MONDAY, MAY 17, 2010 ANNUAL MEETING with GUEST SPEAKER from MCDOT AND ELECTION OF BOARD MEMBERS

The Annual Meeting will be held in May, where MSCA president, Bob Gross, and others, will provide an update on topics of local interest. The meeting will be from 7:30PM to 9:30PM at Beverly Farms Elementary School. We will hold annual elections for the Board of Directors, and a question and answer session will be included.  If you are interested in a position on the Board or volunteering, please contact the Secretary, Tom Hall (301-340-7491 or twhall@comcast.net). For other information, contact Bob Gross (301-294-0781 or rjgross@comcast.net), or Vice President Steve Schuck (301-424-2774 or theshucks@longandfoster.com).

SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2010 ANNUAL YARD SALE Noon to 3:00 PM

The neighborhood association will advertise the event in the Gazette and The Washington Post and display yard sale signs and banners at the major entrances. In addition, we will post signs pointing to your yard sale. This event has drawn quite a bit of interest in the past and we hope for a good turnout.  If you want to participate, please contact Steve Schuck  by e-mail to theschucks@longandfoster.com before May 1, 2010.

Montgomery Square eBulletin
November 30, 2009
In This Issue
Message from the MSCA President
Next General Meeting Dates
Crime Report
Dear Resident,

Thanks for opening the first eBulletin from Montgomery Square.  This is being sent out to over 170 MSCA households who have provided an email address on the Dues and Directory forms.  The ability to use email to reach out to many in the neighborhood can only improve communication and helpful interaction.
This email comes in part to notify you of the upcoming Seven Locks Road Sidewalk and Bikeway Project meeting scheduled for:
Wednesday, December 2, 2009 from 6-9pm at:
The Heights School – Chesterton Hall
10400 Seven Locks Road
Bethesda, MD 20814
Mont Square logo
Sincerely,

Steve Schuck
Montgomery Square

Message From Bob Gross, President MSCA

Thank you for providing us with your email address.  We hope to send you an email from time to time containing useful and timely information that is not possible or cost effective via first class mail or hand delivery.  We hope you find this new service helpful and informative.

I’d also like to thank Steve Schuck for taking the initiative and doing the lion’s share of the work to start up this new endeavor.
Please let Steve or me know if you have any suggestions or ideas.

Sign up Block If you know someone in MSCA who wants to be added to the list serve, forward this to them.

Look for the December
2009 Directory and Newsletter to be to delivered in the next few weeks.

Next General Meeting  –
Bring your good ideas and come out to the next neighborhood meeting Monday January 18, 2010 from 7:30-8:30 at:

Schuck House
4 Old Canal Ct

Crime Report

There were eleven thefts from vehicles overnight between Thursday, 9/3 and Friday, 9/4. All vehicles were left unlocked and small items such as coins, CD’s, laptop, and cell phone chargers. The locations included:
11600 block Gowrie Ct
8800 block Post Oak
2500 block of Stratton Dr
8500 block of Atwell Rd
8300 block of Aqueduct
2400 block of Stratton Dr
2400 block of Chilham Pl
12300 block Captain Smith Ct
8400 block Jeb Stuart
Unit block of Infield Ct
Obviously, crime reporting is better if it is current.  Please contact us if you know of something that needs to be reported to the community.

Contact Us
www.montgomerysquare.org

Steve Schuck TheSchucks@longandfoster.com

or

Bob Gross

DOT Develops Preliminary Design for Seven Locks Road Sidewalk & Bikeway Project
Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) is in the process of developing the preliminary design (35%) plans for the Seven Locks Road Sidewalk and Bikeway Project (SLRS&B). The SLRS&B project is currently in Facility Planning Phase 2.

All MSCA residents are invited to attend a SLRS&B public workshop scheduled for:

Wednesday, December 2, 2009
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
The Heights School
Chesterton Hall
10400 Seven Locks Road
Potomac, Maryland 20854

The proposed project will provide pedestrian and bicycle improvements along Seven Locks Road from Montrose Road to Bradley Boulevard. There are existing intermittent pedestrian facilities along this corridor but there are no offroad facilities that meet current County standards. The improvements include a “Dual Bikeway” which provides for both on-road and off-road bicycle facilities.

Improvements include:

* Two 11-foot wide travel lanes plus 5-foot wide bike on-road lanes along both sides of Seven Locks Road;
* An 8-foot off-road shared use bike path on the west side of Seven Locks Road;
* A 5-foot wide sidewalk on the east side of Seven Locks Road;
* An 8-foot off-road shared use path along Montrose Road between Seven Locks Road and the I-270 ramp;
* Northbound and eastbound auxiliary through lanes at the intersection of Seven Locks Road and Tuckerman Lane.

For further information, we have posted the MCDOT newsletter regarding this project. Click to read “pdf” file of newsletter:
Mountygomery County Seven Locks Road Sidewalk and Bikeway Newsletter

MSCA is interested in forming a Seven Locks Road Sidewalk & Bikeway Committee to assist MCDOT in bringing this project to fruition. If you are interested in joining this Committee, please contact Bob Gross at rjgross@comcast.net or 301-467-1007.

Minutes of MSCA Board Meeting 10-27-09

The fall meeting of MSCA Board was held at the home of the President, Bob Gross, on September 27, 2009. The President, opened the meeting at 7:40 and welcomed a new neighbor and volunteer. The Board discussed the repaving of the southern portion of Montgomery Square. It was the opinion of the Board that the President’s frequent contacts with the County on this subject should be credited with success in lobbying for this improvement. While the work was still in progress, this is a great benefit overall. A question was raised as to whether the speed humps would be re-installed after paving. The President had inquired about this with the County and determined that they would be.

Treasurer David Grossman reported annual dues collection had ended with a total of $12,470, from about 250 households. Landscaping expenses have stayed under control with the new contractor and we should end the year with some reserves.

Vice President Steve Schuck discussed the printing schedule for the annual MSCA Directory and the fall Tetragon newsletter. Sequencing of dues collection with the printing of the Directory is important to minimize the possibility of missing the names of participating members. The fall Tetragon will come with the solicitation for 2010 dues and information updates. Tetragons and Directories should be distributed through Block Captains, maintaining the duties and opportunities for these volunteers to participate. The Board revisited the decision not to list non-responsive households by name and phone number, and decided to stay with the program and not guess at names and phone numbers, relying instead only on the returned dues and information sheets.

Based on inquiries from a couple of households, the Board discussed whether MSCA can or should assist in the upkeep of the Montgomery Square signature brick walls at the main entrances on Seven Locks Road and Falls Road. Previous research had indicated that the walls are within the property boundaries of the homeowners at those corners and that while MSCA does landscape on the homeowner’s property, it is by permission of the property owner only, and not an obligation on either party. However, there was a sense that the signs defined the community identity and were in the interests of the community. Previous precedents noted by the Secretary, Tom Hall, were that the Board had paid to repaint and reletter the signs themselves many years ago. In another case, a homeowner contracted at her own expense to refurbish the brick wall on her property to meet her requirements. Subject to funds available and the size of potential expenditures, the Board may choose to assist property owners in maintenance of the signs and, if practicable, the walls over time. However, the potential size of the problem and cost estimates would be required. A volunteer was selected to survey the affected walls and see about getting estimates for the next meeting.

In closing, the President thanked the Officers and volunteers.

Meeting was adjourned.

Minutes of MSCA Annual Meeting 5-4-09

The annual meeting of MSCA was held at Beverly Farms elementary school on May 4, 2009, as publicized in advance and in accordance with our bylaws.

Bob Gross, President, opened the meeting at 7:35. Bob introduced the board members present and reviewed accomplishments from the past year. Thanks to efforts from the Vice President, Steve Schuck, Treasurer David Grossman, and Membership Chair Roger Hahn, annual dues collection went more smoothly and quickly than ever. About half of households particpated in the first wave, and a follow-up mailing is expected to increase the percentage. Treasurer David Grossman reported that collecting dues via the new Post Office Box helped manage the mail better as well. With the percent participation, the association will be able to fund its normal complement of activities. The largest expenses is, as always, landscaping and maintenance of the landscaped areas. A new landscape contractor was selected by the Board this year.

This is the first year in recent times where households not responding to the mailed request for information updates and dues will not be listed by name in the annual MSCA Directory. The Board had decided in a previous meeting not to list names and numbers of non-responsive members, since we are listing their names by permission only. We do solicit responses more than once, and do so by direct mail to the adddress so that everyone who wishes to participate may do so. Ideas for increasing participation to a goal of 80% were discussed, including more on-line group communication media.

Bob Gross went over many items of local interest dealing with development issues. First, he gave a review of the Seven Locks Road Sidewalk and Bikeway Project, which is still progressing through the County’s planning phases. Second, the membership discussed the water main replacement project on the southern side of Montgomery Square. Homeowners are concerned about the overall condition of the road surface already and what it will look like after Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) finished its project. The President has continued to push for complete repaving, between WSSC and the County.

The Secretary, Tom Hall, reported that no new nominations had been received for the Officers of MSCA. All current officers, however, agreed to continue to serve if selected. A vote of those present was unanimous for retaining the current Officers.

In closing, the President noted that he wished to thank the Officers and volunteers. He thanked everyone for coming.

Meeting was adjourned.

Montgomery Square February 09 Newsletter PDF

Click here for the December 2008 Tetragon

Minutes of Board Meeting 08-26-2008

The summer 2008 meeting of the MSCA Board of Directors was held August 26, 2008, at the home of the President, Bob Gross.

The President opened the meeting at 7:30. The Board discussed progress in dues collection, where an additional notice was mailed to homeowners who had not responded. The notice reminded people that we would not be listing information in the 2009 MSCA Directory for households not responding since we had no validation for their information to print. The notice resulted in an additional 40-50 collections, bringing up our participation rate considerably.

Vice President Steve Schuck discussed the preparation of the directory for printing. He has reformatted the data from a publishing format into a database so that more flexible reports, mailings, and printable directory listings can be tailored as needed. The layout of the book was demonstrated to the Board’s approval. The book will contain the bylaws, information on services by local residents, a cross index of street addresses to homeowner names (when available), and the main directory itself. Some advertising will help offset part of the printing costs.

The Board discussed how best to distribute various materials. It decided to mail out the formal request for dues, with return envelopes, to fit into a normal pattern of billing and payment, rather than use door-to-door flyers which might get discarded too easily. Bulk materials like the newsletters will continue to use local kids, while Block Captains will get involved by asking them to deliver the directories and keep any extras to give to new residents.

Ideas for the newsletter to accompany the directory were discussed, and relevant parts of the Montgomery County codes covering things like pet waste, unkempt yards, trash, leaves, and other topics will be included.

The state of the neighborhood roads was discussed and Bob Gross reported the substance of his conversations with County representatives. In brief, the County has insufficient funds to do all the work that it should do, so there is an indeterminate wait on getting roads resurfaced or repaired. After water main work in the southern portion of the Association, the water authority, WSSC, must repair the damage to the road. However, their practice is to pave just the areas trenched out, not the whole road. Getting the water authority and the County to collaborate and just fix the whole road at the same time was suggested by Bob, but without any action by the County. Short of hiring lawyers or lobbyists to be more aggressive in badgering the County, there appears to be no work forthcoming in the near term. Bob will continue to see if neighboring associations such as Regency Estates are lobbying the County on the same issues and align with them where possible. If an association member has the time and energy to pursue this more actively, he or she should volunteer for the Roads Committee chair and work on it.

Bob brought the Board up to date on the Seven Locks Sidewalk and Bikeway project. A new project manager has been assigned as the project moves ahead into the next planning phase, Phase II. In this phase, survey work for rights of way and topography will be done and a facility planning estimate will be completed. If this work is completed as scheduled, it will result in a budget request being submitted along with others in the June 2009 timeframe. The project manager will be happy to meet with representatives of the Association. This is another area needing volunteer help to stay in contact with County officials.

The Board discussed landscaping plans and contracts. The decision was to retain the current contractor for the next season, with pansies to be planted for fall. Landscaping will continue to be the largest expense for the Association in 2009.

The meeting was adjourned at 9PM with the next meeting to be in October, only if necessary. If possible, review and production of the Directory and newsletter will be coordinated online.

Meeting was adjourned.

Minutes of MSCA Annual Meeting 5-19-08

The annual meeting of MSCA was held at Beverly Farms elementary school on May 19, 2008, as publicized in advance and in accordance with our bylaws.

Bob Gross, President, opened the meeting at 7:35. Bob introduced the board members present and highlighted existing vacancies on the board, asking for volunteers. He emphasized that all positions were open to new volunteers. Committee chairs for the Social Committee, Transportation, and the Improvements Committee are needed.

Treasurer David Grossman reported that over 175 households had already paid dues for 2008, and that the treasury of the Association was adequate for projected expenses. The largest expenses is, as always, landscaping and maintenance of the landscaped areas.

Bob Gross went over many items of local interest dealing with development issues. First, he gave a review of the Seven Locks Road Sidewalk and Bikeway Project. We had asked the MSCA membership for input on this project to gauge whether the Board should represent the community as being generally in favor of the concept or not. Almost 100 participating members responded favorably to the idea, subject to some concerns that will have to be addressed when more detailed plans are available. A very few negative responses were also received, but the consensus was to support the County’s project at this time and watch for impacts to the homeowners along Seven Locks Road as special cases.

Second, the membership discussed the water main replacement project on the southern side of Montgomery Square. Homeowners are concerned about the overall condition of the road surface already and what it will look like after Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) finished its project. Information from the County to date is that WSSC will only repave the disturbed area in a strip along the road, not the whole road. The President has inquired about whether the County and WSSC can partner and do the whole road, but County funds are very limited for any repaving work and we have not found a way to convince the County to act as of yet. There may be recourse if the work done by WSSC is not done well enough for the County inspectors. The Board will continue to look for opportunities here, but could use some help in staying on top of this issue. A member noted that with more dues collected, MSCA could afford more legal and lobbying support to pressure the County and WSSC, but not with current resources. If a goal of 85% participation could be met consistently, a material difference would be possible.

The Board agreed to press for a higher participation goal and attendees discussed how to go about increasing dues collection, and the relationship between paying dues and receipt of the MSCA Directory, and/or inclusion as a listing in the directory. All combinations of the options were considered, with pros and cons debated with the membership at large. The consensus of the meeting was to continue thanking those who had paid, publicly in the Tetragon, and to target those who had not with a specific letter from the Board in the mail asking for their directory information and the dues payment. The Board was persuaded by the argument that if households do not respond with their desired directory listing names and telephone numbers, the Board cannot justify listing them in the 2008-2009 directory that is being prepared for printing. Absent knowledge of who the homeowners are and absent their permission to list them, the Board should discontinue listing the names of non-responsive homeowners. This will be explained in the mailing. The Board apologizes to anyone who may have paid and not been recorded properly, and they can correct any mistakes before printing. On the question of whom to give directories, the Board found that the consensus was for giving it to all households as a neighborhood resource and to maintain the value of advertising space in the publication, which helps offset printing costs. While some members did not initially like the idea of giving the directory to non-paying households, the overall benefit of doing so, along with the change to not list non-participating members, was accepted as a package by the Board.

Board members discussed the upcoming directory printing. Advertisements will be solicited, and any members who wish to have ads run for their businesses can contact the Vice President, Steve Schuck.

Bob reported that the annual Yard Sale was a success, with about the same number of households participating as in prior years. Efforts to get the advertising out and signs put up were appreciated. Thanks are due to Steve Schuck for the effort. Another large banner sign will be procured for next year.

Another local development issue discussed was the Montrose Road and Route 355 area. Plans for improvement to Montrose east from Rockville Pike to Georgia Avenue are on hold, and the State is holding up money for the Rockville Pike and Montrose Road overpass. However, a meeting on the overpass/intersection scheduled for June appeared to indicate that construction would start. No further information was available at the time of the meeting, however.

The Secretary, Tom Hall, reported that no new nominations had been received for the Officers of MSCA. All current officers, however, agreed to continue to serve if selected. A vote of those present was unanimous for retaining the current Officers.

In closing, the President noted that he wished to thank the Officers and volunteers. He thanked everyone for coming.

Meeting was adjourned.