YES !! In-Person WMCCA General Meetings are Back !!
President’s Letter by Susanne Lee
Our last in-person meeting was in March, 2020. It’s all been Zooming since then – truly an amazing technology but definitely not the same. Zoom, along with other meeting technologies, allowed us to “be together” and participate not just in our meetings, but also before the County Council, the Planning Board, and the Office of Zoning and Administrative Appeals (OZAH). And to do so no matter the weather, clothing choices, or remote overseas locations. But there were many drawbacks and limitations – especially when public participation processes were already unnecessarily opaque. During this time, WMCCA was active in multiple issues involving Thrive Montgomery 2050, stream restorations, the proposed Beltway widening, and the County’s 2022 Water and Sewer Plan, to name just a few.
But the real heroes were the neighbors surrounding the proposed Spectrum Senior Living site on River Road (previously Petals and Plants and Behnke Nurseries) and those surrounding the Heritage Gardens (now Heritage Potomac) site on South Glen Road (previously the 4th Presbyterian School). Big, new development plans for these sites were being proposed just as the pandemic hit. Notwithstanding everything else they were dealing with personally and professionally during COVID, they reached out to other neighbors, organized, raised funds, hired legal and technical expertise, and participated in extensive Planning Board and OZAH processes. The Heritage Potomac neighbors had already spent several years successfully opposing the developer’s illegal attempts to develop the property. Going forward they stepped up their efforts, formed a new South Glen Community Association, engaged and funded legal and technical experts, did extensive analyses of multiple issues and spent days preparing and testifying before the Planning Board and OZAH. We thank them!
Looking back over this period, there were certainly some good things that happened. An outrageous Planning Board is gone. But unfortunately, already some staff decisions indicate old ways continue. Notwithstanding our concerns about the process, Thrive has confirmed the basic principles set forth in the Potomac Subregion Master Plan. Notwithstanding the Council’s actions, the Maryland State Department of Environment has rejected the extension of sewer lines to commercial sites outside the community sewer envelope. Going forward a great challenge will be the development of the Potomac Gardens site. The OZAH hearing examiner approved a massive age-restricted townhouse development, a separate large independent and assisted living facility, and destruction of a protected forest tract and construction in the Watts Branch stream valley buffer.
In the 20 years since the enactment of the Potomac Subregion Master Plan, all such other large scale developments have occurred as directed by the Master Plan – Park Potomac, The Quarry, Cabin John Shopping Center, etc. Potomac Gardens is unfortunately an outrageous outlier inconsistent with the Master Plan and its basic principles of community planning and land use. Given the scope of potential harms, we are increasing our efforts to ensure the construction phase is totally transparent and the scant protections provided are stringently enforced and not further diluted, waived, or ignored.
Write the FAA about Airplane Noise
Submitted by Carol Van Dam Falk
Due to heavy pressure from communities like ours from all across the country, the FAA has begun to update its aviation noise policies, which means we can provide input. Montgomery County Skies Coalition calls it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (the current noise policy dates to the 1970’s). As a first step, the FAA has asked the public (and the scientific community) to provide feedback that will inform its updated civil aviation noise policies. If you are impacted by abnormally loud aviation noise, we strongly encourage you to write to the FAA. Simply describe your personal, lived experience with aviation noise and send it in as an official comment and state that you want the FAA to revise its noise policies to protect people like you from the harms you have described.
The deadline was 11:59pm September 29, 2023 but we recommend you write anyway.
Submit online by pasting into this form: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FAA-2023-0855-0001
Describe in detail the problems you have experienced with aviation noise, to the best of your ability including mental and emotional stress, loss of sleep, etc. Make sure your submission includes Docket No. FAA-2023-0855.
REMINDER: IT’S TIME TO RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP FOR 2023-2024
Please renew or become a new member of WMCCA. Go to our website http://www.wmcca.org to download a membership form or join using PayPal: Individual: $25 / Family: $50. We encourage donations to our Legal Fund. While we strive for positive results without litigation, sometimes it is unavoidable and highly effective. Contributions from members enabled us to join efforts to successfully address several issues as they affect the Potomac Subregion Master Plan, zoning, and environmental threats to the “Green Wedge”, our creeks and water supplies, and the Agricultural Reserve. If you have any issues or concerns in your neighborhood, please contact WMCCA. We appreciate the input from our neighbors. Thank you for your support !! Our Membership year runs from October 1st to September 30th.
Mark Your Calendars for October 21, 2023 – POTOMAC DAY!
Visit our WMCCA Booth #76 and enjoy a treat from the Ag Reserve!
Our Speaker for the November 8, 2023 General Meeting will be
Andrew Friedson, District 1 Councilmember – Don’t Miss It
IN-PERSON WMCCA Meeting October 11, 2023 – 7:30 p.m.
SPEAKER: Ryan Colliton, Principal Natural Resources Specialist – Vegetation Ecologist, Montgomery Parks, The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (MNCPPC)
The Vegetation Ecology and Management Unit is focused on the conservation of native biological diversity, accomplished through a variety of programs and efforts including the use of contractors, staff, and volunteers to address issues detrimental to conservation. The last three years the program has experienced significant changes to refocus efforts to on-the ground management. This presentation will focus on the efforts taken to enhance the Weed Warrior volunteer program from a strictly invasive plant control program to a restoration framework, the methods used to prioritize resources in over 26,000 acres of high-quality natural areas, and results of baseline resource inventories for planning and future plans for program enhancements. Mr. Colliton will also highlight some of the unique natural areas of Montgomery County and share new exciting developments regarding conservation in Montgomery County.
As always, the public is welcome to attend!
West Montgomery County Citizens Association Newsletter
P.O. Box 59335, Potomac, MD 20854-9335
President – Susanne Lee: President@WMCCA.org
Website: WMCCA.org – Thomas Fahey, Newsletter Editor – Nancy Madden
West Montgomery County Citizens Association 