Montgomery Square Citizens' Association

Minutes of MSCA Board Meeting 12-02-2004

The MSCA Board met on December 2, 2004 at the home of the President, Bob Gross.

We discussed the landscaping and noted that most of the planting of pansies this fall seem to have been consumed by deer. This problem did not appear to be so bad in prior years, and we will have to ask Bill Baruffi, who does the landscaping, to consider what plantings would be more resistant for the future. The Board considered some informal discussions that Bob had with our neighbors to the South, Regency Estates Citizens Association (RECA.) Once dormant, RECA is now quite active. Since the southern moiety of MSCA shares its public school boundaries with RECA, the question was raised whether realigning the citizens’ associations made sense. Some MSCA residents already join the Regency Estates pool, for example, instead of the Montgomery Square-Copenhaver pool. After discussion of various pros and cons, the sense of the Board was that we would not pursue any changes or mergers at this time. There are significant differences in construction, age and prices between the Kettler-built areas served by MSCA and the areas included in Regency Estates; and MSCA has been more aggressive in raising funds to improve landscaping, for example. However, attending one another’s meetings, sharing information, and supporting common areas of interest make a lot of sense and should be pursued. Bob announced that we would be trying to get out an issue of the Tetragon in late March or early April, in time to publicize the annual May events – the Community Yard Sale on May 1 (12:00-4:00PM), the Block Party on May 15 (1:00-4:00PM), and the Annual Meeting on May 24 (7:30-9:00 PM). We will try out a new idea suggested by a member to solicit for people willing to show off their houses, especially additions or remodelings, for a new “House Tour” day. We will be looking for someone to help organize such an event as well. We would also be interested in accepting classified ads, and Ann Stadnicki volunteered to take e-mails from anyone interested (mailto: a_stadnicki@yahoo.com) Bob reported on the progress of work by the County on some projects. He was able to get the County to extend and rebuild the retaining wall on the North side of the Post Oak Road and Seven Lock Road corner, with MSCA paying for material only and the County providing labor and design. Other projects have been delayed and he will continue to urge the County to finish them, including recoating the roads in the southern portion of the community as was done for the northern side last year. Bruce Avery will contact the County to get status on the Bike/Sidewalk study that a County representative spoke about at the last annual meeting. The suggestion was made to have another County speaker at this year’s annual meeting, perhaps from the Department of Housing and Community Affairs, which offers many services, including handling complaints about various violations of residential zoning ordnances. (There are links to local county government web sites on the MSCA web page, www.montgomerysquare.org). Other possible topics for further investigation included the ICC, which is moving along, and developments planned in the area, including Fortune Park and new apartments next to the White Flint metro where the driving range once stood. Bob thanked everyone for their support and adjourned the meeting.

Minutes of MSCA Annual Meeting 5-17-04

The annual meeting of MSCA was held at Beverly Farms elementary school on May 17, 2004, as publicized in advance and in accordance with our bylaws.

Bob Gross, President, opened the meeting at 7:30. He introduced two guest speakers for the evening.

The first speaker was Amy Gleklen, representing the relatively new Seven Locks Civic Association. This group was formed to be an umbrella organization for the many community associations and other interest groups spanning the length of Seven Locks Road. Their first major subject of interest has been bike lanes and sidewalks along the entire road, replacing the patchwork of paths and sidewalks that appear and disappear. The section from Bradley Boulevard to Democracy Lane was noted as being particularly dangerous. Bob Gross followed up on this discussion with descriptions of what we as MSCA had done to get the corners improved at Post Oak and at Gainsborough, including repaving sidewalks and improving drainage.

The second speaker was Tom Pogue, Community Outreach Manager, Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPW&T.) Mr. Pogue explained that there is a Capital Improvements Program (CIP) project called Facility Planning, which is an umbrella project that looks at proposals and projects like the ones mentioned and costs them out. Thanks to the efforts of the Seven Locks Civic Association, the area in question will be looked at in the FY06 CIP Budget that starts in July 2005. Facility Planning will study and cost out any missing sidewalk links in that corridor. Once a cost figure is established a project can then be put in the CIP Budget. Also scheduled are about a half dozen traffic studies at various intersections along that corridor. The overall process for the Seven Locks Project planning was explained. Mr. Pogue entertained questions and left literature on the Department’s services for those interested.

During the question and answer session, the mystery of the digging along Montrose Road west of Seven Lock Road was solved – this was for a water/sewer main to the State Police barracks, but the contractor ran into rock and abandoned the project, forcing the County to go out for new proposals to do the work, which may take many more months to restart and complete. A status of the development effort at Fortune Park was also shared. The commercial sector development there has been postponed, but townhouse construction can start anytime now. Similarly, construction at the Potomac Crest property, across Seven Locks Road from Cabin John Mall, will begin this summer.

Secretary Tom Hall announced the results of the call for nominations for officers of the association. Most standing officers volunteered to continue in their positions, except for the Vice President. There were no new nominees offered. Re-election of the remaining current slate was unanimous. The Board now needs a new Vice President. Volunteers for this or any other position on the Board should contact the President at any time.

Bob Gross then quickly covered recent events and successes. The community yard sale was again a big hit, generating sales for participating residents, who in turn donated $150 to the Stepping Stones Shelter. The Block Party surpassed all expectations, with great weather and an outstanding musical performance from a local band. Guests consumed 18 pizzas purchased from and delivered by Sienna’s Pizza. Bob also covered the budget and fiscal health of the association. With over 200 dues paying residents, the Association raises enough money for significant landscaping and beautification all year long, plus special events such as the ones mentioned.

In closing, the President thanked everyone for coming. Refreshments provided by Geppetto Catering, courtesy of owner and MSCA resident Josh Carin, were enjoyed by all.

Meeting was adjourned.

Minutes of MSCA Board Meeting 3-22-2004

The regular meeting of the MSCA Board for Spring, 2004 was held March 22, 2004 at the home of President Bob Gross.

The Board discussed and planned upcoming events, listed on the Web Site and in our most recent newsletter, The Tetragon. The Yard Sale is on for May 2nd, Sunday, 12-4 PM. Bob said that Rob Doherty would get out a flyer on the yard sale. We have signs already made up but will need to overlay the dates. Bill Baruffi has the signs and will handle them. He will also look into getting extra “arrow” signs to point to sales. We wish to place ads in the Gazette, possibly the Regency Estates Newsletter (if inexpensive or done on a quid pro quo basis), and the Washington Post. Kim Ford will do the ad placements and will serve as the point of contact for people to e-mail or call to get marked on the maps in advance. As last year, we will ask for a $10 voluntary contribution to a charity (Stepping Stones) by those participating.

The next major event will be the Block Party. Rob has arranged for the street (Henry Fleet) to be closed with County permission. Bob will ask Joan Clowes to serve as the POC for sign ups for the party, also listed on the flyer with the yard sale and annual meeting notice. Rob may get a band to play. We discussed extensively whether we could provide food, but decided that liability was a concern. Ideally we can get a pizza provider to sell at a discount per slice, and we can provide soda and safely packaged snacks. We can ask Josh Carin if he is interested in supplying food in some capacity. Other ideas included having an Ice Cream Truck come. A pot luck might work as well. The Board set a $500 target to be used for the budget for the party, which might also cover minor entertainment for kids – balloon figure-making, face-painting, etc. The Board will defer to Rob and Joan for planning within that budget or coming back with reasons for other expenses first.

The last major event discussed was the Annual Meeting. It will be held May 17th at 7:30 at Beverly Farms Elementary school. Bob will contact the Gazette to list the meeting in their calendar of events. We can start setting up at 7:00. Tom Hall will serve as the POC for people to call and nominate themselves for the Board. We will have reports from the officers and elections. For a speaker, we will try to get the developers from Fortune Park to describe that project as they did for a Board meeting last year.

Ann Stadnicki reported on the status of the Directory publication effort. She needs final updates from David Grossman as he gets dues contributions with update forms. Kim said she would e-mail Block Captains to ask if anyone new had moved in recently and could be listed. Half the cost of printing will be borne by Ann’s company in return for first choice in advertising placement. Ads for other places will be sold and some are still available. Prices include $25 (business card size), $75 for half page, $100 for full page, and $150 for inside covers.

A few updates on local projects were provided by Bob. We still believe the County will resurface, with slurry, the southern motie of MSCA similar to the way the northern motie was done last year. There are somewhat conflicting planning activities for the Seven Lock Road corridor, with a major bikeway and sidewalk study being pushed. This may actually delay some improvement work that the County was willing to do at our behest. There are some repairs needed at the corner of Post Oak and Seven Locks.

Lastly the Board discussed landscaping plans and costs. The Board authorized Bill Baruffi to proceed as discussed and the budget appears adequate for the work. We will try another push with Block Captains to increase the percentage of dues-paying members, but we already have enough to proceed with the landscaping with over 170 members paid to date.

Minutes of MSCA Board Meeting 10-08-2003

The regular meeting of the MSCA Board for Fall, 2003 was held October 8, 2003 at the home of Vice President Kim Ford.

President Bob Gross provided updates on area improvement projects. The promised work on the west side of Seven Locks Road have been completed. A few corrections to the work were discussed and Bob will ask the county that these changes be made. We may need to fill in some plantings after the county work is done, which Improvements Chair Bill Baruffi will see to. Similar improvements of the east side of the road are under consideration by the county.

The repaving (slurry coating) of the Northern portion of our Community was completed by the County. At last report from the County, repaving the Southern portion may be done next summer.

Bob introduced Rob Dougherty who has volunteered to edit and handle publication of our newsletter, The Tetragon. Rob is an experienced writer, editor and manager in the Reuters organization who will be of enormous help to our publication.

Dues collection was proceedign at a good pace. Having Block Captains hand out flyers and ask for dues helps. This year we would like to republish the MSCA Directory, based on the information sheets from dues collection efforts. We would like to put more history into the directory if anyone has anything written or is willing to write about MSCA from the beginning. Several ideas for the next newsletter were offered, including: reminders about not leaving leaves at the curb – there is no curbside collection; road construction updates; Fortune Park updates; and soliciting for a web site editor. Bob will contact the Churchill High School business club to see what they have to offer in web design services as well.

Minutes of MSCA Annual Meeting 6-02-03

The annual meeting of MSCA was held at Beverly Farms elementary school on June 2, 2003, as publicized in advance and in accordance with our bylaws.

Bob Gross, President, opened the meeting at 7:30. In his President’s report, Bob highlighted the association’s accomplishments for the year, and thanked the Officers and Committee chairs for their efforts. Membership partipation rates in paying dues continued to hold steady, with net income rising sufficiently to continue our program of improvements to the community. To this end, the association engaged Allentuck Landscaping this year to improve the flowers and shrubs at our entrances. We have since gotten a lot of positive feedback about the changes. This year also saw a revitalization of the block captain system, which we use to communicate with the members in various ways. We held a holiday party and the annual yard sale, which again raised money for a local charity, Stepping Stones. Information about new developments at Fortune Park was relayed to the members and is available on our web site under the meeting minutes from April, 2003. A campaign to improve the local roads has started to bear fruit, with reconstruction of curbs and corners on Seven Lock Road scheduled, as well as resurfacing of the asphalt in Montgomery Square itself.

The community was again fortunate this year to have two guest speakers of interest to the members. Returning to speak was Delegate Jean Cryor, our incumbent Republican representative in the Maryland House of Delegates. Delegate Cryor was joined by new delegate, Democrat Bryan Feldman. The two legislators discussed their varying viewpoints on working with our new Governor, and a substantially new cast of players at the state level. About one third of the General Assembly turned over to new members, and the Speaker of the House lost his bid for re-election in his home district. The pace of business has slowed somewhat because of the turnover, and because the balance of power is more evenly split between a Republican as Governor and the Democratic majority in the legislature. Issues discussed included the rapid growth in the area, studies of transportation alternatives, the CareFirst (Blue Cross Blue Shield) potential sale for profit which was opposed by the state, and others. The speakers differed on taxes and what the Governor’s intentions might be on raising revenue, including such controversial means as the “car tax,” a tax on HMOs, tobacco taxes, and borrowing from the highway trust funds. The members present enjoyed a chance to interact with their representatives, offering advice on issues such as the ICC, slot machines, local programs by businesses to support schools, reducing government waste, and the desirability of better public transportation.

Secretary Tom Hall then announced the results of the call for nominations for officers of the association. All standing officers volunteered to continue in their positions, and there were no new nominees offered. Re-election of the current slate was unanimous. The need continues for a volunteer Webmaster. Volunteers for this or any other position on the Board should contact the President at any time.

In closing, the President thanked everyone for coming. Refreshments provided by Geppetto Catering, courtesy of owner and MSCA resident Josh Carin, were enjoyed by all.

Meeting was adjourned.

Minutes of MSCA Board 04-08-2003

The regular meeting of the MSCA Board for April, 2003 was held April 4, 2003 at the home of Vice President Kim Ford.

Plans for upcoming events were discussed first. The annual yard sale was set for May 4. Maps will be given to Block Captains along with flyers to help them remind homeowners that dues are to be paid. We will have a new banner for the yard sale that Kim will pick up.

The Board asked Secretary, Tom Hall, to add Block Captains to the MSCA web site, to show the address ranges and street names for which they are responsible.

Landscaping proposals were reviewed. The Board discussed whether we would be willing to accept a discounted offer if it meant displaying a sign advertising the landscaping company. The decision was that a permanent sign was not desirable, but the normal temporary sort of signs could be used. A similar proposal to discount the cost of new entry signs was discussed as well, but deferred for further investigation. Several Board members would like to pursue signs at Montrose Road and Whites Ford Way. The decision was made to contract for landscaping, including mulching and replanting several areas. A new Improvements Chair, Bill Baruffi, was approved by the Board, which also thanked our outgoing Chair, Josh Carin.

President Bob Gross reported on conversations with county officials on improvements to Seven Locks Road. Work has been scheduled to improve the corners at Seven Locks Road and Postoak Road, as well as at Gainsborough Road. Existing holes caused by traffic cutting the corner will be filled, a retaining wall will be built and the bus stop and sidewalk will be improved.

Lastly, the Board discussed the scheduled Annual Meeting of MSCA. It will be held June 2, 2003 in the multipurpose room of Beverly Farms Elementary School. Kim Ford will arrange the room reservations. Treasurer David Grossman volunteered to call local elected representatives who may be willing to speak at the event.

Minutes of MSCA Board 02-25-2003

The regular board meeting for February, 2003 was held February 25th at Kim Ford’s home. Our treasurer reported that dues collection was running ahead of last year’s in total dollars, but from slightly fewer respondents. A plan to have block captains solicit for dues from those not yet having paid was agreed upon.

A brief discussion of landscaping and the potential for new entry signs to the neighborhood was tabled awaiting more information from Allentuck Landscaping.

The bulk of the agenda was a presentation by the developers of the proposed Fortune Park development. This long-debated project is in the Montgomery County master plan and is progressing steadily through the steps needed to begin construction. The two major partners in development were represented at the meeting, Brent Pratt, from Foulger-Pratt Development, Inc., and Bob Youngentaub from Eakin/Youngentaub Associates, Inc. The owner of the land and a financial partner in the venture has been the Truland family. Both of the major developers have a long history of large and successful projects in the county. Foulger-Pratt was the general contractor for the Mormon Temple and much of the downtown Silver Spring redevelopment. Eakins/Youngentaub has developed such properties as Falls Grove (Shady Grove Road and Darnestown Road area.)

The developers presented drawings of the current plans for the development, which call for mixed residential and commercial use of some 50 acres. A total of 600 residential units is planned — 450 in multifamily dwellings (a mix of condominiums and apartments) and 150 as upscale townhouses. As many as seven low-rise (eight or fewer stories) commercial buildings nearest to I-270 may be built, along with some small service/retail stores to serve the new community along a main street. Foulger-Pratt is the large construction contractor for the bulk of the development’s physical layout and the multifamily apartments, which they will then manage. Eakin/Youngentaub is the townhouse developer.

At this point, the next step is a Preliminary Plan Hearing, for which a detailed traffic study had to be prepared and submitted. The project will be built in pieces, with a Site Plan design and approval process for each piece. If everything continues on schedule, the developers could break ground in 12 to 18 months and have the first occupants in early 2006. The commercial buildings would not be built until there was demand for them, individually.

The Board had many questions about traffic flow, as the project includes new ramps to I-270 as the primary entrance and egress. A new entrance along Seven locks Road is also planned, which was of more concern. The project is located in the county, outside of the Rockville City borders, but the school district will be that of Ritchie Park Elementary, Julius West Middle School, and Richard Montgomery High School. There are lots of features to the plan, including a water feature, a transit center to connect with Ride-On, a set of three community centers and like amenities.

After much discussion, the Board thanked the developers for sharing this information and the meeting was adjourned.

Minutes of MSCA Board 12-2-02

The monthly board meeting for Dec. 2, 2002 was held at the home of Kim Ford, Vice President.

The Board heard from a resident about what can be done in cases where an a nearby property is not kept clean. This is an all-too-frequent question and it is always best if neighbors can politely persuade the property owner directly. If a complaint comes to the Board, the first recourse we pursue is usually a letter from the President of MSCA to the homeowner requesting that the property be put in order. This usually works, but when it does not, there is an appeal that any resident can make. The office of the Montgomery County Health Inspector can be contacted and will take action in severe cases. The inspectors will write a letter to the homeowner advising them that, if conditions which pose a health or safety concern are not corrected, a $500 fine may be imposed.

The Board next welcomed a new committee chair, Bruce Avery, for Roads and Safety. Bruce has been a Montgomery Square resident since 1969.

Joel Dorfman presented a draft of the December Tetragon, which was discussed at length. The issue will go out in December promoting the holiday party and will contain the annual dues collection material. Dues for the calendar year 2003 are being collected starting now and, by action of the Board, were set at $50. The Tetragon will contain some reprints about our community from the Gazette, with permission.

President Bob Gross displayed a proposed plan for the development of the Fortune Park property, located between Seven Locks Road, Montrose Road, Fortune Terrace, and I-270. Plans are quite extensive, calling for some light commercial park buidlings near I-270, with medium-to-high density residential housing designed to support employees for the growing number of businesses in the area. In combination with other proposed projects, including a renovation of the Cabin John Mall area and the property across from it on Seven Locks Road, there is a lot to keep an eye on.

The Board discussed soliciting proposals for year-round landscape maintenance from local providers. The President will pursue this alternative and provide pricing information.

The next Board meeting was set for the second Monday in February.

Meeting was adjourned.

Minutes of MSCA Annual Meeting 6-03-02

The annual meeting of MSCA was held at Beverly Farms elementary school on June 3, 2002, as publicized in advance and in accordance with our bylaws.

Bob Gross, President, opened the meeting at 7:30. In his President’s report, Bob noted that the association continued to function strongly and recognized Vice President Kim Ford and the other officers and board members for their contributions. Treasurer David Grossman reported that we had approximately 240 houses in paid status at this time and were continuing efforts to increase the level of participation. A healthy treasury balance of about $6400 has been achieved. It was decided to clarify that dues payments cover the period of the coming calendar year.

It was announced that our yard sale was a success and the participants donated a portion of their proceeds to charity, raising approximately $150 for a worthy cause. Next year’s calendar will include a holiday party as we continue to expand the social opportunities in the community.

Secretary Tom Hall then announced the results of the call for nominations for officers of the association. All standing officers volunteered to continue in their positions, and there were no new nominees offered. Re-election of the current slate was unanimous. The need for a volunteer Webmaster, and a chair for the Roads and Safety Committee was noted by the President. Volunteers should contact him at any time.

The community was fortunate this year to have two guest speakers of interest to the members. The first was Delegate Jean Cryor, our representative in the Maryland House of Delegates. Delegate Cryor reviewed a few of the many highlights of this year’s legislative session, particularly the achievements of the united Montgomery County delegation in winning a major battle to improve our share of an overall increase in school funding. This was followed by an informative briefing from MSCA member, Joseph Lavorgna, who is the Director of Planning and Capital Programming, Montgomery County Public School system. Mr. Lavorgna described the time tables and methodology used to determine which schools would be renovated and when.

After the speakers, the floor was opened for comments and questions from the homeowners. A couple of recent incidents of vandalism on Smoketree Road were discussed by a concerned resident, who also noted that county police do not devote major attention to investigating or trying to track down vandals. Several suggestions were proffered by the speaker and others, many involving improvements in lighting. Another suggestion was to put trash cans and other movable items away and out of sight. This may project an impression of better care and attention being paid by residents to their property, and may remove some targets of opportunity for vandals as well. If the Board is notified of incidents, we can publicize them, raise the level of awareness, and consider appropriate actions. The possibility of getting more police patrols, particularly on Saturday night, was discussed. Options for pursuing this include calling the community focal point officer, who spoke to us at last year’s annual meeting, and considering establishment of a Neighborhood Watch program. If a volunteer is available to pursue such avenues, they can be discussed at a future business meeting of the Board.

In closing, the President thanked everyone for coming. A door prize drawing for two gift certificates to Home Depot was held to show appreciation for those who supported the association by their attendance.

Refreshments provided by Geppetto Catering, courtesy of owner and MSCA resident Josh Carin, were enjoyed by all.

Meeting was adjourned.

Minutes of MSCA Board 3-11-02

Present were Bob Gross (Pres.), Kim Ford (VP), Tom Hall (Sec.), David Grossman (Treas.), and committee chairs/members Josh Carin, Joan Clowes, Ann Stadnicki, Joel Dorfman, and Lynn Hirschman.

Bob reported that he and Kim Ford had bought and planted pansies at the Montrose Road entrances to carry us through until summer plantings can be made.

David reported that we are starting the fiscal year with approximately $6600 in the bank after paying all bills. He has kept track of households who have paid dues, by block. He can mark up a map so that volunteers can solicit dues from the remaining households. We discussed trying to use block captains. Josh volunteered to visit as many homes as possible and encourage them to become active in paying dues. We would like to raise the percentage of participation so that we can afford to do more for the neighborhood.

Ann Stadnicki reported that the directory was essentially ready to print and turned in money received for advertising. Bob would like to push one more time for local merchants to take out ads, so we will wait for the end of the week before committing the directory to the printers. It was noted that the map at the center of the directory did not show the new section on Aqueduct by the water tower, so Ann will draw this in.

Josh discussed landscaping plans. The Falls Road entrances are well maintained by neighbors, but we need to plant annuals and mulch. A juniper needs to be moved from the Seven Locks island over to the Chillam entrance; and the island needs more perennials and small shrubs, leaving a smaller area to be filled with annuals. Josh will get some drawings and estimates for signs, and depending on cost we may buy one now and another later. The need for a permit and fee to the county was discussed.

Speaking of the county, Bob reported that the use of the free service to cut down dead trees – calling 240-777-ROAD, was successful.

The ice skating party was described as successful, with about 25 residents participating. Josh’ company (Gepetto’s Catering) provided the food, which was pronounced excellent by those in attendance. The next event will be the yard sale – Sunday 12-3PM on May 5th. Ann volunteered the use of her real estate signs with covers/posters to direct people to the event. We will investigate getting a banner-type sign for the Inspection House Road island. The timing should work out to put out a flyer for people to sign up for the yard sale, as well as one to pay dues, and to deliver these along with the new directory. Local kids will be used to distribute the directory and fliers. At the suggestion of one of Bob’s daughters, participants in the yard sale will be asked to voluntarily donate a small fraction of their proceeds to a charity chosen by the board — one of the local shelters for the homeless of the abused. Joan will do the advertising and write the flyer text for Joel to get printed. Kim will write the dues reminder.

Lastly, we discussed zoning issues. The master plan for Fortune Park has been approved, as has a zoning change to allow for greater density at the Cabin John Shopping Center, for which there are conceptual plans but no specific approvals yet. Concerns about the density and traffic on Seven Locks were expressed, so we need a Roads chair to keep on top of such things (currently vacant.) An article in the Potomac Almanac was also brought to our attention by Bob. A staff recommendation to the board which has to approve the new Master Plan included a last minute attempt to get approval for widening Seven Locks, Montrose, and River Roads. The board has consistently rejected widening proposals for the section of Montrose Road between Falls Road and Seven Locks Road and did so again in this case. Tom took an action to look into this and write a draft letter to the board on the subject.

Meeting was adjourned.