Sunday, April 3, 2016

Two Important Items for WECA Awareness


WECA Neighbors – There are two important items to share with you below, so please take a few minutes to read through this. The first pertains to recent, unprovoked harassment that some of our neighbors have experienced at their home, and how we as concerned West End residents can help. The second details a school bus lot being proposed by the Montgomery County government and MCPS for the corner of Mannakee Street and Route 355, and outlines associated concerns.

 

As the spring weather arrives, the days get longer, and more people are out-and-about, please do keep a watchful eye, help your neighbors where you can, and remember “If you see something, say something.”

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Disturbing Harassment Incidents within the West End

The message below from West End residents, Don and Maggie Hadley, is most disturbing.  They have been subjected to frightening harassment in their home by a group of young men.  Please take care of yourselves and support the Hadleys by turning on your front porch lights.

 

Hi Neighbors,

We wanted to let you know that apparently our house is being targeted for harassment by a group of young white men (18-20 years old).  We have now had two incidents within 10 days – the first on Saturday, March 19th at around 8:30 p.m. and the second on Thursday, March 31st at around 10 p.m.  They repeatedly ring our doorbell and when we open the door we are cursed at (severe profanity) and threatened (we are going to blow up your house).  The first time was just the verbal abuse, but most recently they also detonated fire crackers on our front porch.  The first night they ran off down Upton Street; on the March 31st incident we did not see which way they went, or whether they are on foot or have a car parked on the street.

 

The police have been called both times (Rockville first, Montgomery County most recently), but by the time they arrive the culprits have disappeared.  Don drove the neighborhood immediately after the first incident and saw no one.

 

The only suggestion the police had was that since our neighborhood is very dark, if the neighbors would leave their outside and/or porch lights on overnight, it would afford less places for the perpetrators to hide.  So far, we seem to be the only house that has been selected for this “special treatment”, so we would request that if possible everyone illuminate the outside of their house at night so perhaps we can deter further visitations or at least get a good description of the young men in question. 

 

Thanks, and be vigilant. 

Maggie & Don Hadley

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Proposed Bus Depot on Carver Lot

Background:  Montgomery County government and the Montgomery County Public School (MCPS) Board are working to relocate 100 school buses to the Carver School lot at the corner of Mannakee Street and RT 355.  The county is moving the buses because it has sold the land on Crabbs Branch Way where 400 school buses and their fueling station are parked today.  In selling the land to a developer to build housing the county failed to make provisions for parking and fueling the buses.   In fact, the County’s decision to use the Carver Lot was made without letting citizens know.  No public hearings were held.  Reviews of pertinent public documents reveal that the County did not assess potential adverse impacts of locating a bus depot next to a residential neighborhood, including traffic, noise, air pollution, reduced residential values associated with a fenced bus compound abutting a neighborhood.  Currently, the County is planning to relocate buses to the Carver Lot by December 31, 2016. 

 

Issues:

  • Through Traffic of School Buses in the West End and Woodley Gardens Neighborhoods will reduce safety and overburden the streets: These neighborhood roads are narrow, lined with houses and parked cars, have bike lanes and are not designed to accommodate a large volume of school buses passing through the neighborhood for other destinations.  Steady streams of buses will make these streets hazardous for children walking to school and commuters walking to the metro. 
  • Noise and Air Pollution: The noise and noxious fumes emitted by buses as they warm-up and sit in lines waiting to exit the lot will adversely affect the health and quality of life of neighbors.   Idling will begin as early as 4:30am and will exceed County noise ordinances. Further, experience shows that school bus drivers regularly park their buses along their routes on narrow, residential roads running their engines while they wait for the next pick up, thus creating noise and air pollution throughout the day. 
  • Traffic on RT 355: The intersection at Mannakee Street and RT 355 is considered the second busiest transit chokepoint in Rockville. Traffic to and from Montgomery College, the heavy volume of Metro buses and commuter traffic make this a heavily congested area.  Adding the trips of 100 school buses and their drivers arriving in the morning and departing at the end of the day will make the situation significantly worse.

 

What Neighbors Are Doing to Stop the Bus Depot

  • Mobilizing neighbors to stand up and voice their opposition to the bus depot.
  • Voicing our concerns with County Councilman Sidney Katz, District 3, Rockville Mayor and Council and Montgomery County School Board.
  • Asking the City of Rockville to formally review and take a position in opposition to the bus depot.  While the County Council could overrule this decision, it would require them to take a public vote in the face of overwhelming citizen opposition.
  • The West End Civic Association will discuss and potentially adopt a resolution at its Board meeting on April 21, 2016.

 

What You Can Do







  • Attend neighborhood meetings.  The next one is Tuesday, April 5th at 7pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church (100 Welsh Park Drive).



  • Follow this issue, attend meetings and voice your opposition with city, county and school board members.



If you would like more information, please contact Theresa Defino, WECA’s Point of Contact as follows:

Telephone: 301-738-3721
E-mail:  tdefino@aol.com or tdefino@aishealth.com