasers might buy the property for that purpose, since the areas across the street are commercial and Wheaton's central business is close by. It is in the developer's interest not to have this happen, just as it may be in the community's interest, because it would decrease the appeal for the intended customers and could create traffic and noise concerns. Townhouse covenants designed to prevent non-residential uses apparently have no legal standing, and residents have to sue offenders in civil court if violations become problematic.
The project will be presented to the County Planning Board on February 14, 2002, and citizens are allowed to come to the meeting and raise questions/make comments. If the Planning Board gives permission, the developer expects to demolish the Wheaton Lumber buildings in the fall of 2002 and begin work on utilities. The homes themselves will be built as contracts are sold, not all at one time. In practice, projects like this are usually built by strip. Once a couple of homes in a proposed strip are sold, the developer builds the whole strip. Union Realty is "cautiously optimistic" about its sales prospects in the current economy, but Mr. Cooper admitted it was impossible to predict a timeline for completion at this point.