Reminder of Sept 24 WECA Meeting at 6:30pm + Chestnut Lodge Redevelopment Petition for Consideration

WECA Neighbors – Two important items for you, as you start the last weekend of summer: First, a final reminder that the WECA September meeting is taking place this Thursday, September 24^th at 6:30pm (note the earlier-than-normal start time) at the Rockville Presbyterian Church (215 West Montgomery Avenue). Information on discussion topics was circulated a few days ago, and is on the website www.weca.us . Second, the WECA position regarding the redevelopment of the Chestnut Lodge site is provided below, along with a petition you may choose to sign, if you support that position.

 

We look forward to seeing everyone for the WECA meeting on Thursday at 6:30pm!

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WECA Opposition to Proposed Townhouses at Chestnut Lodge - Petition for your consideration

 

Chestnut Lodge - Townhouses Proposed to Replace Main Building

Issue:  A developer has proposed 7 townhouses at 500 W. Montgomery Ave., the Chestnut Lodge site.  This requires an amendment to the approved Planned Residential Unit (PRU) for the Chestnut Lodge housing development.  The former Main building was one of the most significant historic structures in Rockville, providing an iconic view scape along West Montgomery Ave.  In the original plan, the Main Building was to have been restored as condominiums with underground parking.  To achieve that, significant development concessions were granted the original developer.  Increased density was granted for the new housing in the rear to enable the front 7 acres to be preserved as a Historic District.  The Main Building was to have been the centerpiece, giving historic context to the other buildings, including the Fromm-Reichmann Cottage, Little Lodge, the Ice House and the Stable.  Tragically, the Main building was allowed to deteriorate and was destroyed by fire on June 7, 2009.

 

The proposed amendment to the PRU is for a stick of townhouses that faces Thomas Street, not West Montgomery Avenue.  It would present the rear of the building with surface parking, garages, back porches, garbage cans etc. to the west, in clear view from West Montgomery Avenue and the surrounding houses, some in the Historic District.  Townhouses were not considered appropriate anywhere in the original development and there are none on West Montgomery Avenue.  So why would these now be desirable?  There is precedent for the re-building of historic structures on this site.  The Stable was demolished and a replica built.  The Ice House had deteriorated almost to rubble and was rebuilt, partially from the salvaged pieces.  It is possible that the Main building could be rebuilt as well.  There are likely other uses and/or buildings that could be go on this important historic site, but a sideways stick of townhouses is not appropriate. 

 

WECA Involvement:  A WECA committee chaired by Patricia Woodward was formed this summer to look at this issue.  They recommended denial of the amendment to allow townhouses.  This would give the neighborhood and City time to seriously consider what the most appropriate use would be for this site.  Both the history of Chestnut Lodge as well as the intent of the original approved development plan should be respected.  A petition is circulating stating the WECA position (see link below).

 

Status:  The Planning Commission was briefed in September on the proposal.  There will be additional briefings to the Mayor and Council and the Historic District Commission in November.  Thereafter, hearings will be held with the final decision to be made by the new Mayor and Council in 2016.  If you have thoughts about this issue, now would be the time to discuss them with the candidates for Rockville Mayor and Council. 

 

See the petition here:

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/not-townhouses-at-chestnut-lodge.html

 

See more information about Chestnut Lodge here:

http://www.peerlessrockville.org/historic-rockville/peerless-places-2/chestnut-lodge/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chestnut_Lodge

Change of WECA Meeting to Thursday, Sept 24 at 6:30pm + Master/Neighborhood/Bikeways Plans and City "Listening Meeting"

The regularly scheduled meeting of the WECA Board has been moved to September 24, 2015.  It will start at 6:30pm.  Topics will be discussed that have far reaching impact on our neighborhood.   The Board meeting will be followed by a “Listening Meeting” conducted by City staff at 7:30pm.  The meetings will be located in the Rockville Presbyterian Church (215 West Montgomery Avnue).

 

Updating Rockville’s Master Plan and the Neighborhood Plans - The City is in the process of updating Rockville’s Comprehensive Master Plan including the Neighborhood Plans.  The West End neighborhood is included in Planning Area 4 that encompasses Woodley Gardens East/West as well as our neighborhood.  A Kickoff meeting was held this past May.  Recent developments have led to concerns about the way the city is communicating with the neighborhoods and the process that will be followed.

• Communications from the City regarding the Master Plan Update - Last spring WECA representatives attended meetings of the Planning Commission, Judge Patrick Woodward briefed the Planning Commission on the process used to create the West End Neighborhood Plan in 1989 and WECA representatives attended the Kick-off meeting in May.  At all these meetings the City stressed that updating the Master Plan would be a collaborative effort wherein staff would work closely with citizens and neighborhood organizations.  So far, that has not happened.  The City unilaterally set up the “Listening Meeting” for September 24th without coordination with anyone in the neighborhood or WECA.  The WECA Executive Board will discuss how to improve this situation such that all future meetings and actions regarding the West End’s Neighborhood Plan and portions of the Master Plan that affect the West End be coordinated with WECA PRIOR to scheduling and setting the agendas for meetings.   This communication approach should be used with all neighborhood associations, not just WECA. The City’s excuse that oops it slipped through the cracks is not good enough.
• Process for Updating the Neighborhood Plan - At numerous Board meetings last spring and at the presentations given to the Planning Commission by WECA officers and Judge Woodward, it was made clear that WECA wanted to lead the effort to update our own Neighborhood Plan.  The Planning Commission heard these recommendations and agreed that neighborhoods could design their own approaches to conduct this process.  In parallel the City would design listening meetings if some neighborhoods preferred to have the City lead the discussions.  The City staff has ignored this agreement and gone forward with “Listening Meetings” of their own design that they are taking to all neighborhoods without any inputs from the neighborhoods.  The purpose of the meeting, as relayed by City staff, to collect information on what issues are of importance to the neighborhood, not to make decisions on how these issues would be resolved.  However, this approach precludes a discussion within the neighborhood to decide on the relative importance of issues.  Further, it limits the issues to those raised at the Listening Meeting and may exclude other significant issues.  Lastly, it is not clear how the City will use the information that they collect.  With that in mind, it is essential that a record be kept and that WECA have a copy of the record.   WECA will work with Woodley Gardens East/West to design a more comprehensive approach for updating the Area 4 Neighborhood Plan.

Bikeways Master Plan - The City continues to push for a Bikeways Master Plan.  A new version including some revisions by the Planning Commission is available on-line at www.rockvillemd.gov/bikewaymasterplan.  I was just advised of this development last week.   In the message from Resource Coordinator he states:

“Note that in the draft Bikeway Master Plan, bicycle projects are proposed in the West End neighborhood. Bike lanes are proposed in your neighborhood on the following streets:
* Martins Lane
* Mannakee Street
* N. Washington Street
* Dawson Avenue (extended)

   Maryland Avenue ????

 

While no detailed engineering analysis has been completed to determine how a bike lane would be placed on these streets, they were identified in the draft Bikeway Master Plan as useful connections to important destinations and existing bicycle infrastructure. W. Montgomery Avenue is also included in the Bikeway Master Plan as an area to continue to study for future bicycle improvements.”  (The bolded text was added by Noreen Bryan, President of West End Neighborhood Association for emphasis.)

 

The fact that the City wants to choose streets for bike paths without understanding the impact on the neighborhood is unreasonable and irresponsible.  Bike paths could mean the elimination of curbside trees, grassy areas between the street and the sidewalk, parking, or even reduction of front yards.  It has been my experience that once approved in the Master Plan, citizens will have little ability to prevent these detrimental impacts on the neighborhood, because the City will say that we agreed to the Master Plan.  This is what happened in front of the historic houses on Fleet Street.  The sidewalk was expanded for bicycles and the trees near the curb were destroyed.   A WECA committee to deal with the Bikeways Master Plan has been established.  Marian Hull will lead the Committee.  If you have interest in participating on this committee please contact Noreen Bryan at noreen1945@yahoo.com.  Because the impact on the neighborhood could be adverse and potentially degrade property values, the WECA committee will assess the material available from the City with an eye to testifying at the next public hearing before the Planning Commission on October 14^th.